KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Oak Ridge Central Labor Council hosted a party for union members and supporters at Melton Lake Park on Monday. Several dozen people attended the event, which came during a moment of heightened attention on unions, both locally and nationally.
Skilled tradesmen, healthcare workers and political groups, like The Democratic Socialists of America listened to music, ate food and talked about their causes.
Beau Hawk, the Recording Secretary for the Central Labor Council, said the party was a demonstration of the wide interest in organized labor.
"We got a few different community organizations, from Knoxville, for example, where we've got a really strong coalition, built just this year, between some faith-based organizations and labor, where they're working together on some big projects," Hawk said.
His introduction to unionizing came off the job. The former Teamster said the support a unionized workplace provided turned the cause into his passion.
"Really just having human dignity in the workplace was really the biggest thing for me," he said. "So, I became a steward to represent the other members on a day-to-day basis. It's just something that really changed my life, having a union job."
Tennessee is a "right-to-work state" and completely unionized workplaces aren't common, but Hawk said environments like that can actually be an opportunity for unions. Negotiating contracts for both members and non-members allows organized workers to demonstrate their influence. He said the attitude towards organized labor is changing, especially among younger people.
However, collective action doesn't mean easy answers.
"It's always ebbs and flows," said Tracy Fair, a Chief Steward for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Unit 205 in Oak Ridge.
Fair works as a secretary at Methodist Medical Center. She said she joined SEIU almost 10 years ago after years of job insecurity.
"I've worked at many jobs where the employer can summarily tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Well, we no longer need your services today,'" she said.
She joined Unit 205 to protect herself. She described her union as a family, helping members deal with everyday life stressors and supporting each other with one voice. That said, it's a job that requires its own skillset.
"When you're on a negotiating team — that's a learning curve all by itself," she said. "Give and take, give and take ... You have to learn to maneuver it."
Fair said negotiations happen between the union and the employer and among union members. She said the process can be frustrating.
She acknowledged a long history of skepticism towards unions in this state. She said she belives employers and unions need to develop a "cooperative mindset." Ultimately, it's an individual choice that can start with a conversation, which she said she's always ready to have.