- Our mission is to build a coalition of unions and communities in Tennessee.
Organized to leverage federal, state, and local energy, transportation, manufacturing, and technology infrastructure spending, such as federal infrastructure spending enacted by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). To empower Tennessee unions and communities, Labor at the Table works to connect stakeholders into a statewide network, developing local strategic partnerships to access this historic funding together and transform the lives of Tennessee workers.
- Our vision is a transformed Tennessee, with a just economy that works for everyone.
Made up of a diverse fabric of resilient and sustainable communities that are powered by renewable energy and connected by equitable infrastructure. Formerly underserved communities—now home to workers who have been empowered by training, apprenticeship, and union membership—have worked together in removing historic barriers, building new pathways to careers in emerging industries, and meeting the challenge of climate change and the energy transition.
- Our values are the foundation for our vision of a transformed Tennessee.
Community & Worker Empowerment
We believe that the core opportunity presented by federal funding is the empowerment of communities and workers to take an active role in shaping the future of Tennessee. This potential will be fulfilled by bridging historic divides and building relationships between community-based organizations and labor.
Economic Justice & Industrial Democracy
We believe that federal funding must directly benefit impacted communities and expand the power of workers over their lives by respecting their right to organize and belong to a union. By confronting the history of racism, limitation of democracy (particularly in the workplace), and hostility to unions in Tennessee, federally funded energy and infrastructure projects will equitably uplift the standard of living for communities and workers.
Climate Justice & Energy Democracy
We believe that federal funding must not only directly benefit the communities impacted by climate change and the energy transition, but that our communities should be active participants in shaping the energy projects that are developed in Tennessee.
- Our principles guide our work to build a just economy that works for all Tennesseans.
Centering Communities & Workers
We work to ensure that the voices of communities and workers are centered in making decisions as to how federal funding will be implemented and how energy and infrastructure projects are developed with a commitment to advancing racial and gender equity.
Coalition Building
We work to expand the capacity and power of our coalition—and to bolster the existing work of our coalition partners—by increasing local and statewide coordination, and focusing on shared objectives.
Strategic Partnerships
We work to build lasting strategic partnerships between stakeholder organizations, with relationships that are transformational rather than transactional.