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NEW ORLEANS - Today, the New Orleans City Council unanimously supported legislation to affirm the rights of city workers to organize and collectively bargain. The ordinance package, sponsored by Council Vice President Helena Moreno and authored by advocates, City workers and community leaders, codifies the existing Right to Organize (RTO) for City employees, provides workplace protections for organizing and creates clear processes for collective bargaining.
“I believe that by empowering our City employees to improve our workplace, we’ll increase morale and help them deliver more efficient and effective City services,” said Councilmember Moreno. “These essential protections lift up employees and prove that a better New Orleans is possible if we commit to collaboration and truly value workers.”
“In a city that prides itself on its progressive values, it is absolutely asinine that union organizers faced so many obstacles in their effort to gain fair labor practices,” said Council President JP Morrell. “I am proud that this City Council was able to stipulate essential workplace protections that will uplift conditions and morale throughout City departments, both now and in the future. New Orleans will always be a union-strong city.”
Employee morale and retention have been increasing challenges among City employees. Many, including local organizers in the New Orleans City Workers Organizing Committee and other labor organizations, have been pressing the need for a collective voice among City employees. The new RTO ordinance answers that call.
“This ordinance will be a boon to the support of New Orleans City workers and may provide a template for all workers in New Orleans to organize for collective rights and power in their workplaces. We are thankful for Councilmember Moreno, her staff and the entire Council for listening to the voices of City workers,” said Lee Abbott, Communications Director, New Orleans City Workers Organizing Committee.
“AFSCME-represented City workers are proud of our service to New Orleans, and we commend the City Council, and Councilmember Moreno in particular, for recognizing and strengthening our rights on the job. We are looking forward to a reinvigorated relationship with City managers to improve our working conditions and the services we provide,” said Lloyd Permaul, Executive Director, AFSCME CN 17.
“Today is big for the City of New Orleans, its workers and organized labor. The passage of today’s ordinance giving City workers the right to organize and collectively bargain can only move our beautiful city forward,” said Aaron Mischler, President, New Orleans Firefighters Association.
City employees now have a clear path to collectively seek the workplace changes and protections they need to deliver excellence for the people of New Orleans. This isn’t just a win for employees but for all citizens of New Orleans who can now count on a more effective and engaged workforce providing services for our community.
Yet, bargaining is just the beginning. In the current system, which is unchanged by the legislation, any agreement between employees and the Administration must pass through several legally required steps to become a reality. Petitions must be sent to and accepted by the Civil Service Board. The Mayor and then the City Council must sign off on the agreement, and the Council must allocate any funding for an agreement to be satisfied. These are critical checkpoints to ensure fair and equitable deals are struck and the priorities of the people of New Orleans are sustained above all.
“We all want better public services and a more effective City government,” Councilmember Moreno continued. “When we work together, when everyone has a voice and is heard, we can move farther and faster than we ever imagined. I’m proud to offer this legislation today and partner with our City employees for a better tomorrow.”
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