New Orleans Workers’ Bill of Rights Passes with Overwhelming Support
Home Rule Charter To Affirm City’s Commitment to Workers’ Rights
MEDIA ADVISORY
Media Contact: Jamie Broussard, Step Up Louisiana, (225) 614-8454, jbroussard@redcypressconsulting.com
Nov. 5, 2024, NEW ORLEANS—A multi-year campaign to secure basic rights for New Orleans workers took a huge step forward Tuesday night when 80% of New Orleans voters voted to amend the Home Rule Charter to affirm the City’s commitment to workers’ rights. The vote sends a resounding message that New Orleanians want their leaders to act to protect workers in the face of the Landry Administration’s push to erode worker power.
“This victory to me is just the start—we won a battle, but our work will keep going,” said Tasha Williams, Step Up Louisiana Economic Justice Organizer. “Now we’re going to go out and have our team on the ground, organizing worker assemblies, and bringing it back to the workers to demand what they’re worth from their employers. And as workers continue to stand up, we’ll keep getting to the next step. Local businesses are on our side, and we’re pushing employers to speak up and persuade other business owners to offer better wages and stand up for what’s right. We worked very hard on this amendment and we won’t stop there.”
Step Up Louisiana spent years securing support for the Workers’ Bill of Rights from local workers, businesses and political leaders, including the entire New Orleans City Council. Organizers with Step Up Louisiana knocked 29,860 doors, made 43,311 calls and sent 39,329 texts in support of the campaign. The campaign sparked a citywide conversation about what a good job is, and what the City’s role is in ensuring that the jobs that are created in this City allow workers to live healthy, dignified lives. Step Up Louisiana and its partners in the New Orleans Health Department hope that this conversation will continue as the campaign shifts to translating the principles stated in the Workers’ Bill of Rights into better working conditions.
Next, organizers plan to continue working with the city government to incentivize businesses that provide all of the criteria outlined in the Workers' Bill of Rights. Through a partnership with the New Orleans Health Department, advocates plan to create a Healthy Workplace Incentive Program for these employers and establish Louisiana’s first Workers’ Commission, where workers can strategize ways to protect workers’ rights. Similar boards exist in Durham, North Carolina and Harris County, Texas.
"The people of New Orleans have spoken loudly and clearly to folks in power that we stand with the workers that drive this city,” said Britain Forsyth, Step Up Louisiana Legislative Coordinator. “The Mayor and Council now have a clear directive that the City must do everything it can to protect the rights of workers. We’re moving forward to implement a Workers’ Commission and Healthy Workplace Incentive Program to do just that, and we look forward to continued support from City Hall in those efforts.”
The Workers’ Bill of Rights affirms workers’ rights to a living wage, healthcare, equal pay, paid leave and the ability to organize in the workplace without intimidation. These are all demands that New Orleans workers have organized and fought for, from dollar store workers to Starbucks baristas to longshoremen to nurses. In addition to spurring action from the City, Step Up Louisiana hopes that the conversation about the fundamental rights of workers will inspire workers and employers alike to take action to transform their workplaces.
Tuesday’s ballot measure was the result of a coordinated effort between local workers and organizers and the New Orleans Health Department. Studies show that residents of the richest, white neighborhoods are expected to live 20+ more years than residents of the poorest, Black neighborhoods in New Orleans—a disparity driven by jobs that offer poverty wages, unsafe workplaces, no health insurance and no time off to care for one’s health and loved ones.
By adopting the Workers’ Bill of Rights into the City Charter, New Orleans made a clear commitment to workers’ rights amid an ongoing hostile state political climate. For years, the state legislature has prohibited city governments from setting their own minimum wage laws or requiring employers to offer paid leave or benefits. These pre-emption laws mean that labor advocates have to get creative in finding ways to influence policy making and business decisions that serve New Orleans workers. Under Governor Jeff Landry, the climate for workers has become even more hostile, with lawmakers targeting lunch breaks for child laborers, attacking collective bargaining rights and more.
New Orleans has been a comparative bastion for workers where Step Up Louisiana has successfully championed and passed policies like a $15 minimum wage and ban the box policies for city and city-contracted workers. The Workers’ Bill of Rights received unanimous support from the New Orleans City Council, who approved the proposal to get the amendment on the November 5 ballot this spring. Now that the charter amendment has passed, it has potential to influence policy making, business decisions and public discourse in New Orleans for years to come.
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About Step Up Louisiana
Step Up Louisiana is a community-based organization committed to building power to win education and economic justice for all. Step Up works with Louisianans of all races and ages to “step up” by campaigning, organizing from a racial justice perspective, and holding public officials accountable. The organization partners with parents, workers, students, and community members to disrupt systemic oppression in our schools and workplaces through voter education, advocacy, and action.
