Statement on the Passing of Vonda McDaniel, President of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee
July 2, 2026 – Vonda McDaniel, President of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Since 2013, Vonda has served as President of the Central Labor Council (CLC), a federation of more than 40 unions representing more than 20,000 working families in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The CLC celebrates her long legacy of over 30 years in the labor movement.
Vonda is remembered as a visionary leader and bridge builder who spent her life bringing together people from all areas of the community to build multi-racial working class power. She believed deeply that unions were for everyone and was committed to making life better for working families in Tennessee and the South. Vonda embodied the courage of the labor movement’s history, while embracing innovation and moving us forward. She saw the potential in rank and file union members, young people, and people who didn’t even know they were part of the labor movement yet. She empowered them to learn how to organize and take action.
Throughout her tenure as CLC President, Vonda helped build and strengthen movement infrastructure across Nashville and the state. She was a founding member of Stand Up Nashville, the Nashville Justice League, Music City Construction Careers (MC3), and Tennessee for All. As a deep believer in building a more representative and inclusive labor movement, she intentionally invested in the leadership of Black union members and mentored the next generation of union leaders and activists. Her efforts did not stop at the edges of organized labor; she was a devoted member of her church, First Baptist Church Capitol Hill, where she continuously worked to integrate the fight for working people into her faith community. Vonda leaves behind an expansive community of freedom fighters who will carry on her legacy.
Vonda joined the United Rubber Workers (URW) in 1992 at the Bridgestone-Firestone Lavergne Plant, where she worked for more than 30 years. Shortly after joining the Union, she became a Shop Steward. In 1995, URW merged with the United Steelworkers (USW), and Vonda was trained in the USW’s Women of Steel initiative, which equipped her with vital tools to become a leader in her Union and community. She went on to become a trainer in the program herself. After serving for 10 years as the Union Pension and Insurance Representative for USW Local 1055L, Vonda was elected President of the CLC of Nashville and Middle Tennessee in 2013. She served as Vice President on the AFL-CIO Executive Council from 2017 until June 2026. A true unionist, she remained an active member of OPEIU Local 182. She was set to retire from her leadership at the CLC at the end of 2026 and embark on her new journey as Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Center.
Vonda’s legacy calls us to carry forward the work to organize unions for everyone, build bridges between community and labor, fight for racial and immigrant justice, and struggle for a better South and a better future for all. Honor Vonda by joining or forming a union. Honor her by building relationships with your neighbors and your coworkers. Honor her by door knocking, canvassing, voting, and fighting for democracy. We mourn the loss of an irreplaceable leader, and we will continue to fight like hell to realize her vision.
Vonda McDaniel, ¡presente!
The CLC will share more details regarding memorial arrangements as we know them. For media or other inquiries, please contact CLC staff Dana Smith, dana@nashvilleclc.org, 248-470-5572.