SEIU’s “Purple Wave” Rolls Across Nashville!

School Board Elections May Be Decided by SEIU’s People-Powered Campaign

SEIU’s “Purple Wave” continues to roll across Davidson County, impacting the Metro School Board elections on a near-daily basis. Whether it’s turning out members to candidate forums, phonebanking voters, reaching voters through direct mail, worksite mobilization, or going door-to-door, Local 205’s trained Member Political Organizers and countless Member Volunteers are in the field working to elect the Union’s slate of pro-labor, pro-schools candidates.



Framing the Debate
Since election season began back in May, SEIU members have turned out to a half-dozen candidate forums across the city to help shape the course of the election. Thanks to the strong “purple presence”, MNPS support workers and their struggles have been addressed in candidate forums – often more than issues related to teachers. At a forum at Friendship Baptist Church, SEIU was mentioned by nearly every candidate as a solid organization whose endorsement is highly sought.



Talking Tough
The SEIU Call Center has been running nearly nonstop for weeks to get the message out about our endorsed candidates. This 21st-century digital phonebank allows our members to make targeted phone calls and have one-on-one conversations about why this election is important and which candidates have the best qualifications.



Special Delivery
SEIU members in targeted districts have gotten the message about which candidates are going to support workers rights and our issues. Several thousand pieces of mail have been sent so far to make sure that Metro employees know that politics matters in their jobs!

On the Job
SEIU member activists have already started having conversations with their co-workers all across the city about the School Board elections. Union members from NES to General Hospital to Metro Action Commission and all points in between are talking to their co-workers about the importance of the school board election. In a low-turnout race, like many are predicting, this word of mouth may be crucial in winning.



The Ground Game
On July 19, we took our campaign to elect a pro-labor school board into the streets. Dozens of SEIU members teamed up with campaign teams and volunteered their Saturday to knock doors across Davidson County. From Madison to Belle Meade, SEIU’s Purple Wave moved through Nashville’s neighborhoods. The mission: to talk to our neighbors about supporting our schools and our endorsed candidates. According to Lee Limbird, candidate for District 9, “we covered more turf in one morning than we’ve been able to for the last two weeks thanks to SEIU’s help”.



Be Kind… Unwind!
Union members know how to work hard and they know how to play hard, too! On July 21, Local 205 hosted a Reception attended by our endorsed candidates that drew close to fifty people on a Monday night! This was a chance for our members to actually come meet and greet the candidates. “I had a blast,” says Linda Epps, a Teacher Assistant for Metro Action Commission. “After meeting these candidates, I know now that the Union has backed a team of good, smart, qualified people who are going to stick up for workers and make our schools better”.

Thanks to the hard work of our MPO’s, rank-and-file member volunteers, and the candidates themselves, the Purple Wave sets SEIU apart from every other organization in Nashville as a potent political force driven by regular people who do extraordinary things. There are still volunteer opportunities available and we strongly encourage you to join us and help make Nashville a better place to live, learn, and work.

Contact Mark Naccarato to find out about how you can help.