About Local 205's Retiree Chapter
The Retiree chapter of SEIU Local 205 has been in existence since 2000 and was formed with the goal of advocating for the rights of retired employees and seniors. Whether its protecting Social Security, strengthening Medicare, or ensuring our union’s employers keep the commitments they’ve made to their employees, the Retiree chapter continues to stay active.
The GASB Campaign
The chapter grew the most in the spring of 2007, when Metro Government in Nashville considered major changes in retiree benefits. Metro was spurred on to act by the Bush Administration’s new regulations under the General Accounting Standards Board, but Local 205’s Retiree chapter didn’t take things laying down. Local 205 retirees led the fight against cuts to benefits with a series of town hall meetings and lobby days, which culminated in a Public Hearing at the Metro Council that drew over 400 supporters. The Council, seeing the massive public outcry against cutting retiree benefits, shelved the matter and has not attempted any action to this day. The GASB campaign drew in many new members to the Retiree chapter, but as is often the case, when the crisis went away, so did the activism of many of the members.
Retiree Chapter, “Version 2.0”
Cut to 2009. A new crisis—this one related to healthcare– inspires a new group of retired SEIU members to take action and organize. Under the new leadership of Gloria Jones (retired from Meharry Medical College in Nashville), Local 205’s Retiree chapter has taken on new officers and a new urgency. “We are now seeing a coordinated attack on healthcare reform, Social Security, and public employee pensions that is funded by corporations who are only interested in lining their pockets,” Gloria says. “Retirees and seniors are a valuable resource. We have lots of experience, lots of connections in our community, and in many cases, lots of time to help the cause of stopping this attack on America’s workers and retirees”. Since the beginning of 2010, the Retiree chapter has held monthly meetings that have featured a wide variety of speakers and topics. Don Majors, who works at Congressman Jim Cooper’s office, spoke to members about the Affordable Care Act when it first passed. Patrick Lillard from the AARP spoke in May about his organization’s activities and Tony Garr from the Tennessee Health Care Campaign revealed what benefits Americans will receive under the new healthcare reform bill. Several representatives of the Metro Benefit Board have attended meetings to talk about Metro’s benefit package. Retiree chapter members also provided valuable support by making phone calls and knocking doors in support of the Union’s endorsed candidates during the May elections. “This has been a wonderful year,” Gloria says. “But we have a lot to do next year if we are to continue to grow”.
A Plan for Growth
At their meeting in October, the Retiree chapter took the first steps towards growing their organization by forming subcommittees organized by employer. As a result, the Retiree chapter now has a Metro committee, a Meharry committee, and an N.E.S. committee. “The reason we did that is because we have different employers and different benefit packages. While we all share the same overall goals of advocating for retiree and senior issues across Tennessee, this new structure allows us to still keep a focus on what each of our own employers is up to.” Gloria and her fellow officers believe this is a way to encourage growth. “We would love to see retired SEIU members in Memphis, Chattanooga, and Oak Ridge join the Local’s Retiree chapter and this structure hopefully encourages that”.
Joan Parmer, a retired SEIU member who used to work for the Metro Action Commission as a Head Start teacher, sums up the mission of Local 205’s Retiree chapter best. “We may have new officers and a new set of bylaws, but we have the same commitment to activism”.
If you are an SEIU member who is planning on retiring within the year, please contact the union for more information about joining the Retiree chapter. Dues are $5/month or $60/yr.
SEIU members Joan Parmer and Gloria Jones contributed to this article.