In addition to the step raises that union members at the Metro Health Department won for their co-workers, SEIU members are reviving a new spirit of activism by standing up for themselves against bad managers.

• One program manager who had been harassing his staff for over a year finally decided to take early retirement once workers began signing up for the union, documenting his behavior, and speaking out against him.
• When a new supervisor started harassing her staff over scheduling vacation time and calling in sick, the Union set up a meeting with the bureau director and got the wheels turning to develop a better procedure for requesting time off.
• An employee broke down into tears at work after receiving some horrible news about her family. But rather than get sympathy from her supervisor, the worker was escorted out of the building by security and was accused of threatening a co-worker - which was patently untrue! It was a serious situation that could have resulted in the employee's termination, but since she had Union representation, the worker was able to explain the situation and tell her side of the story. Ultimately, she transferred to another facility where she could work in a less stressful environment.

These are just a few of the recent stories that have unfolded as Metro Public Health Department employees have decided to stand up for dignity and respect on the job by joining with Local 205. Stay tuned for more...