The "Secret" Origin of SEIU Local 205

The beginnings of SEIU Local 205 start in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. And even though Oak Ridge at the time was a small town, it would go down in history as the birthplace of one of the most monumental scientific creations in history. Read "Secret Origin of a Secret City" and learn the history of SEIU in Tennessee.

Oak Ridge: Origins of a City

Oak Ridge is truly a city born of war. Prior to World War II, the area now known as Oak Ridge, Tennessee was comprised of several small, rural farming communities.

As war was rolling across Europe, scientists fled the continent and came to America. Realizing the potential danger of nuclear advancements by German scientists under the Nazi regime, the famous Albert Einstein was encouraged by his colleagues to send a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt to initiate research on nuclear fission. Thus, the Manhattan Project was born.

The area was chosen for several reasons. First, it was far enough inland that attack by enemy aircraft would be unlikely. Also, it was close to an unending supply of fresh water thanks to the Clinch River. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) supplied much needed electricity after harnessing the energy of the water a decade earlier. And nearby Knoxville could supply a huge workforce. But most of all, the area was surrounded by mountains, providing a natural barrier in case of an accident.

Originally called Clinton Engineer Works, Oak Ridge was indeed, a “Secret City”. It didn’t officially exist, and wasn’t even on maps until 1979. All workers wore badges and the town was surrounded by guard towers and a fence with seven gates. No one who worked or lived there was allowed to discuss what they did, or what they saw. What they did, was not even clearly understood by those employed there. They were separating the isotope uranium-238 from natural uranium, the component crucial for building the world’s first nuclear bomb.

The hospital was built by the army to support the influx of workers and construction personnel from across the United States. Originally a 50 bed facility, the hospital served workers and their families, and even boasted a state of the art maternity ward. In 1958, the hospital was turned over to the Methodist church, and renamed Oak Ridge Methodist Hospital, and eventually Methodist Medical Center Of Oak Ridge.

SEIU: Origins Of A Union

By 1966, the hospital employed 350, including administration. The majority of these workers were female or black. Labor laws did not protect hospital workers. Legislation at that time deemed non-profit hospitals “charitable in nature”, and employees were exempted from the National Labor Relations Act, which entitled workers the right to organize for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment.

But for the people who worked at non-profit hospitals, and in this case, the Oak Ridge hospital, their presumed “charitable nature”, wasn’t paying the bills. Some of the women who worked there were widows, divorced, or simply had too many mouths to feed at home. Some were the sole bread winners of the family for one reason or another.

National minimum wage had reached $1.25 by 1964, but because of the exemptions to hospital workers, minimum wage at Methodist was around .90 an hour. To avoid union organization, the hospital announced a pay raise, but amounts were based on personal interviews and people were told to keep their wages “a secret”. This meant that if they liked you, you got a good raise. Also, the raises were not extended to part time employees, which made up 50% of the workforce. Seniority meant nothing. New graduates coming in would make more than experienced employees. There were no restrictions on termination, and the constant threat of discipline kept workers “in line” and in the dark.

In July of 1966, approximately 160 employees of the hospital walked off the job. The BSEIU (Building Service Employees International Union) agreed to represent our workers in their crusade. Because the atomic plants which employed most Oak Ridgers were made up of 90% union workers, community support was incredible. Meals for striking workers were provided at little or no cost. Union members from other plants walked the picket line along with hospital workers. The people of Oak Ridge organized the “Concerned Citizens”, whose membership quickly reached 860, to pressure the mayor and other officials to meet with hospital administration and get the striking employees back to work with union representation.

After 51 days, the strike came to a successful close. The picketers gained the respect and recognition they deserved. Within a year, the starvation wages they were making had been tripled. The threat of termination was eliminated without just cause. And most importantly, they now had a voice. The BSEIU Local 105T, represented them proudly. And 2 years later due to the influx of hospital and other service employees, the union changed it’s name to Service Employees International Union, and a new charter was issued to Local 105T, now known as SEIU Local 205.