NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — As prices continue to rise across the board, many are hoping for an increase in their salaries, with Metro Nashville employees among those advocating for better compensation. As the city prepares to adopt a new operations budget, some of its most essential workers are asking for a raise.
Silva Brooks, who has been serving children at Metro Nashville Public Schools for over 30 years, is one such employee.
Despite her love for the job, she finds it challenging to make ends meet on her current salary.
“They are the flowers of my life every day. I love my babies. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them. I will go overboard for them,” Brooks said.
However, she also voiced her frustration about her financial struggles.
“You go to work and say at Chick-fil-A 'My pleasure' and you make more than me. I got a problem with that. It's … it's ridiculous.”
Brooks and other Metro employees are calling for an increase in the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). As council members look over its operations budget for the next fiscal year, she hopes they will heed her plea for a living wage.
Last week, several people lined up to address council members about how they should allocate the city's funds. Among them were school support staff, nurses at Nashville General, and crews from Metro Water and Nashville Electric Service.
Brooks highlighted the financial difficulties faced by many school employees.
“We only get paid nine months out of the year. So can you imagine taking nine months and spreading it over the next three months just to make ends meet? It’s hard,” Brooks said.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell's proposed budget for FY25 includes a 3.5% COLA increase, raising the city's minimum wage to $20 an hour.
However, Brooks and others argue that this is insufficient.
In response, Budget Chair Delishia Porterfield introduced a substitute budget, proposing a 4% COLA increase. This adjustment would raise the lowest-paid MNPS employees' hourly wage to $19.47.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
