NASHVILLE, TN — LIUNA Local 386 has voted to endorse John Cooper for Mayor of Metro Nashville after a highly contested general election in which issues of equity and transparency dominated the public debate. To date LIUNA is the first union to weigh in on the runoff for Mayor.
“Nashville’s neighborhood infrastructure is a generation behind,” said Johnny Orton Business Manager of LIUNA Local 386 in Madison, “John has the focus and conviction to treat Bordeaux’s storm water, sidewalks, and sewers as seriously as Metro treats developers.” LIUNA has been a consistent advocate for neighborhood infrastructure including complete streets, flood mitigation, and transit upgrades.
LIUNA’s endorsement signifies a shift within the progressive community to Cooper. A consistent supporter of progressive causes, LIUNA championed a 2015 amendment to the Metro Charter requiring public construction projects to include local workers; the amendment passed with 58% of the vote county-wide. In the 2015 Mayoral Election, LIUNA endorsed the only consistent supporter of the so-called “Local Hire” measure: then Council Member Megan Barry. In 2018, LIUNA was a key supporter of the Let’s Move Nashville transit plan.
“Working folks in Nashville are tired of seeing their neighborhoods ignored, said LIUNA member and Nashville native Jeff Bratton.”And we are tired of seeing out-of-state companies use temporary agencies to build $500-a-night hotel rooms for tourists. They use our tax money to build cheap, unsafe buildings.”
LIUNA Local 386 represents hundreds of construction workers throughout middle Tennessee and more than 600 workers at Vanderbilt/ VUMC.
