Hundreds of Memphis city employees representing 13 labor unions gathered outside City Hall this week to protest what they say is the mayor’s refusal to honor existing memorandums of understanding (MOUs).
“We are the backbone of this city,” Pastor Keith Caldwell of Centenary United Methodist Church reportedly said.
“We are the hands that built it. We are the hearts that serve it. And we are the voices that will not be silenced,” Caldwell (pictured above) added.
On Tuesday, a demonstration was attended by city workers from a wide range of departments – including libraries, sanitation, public works, fire, police, and others – who said the city, specifically Mayor Paul Young, has failed to sign MOUs with their respective unions.
The protest came after the city last month wrote in a countersuit from a legal fight with the Memphis Firefighters Association over wage increases that city employees “do not have the right to collectively bargain with the city.”
Further, the city sought through its countersuit against the Memphis Firefighters Association to invalidate all of the city’s agreements with its unions.
In addition, the city is also being sued by the Memphis Police Association over its creation of a Second Lieutenant rank in the police force – a move that the court has ruled is a violation of the MOU.
James Jones III, president of Teamsters Local 667, said Tuesday’s protest was for city employees to “defend” their collective bargaining rights.
The unions in attendance at Tuesday’s protest included Communications Workers of America, Local 3806 chapter; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local W391 chapter; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 474 chapter; International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 369 chapter; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Local 1733 chapter; International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 667 chapter; Memphis Fire Fighters Association; Memphis Police Association; and the Memphis & West Tennessee Labor Council.
When asked by Action News 5 if a strike is imminent, Niqualus Nibley with IBEW Local 474 said, “No comment.”
In a statement to News 5, Mayor Young claimed his administration “values and supports fair wages and safe working conditions.”
“Nearly six decades ago, Dr. King’s sacrifice in Memphis became part of our collective memory. Today, the issues are still as valid…[W]e are not willing to undo history. But as Mayor of Memphis, my ultimate responsibility is to ensure our government serves everyone. In that pursuit, we will continue to work with our employees to find a fair resolution,” he added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo Memphis Area Unions Protest” by Pastor Keith Caldwell.
