Employees who went on strike at a Nashville labor advocacy center say in a press release issued Thursday that most of them have been fired. Employees of Workers’ Dignity started the strike in March after the board fired executive director Cecilia Prado.
According to the release, fired workers were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements in order to receive severance benefits — which is illegal in many instances. They also allege misconduct and discrimination in the workplace.
In a statement to the Scene, the Workers’ Dignity board denies the claims, saying the release “contains numerous falsehoods.” The statement continues:
The organization has spent weeks negotiating exit terms for suspended staff via meditation, which some have accepted. Others have chosen to violate previous agreements, and make excessive, unwarranted severance demands while issuing false statements to the media.
The matter is now in the hands of our attorneys. Our focus is on taking care of and protecting our members who are at the heart of the mission of this organization.
The fallout of the strike has seen Workers’ Dignity locked out of their social media accounts by the striking employees and the board filing a lawsuit against Prado.
Former staffers tell the Scene seven workers went on strike and five of them were fired. Workers' Dignity says the seven workers were suspended and that after mediation, two workers resumed their roles at the organization, and of one of the employees accepted a severance package.
Update, April 14: In a follow up statement to the Scene, Workers' Dignity directly denies claims the workers were fired, saying that one employee has accepted a severance package and the other four remain suspended as mediation continues. The article has been adjusted to better reflect the organization's response.
