When we Fight, We Win: Our Partnership with SEIU 205
Nashville has been a Democratic stronghold in Tennessee, but that hasn’t always translated to progressive success or better living conditions for working people. As Nashville emerged as an “It City”, public employees were among those who felt the pressure of rising costs for housing and necessities. SEIU Local 205 had been the principal organizing body for those workers and in 2018 we began a partnership across all of their communications channels that has strengthened the union and advanced the goals of their membership.
The goal across every program has been to increase the engagement of union members and ensure that their stories were told to leaders. When they’ve put grassroots pressure on city councils, workers and community members were front and center. When they’ve endorsed candidates through their PAC and COPE vehicles, we’ve put worker values front and center.
A few notable achievements:
Electing the most progressive council in Nashville history in 2019
Successfully lobbying for an increase in the metro budget
Protecting jobs during the pandemic
Earning Metro Workers a Step Raises plan
Establishing a $15 minimum wage for Metro Workers
What we’ve seen is that putting members and communities first has led to win after win, a more powerful and effective union, and while increasing costs have continued, SEIU 205 has negotiated agreements for their workers that have protected and advanced workers across the state. In Chattanooga, Memphis, and Metro Nashville, workers are safer and more prosperous because of their union.
As part of our partnership, we’ve been proud of our stewardship of member resources. We’ve worked to make specific use of their national messaging frameworks, stretched budgets by making repeated use of assets, and found ways to communicate about specific issues in formats that didn’t break the budget.
A few examples of the work we’ve partnered on:
