Just hours before their contract expired, the Bargaining Committee of SEIU's Nashville Auto Diesel College (NADC) chapter voted overwhelmingly to approve a new five-year agreement. The new agreement will result in better working conditions, better communication procedures with Management, and will increase wages by $4.50/hr over the five-year period of the contract.

"This was a tough set of negotiations," says local president Doug Collier. "The committee was very frustrated at some proposals Management was making and the membership was fully prepared to go on strike". Bargaining Committee member Jeff Baker - a union member for nine years - attributed the success of the negotiations to solidarity since 90% of the NADC instructors are in the union. "If there's one lesson to be learned here it's that when workers stick together, they can win - even in this economy", Baker says.