This fall, New Orleans residents will vote on adding a “Workers’ Bill of Rights” to the city’s charter, following a City Council vote on Thursday (March 21).
The council voted unanimously to call for an election on a proposal for a measure to add workplace rights to the city’s existing bill of rights. These rights would include access to fair wages, paid leave and health care, in addition to the right to form trade unions. The elections will be held on November 5, 2024 – the same day as the presidential elections.
If adopted, the proposed charter amendment wouldn’t require New Orleans businesses to pay their staff higher wages or offer recent advantages. But it might affirm staff’ rights in the city.
“At this critical moment, especially with what’s happening right now in the state capitol with the movement for anti-worker legislation, I think it’s really important that New Orleans continues to be that strong voice in support of workers,” the council member said Helena Moreno, sponsor of the regulation.
Moreno referred to a series of bills introduced by Republican state lawmakers that might ban collective bargaining for many public employees, in addition to limit compensation and unemployment advantages.
Council member Oliver Thomas also cited the city’s previous attempt to raise the minimum wage in the early 2000s. Voters then approved a ballot measure that might have raised the city’s minimum wage by $1. But that effort got here later overturned by the Louisiana Supreme Court, which ruled that local cities and parishes couldn’t set their very own minimum wage above the federal minimum wage. There is currently no minimum wage in Louisiana, so employers in the state are only required to pay the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, a rate that has been in effect since 2009.
Currently, state pre-emption rights in Louisiana and across the country prevent many local governments from passing ordinances regarding staff’ rights.
“At least, if nothing else, we can go on the attack,” Thomas said.
Supporters of the Workers’ Bill of Rights have expressed that they imagine the potential success of the ballot proposal could send a crucial signal not only to the remainder of the state but in addition to large corporations that employ people in the city.
“The Workers’ Bill of Rights is extremely important because retail corporations line their pockets by paying us pennies,” said David Williams, a warehouseman at Dollar General. “The right to a living wage will tell companies that we deserve better.”
The ballot proposal was the results of a coordinated effort by local staff, organizers with the economic justice nonprofit Step Up Louisiana and the City of New Orleans Department of Health. In a presentation on Tuesday (March 19), organizers said they hope the staff’ bill of rights will be a part of a three-pronged effort that will eventually also include a staff’ commission and a “healthy workplace” designation for employers who comply with the bill.
The City Hall approved the land exchange
The council also approved unanimously land exchange between the city and the state this will enable the relocation of New Orleans City Hall, a priority that, despite repeated attempts, has proven elusive for each Mayor LaToya Cantrell and her predecessor Mitch Landrieu.
Under the agreement, the city will agree to hand over a few of the land it owns adjoining to the Caesars Superdome in exchange for state-owned land at Duncan Plaza, directly across Perdido Street from the current City Hall. The move is a crucial first step in the city’s efforts to construct a brand new city hall on the square, across the street from the current city government headquarters.
Critics of the meeting argued that the city was giving up beneficial land near the Superdome. Mayor LaToya Cantrell argued that The existing constructing, commissioned in the Nineteen Fifties, shouldn’t be suitable for correct renovation for the needs of the city authorities.
The land swap comes after years of unsuccessful attempts to establish a brand new town hall: Landrieu once proposed moving to an empty charity hospitaland the Cantrell administration also previously had City Hall relocated to the Village Municipal Auditorium Armstrong Park.
The swap signals that the city may finally have the opportunity to move its seat of presidency, even though it will likely be years before construction on the recent constructing begins.
Money flowing for summer youth program, reasonably priced housing
On Thursday, the city council also voted to increase funding for ul The mayor’s summer youth employment program. The program is open to young people aged 13 to 24 and provides young individuals with paid opportunities to work alongside local professionals and employers. The aim of the program is to enable young people to find out about different careers in the city and supply them with experience that may later help them discover a job.
Last summer, many young people in the program had to wait weeks or longer to be paid for the work they did. The city authorities pointed to plenty of causes of the problem, including: to a confusing registration form and errors in data entry by office employees handling applications. At a city council meeting earlier this month, officials said the problems had been resolved.
Sunae Villavaso, director of the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, stated that: A $2.1 million increase would enable the program to reach roughly the same variety of participants as the 1,000 young individuals who took part in it last 12 months.
In addition to increasing funding for the summer youth employment program, council voted in favor of it dedicate $20 million annually to reasonably priced and workforce housing programs.
“This is an important step toward ensuring predictability in available housing financing,” said Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, sponsor of the ordinance. “This money provides greater certainty about the amount of funding available, what it can be used for and how funding decisions will be made.”
In the coming fiscal 12 months, the money will go toward a first-time homebuyer program, financing reasonably priced housing shortages, tenant eviction assistance and other programs aimed toward renovating apartment buildings and making them more energy efficient.
This differs from the vote first proposed by council member Lesli Harris on a charter amendment permanently allocate 2% of the city’s budget to the housing trust fund. In November, voters will decide whether to permanently make funding for reasonably priced housing support through this measure.
