SEIU Announces Chattanooga City Council Endorsements

City Employees Union Backs Ladd, Gilbert, Berz, and Pierce

(Chattanooga, TN) The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today announced a list of candidates endorsed by the organization for this year’s city council elections on March 3. SEIU Local 205, which represents Chattanooga city employees, endorses Pam Ladd in District 3, Russell Gilbert in District 5, Carol Berz in District 6, and Leamon Pierce in District 8.

Pam Ladd has owned and operated a successful cleaning business for over 14 years. She has held several important community leadership posts, including serving as president of the Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council, president of the Murray Hills Neighborhood Association, and president of the North River YMCA Board. “Pam Ladd has a long history of working with organized labor on issues that are important to working families and will be a good fit for the council – especially in this economy,” says Eustace Kigongo, an SEIU member and District 3 resident who works as a recreation specialist for the city’s Parks & Recreation department.

Russell Gilbert was elected to represent District 5 in a special election last November and is on the ballot this time for a full, four-year term. SEIU, along with four of the most influential labor unions in Chattanooga announced their unanimous support for Russell Gilbert in his re-election bid. “City government needs people on the council who have an independent voice and aren’t afraid to speak truth to power,” says Alonzo Strickland, an SEIU member who works on the city’s street cleaning crew. “Russell Gilbert will stand up for what’s right and that’s why our union and these other labor organizations support him for re-election”.

Carol Berz, who won a special election to fill the seat of Marti Rutherford when she was removed from the council in 2007, is running for a full term in District 6. “Carol Berz has been a great ally of people who work for a living in Chattanooga,” said Devin Cotton, a union member who works as a crew supervisor for the city’s Public Works department. “Dr. Berz knows that everybody has a stake in this city and she’s shown that she will listen to everyone, not just big business, to help her make good decisions”.

SEIU Local 205 has also decided to endorse Leamon Pierce in his bid for re-election in District 8. The union has not endorsed in the other council races or for the Mayoral race.

“The decision to endorse these candidates was made by rank-and-file members of our union,” said SEIU representative Jeff Berntsen. “Regular workers from all across the county participated in the decision, and they are determined to have a more worker-friendly environment in Chattanooga, especially in the public sector”.

The SEIU is the largest single labor union in North America, with a membership of 2 million members and is part of the Change to Win (CTW) labor federation. SEIU Local 205 represents public employees who work for the City of Chattanooga.

Early voting begins February 11 and Election Day is on March 3. A full list of dates and voting locations is available through the Hamilton County Election Commission.