FAIRGROUNDS LAWSUIT
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TANGER OUTLET OPENING
NOVEMBER 2, 2023 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 43
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UAW announces tentative agreement with GM
Spring Hill GM workers head to work during ratification process BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
District 23 Councilmember Thom Druffel
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Looking Forward: Transportation connects southwest Nashville council members BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
The first Metro Council meeting since the election took place on Oct. 3. There are multiple new and returning council members in The News’ southwest Nashville coverage area, so we sat down with each of them to talk about the issues they want to address during their term. Looking Forward will be an ongoing series of topics addressed by each member we were able to speak with ahead of the first council meeting. When it comes to the future of Nashville, transportation seems to be the
connective thread in budgeting, development and infrastructure projects. “Certainly transit is at the top of the list,” Sheri Weiner (D22) said. “I think I’m not unlike 99 percent of the folks that are going back in that say – now’s the time. We can’t wait any longer.” Weiner said finding a dedicated funding source has to be a priority for the future of any transportation projects. “I want to make sure that we put money away for what I call rainy day fund capital expenses,” Weiner said. “To include repairs,
to include changing gas prices, finding a way to be sustainable and greener.” Weiner suggested finding a way not to have to rely as heavily on fuel by looking at electric or hybrid as options to consider as well. “We don’t know what tomorrow holds, what the technology holds, but the experts do,” Weiner said. That means leaning on walkability and creating bikeable streets too. “We’ve got issues of needing walkability, connecting all the nodes in Bellevue so that it’s more cohesive, looking for >> PAGE 3
The United Auto Workers announced that a tentative agreement was reached with General Motors on Monday, just two days after the Local 1853 in Spring Hill joined the nationwide Stand Up Strike. Despite early news of a tentative agreement on Monday morning, the local union employees were still at the picket lines until the official word came down from UAW International President Shawn Fain in a 3:30 p.m. announcement. Local 1853 president John Rutherford told The News it was a surprise to get the call on Saturday, but said he knew it was a logical step because Spring Hill is one of the “big moneymakers”. About 80 workers walked out of the General Motors plant at 5 p.m. on Saturday, a non-production day. There are nearly 4,000 manufacturing employees at the plant, GM’s largest in North America. “Us alone takes down eight different plants. We feed eight engines to eight different plants,” Rutherford said. “I think [Fain] waited to last to try to get it over the edge.” He said he thought when they finally walked off they would get an agreement by the end of the week. Now, he and other local presidents and shop chairmen will go to Detroit to vote on that agreement. If the vote passes, it goes to the membership, which could happen by the end of the week. “I think it sent a message; we’re not playing around,” Daniel Martinez, UAW district committeeperson and shop committee member, told The News. “We’re serious about the demands that >> PAGE 4
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