Maupin Meets with Council Members

Two-hundred janitors, secretaries and maintenance staff at Meharry Medical College have worked for more than a year without a contract. (Today/yesterday) a group of concerned Metro Council members tried to intervene.

They met with Meharry President John Maupin before he leaves his post at the end of the month. The conversation with Maupin became personal and after the discussion he said questions from Council members indicate they already feel Meharry has done something wrong.

“Some of the questions appeared to be questions that the council had already made up its mind about, as opposed to asking my side, which means they were unduly influenced before they had a fair discussion on both sides.”

Union leaders have accused Meharry of included new contract clauses that make it harder for employees to file grievances for racial or age discrimination. President Maupin calls them “bold inaccuracies” and says the union – especially its president Don Driscoll – makes running the school unreasonably difficult.

Union representative Gloria Jones has worked at Meharry for 31 years. She blames the contract glitches on the school’s new labor negotiator.

“We never had a legal firm of that caliber sit across the table at us and negotiate a contract.”

Meharry hired a powerful firm King and Ballow (like blue) this year because – as Maupin says – the college had given up too much in years past.

While Meharry is a private institution, Council members organized the meeting out of concern for Metro General Hospital which is subsidized by the city. General survives partly because of a partnership with Meharry.