New Orleans residents are heading to the polls this fall to help decide the nation’s next president. But they’ll also vote on a number of local issues, including whether to add a “Workers’ Bill of Rights” to the city’s charter.
If approved, the amendment would list “fair wages, comprehensive healthcare coverage, paid leave” and other workplace benefits as fundamental rights for the city’s workforce.
The language would be largely symbolic. Employers in the city wouldn’t be bound by it because the city’s charter doesn’t create any enforceable rights beyond what's required under the U.S. Constitution.
But supporters, including members of the current city council, say the change would send a message about New Orleans’ values at a time when many workers are struggling to afford housing and everyday needs. And it could help guide future policy decisions. The effort hasn’t seen any highly-visible opposition campaigns.
To learn more about the proposed amendment, WWNO host Diane Mack sat down with Ben Zucker, co-director of Step-Up Louisiana, a grassroots political advocacy organization that helped bring the idea to city council.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Diane Mack: Ben, you helped bring this idea to the city council, which then approved it to go to voters this fall. Why bring it up now?
Ben Zucker: Well, as we all know at this point, this year is a presidential election where so many people are paying attention to politics and voters know what's at stake. And so with record numbers of early voting, we're going to see record numbers of people pull the lever for workers' rights and New Orleans is struggling. Population decline, affordable housing crisis, public safety issues. And the root cause of a lot of these issues is poor job quality, low wages, public health inequality, economic inequality. I don't know if you know, but between our poorest Black neighborhoods and our richest white neighborhoods, we're talking like a 20+ year life expectancy gap. And so we really have an inequality crisis in this city. And if not now, when?
Mack: I want to help listeners understand what this charter amendment would do if approved. It's not a change in law. Businesses won't have to change anything yet, but it's more of a statement of values, correct?
Zucker: That's right.
Mack: What exactly is it proposing we add to the charter and how does that change conditions for workers?
Zucker: So in the city charter, there's already a Bill of Rights that includes things like freedom of speech and freedom of the press and the right to be protected from discrimination. And by voting yes this fall, voters have the opportunity to add important workers' rights elements, including living wages, health care coverage, paid leave, a safe workplace, equal pay, and the right to form a union. And this affects workers in a lot of different ways, but I think importantly, one, it can give direction for the city to pass future policies like a Healthy Workplace Initiative or a Workers' Commission. It can create a framework and guidance for employers who are trying to do the right thing. And it can be a blueprint for workers who want to organize and make demands of their employers.
Mack: Is this something other cities have?
Zucker: There is a growing trend of cities doing everything they can to protect workers' rights. Over 50 cities have local minimum wage laws, and 20 have their own local labor departments that enforce workers' rights laws. But what we're doing here with the Workers' Bill of Rights on the ballot is very specifically Louisiana in terms of what we can do in our state to be able to help support workers.
Mack: How does this effort relate to labor policy ideas we've seen since the start of Gov. Landry's administration?
Zucker: I mean, this would send a really clear message to the state and the rest of the world about the values that New Orleans residents have compared to the anti-worker policies and the reality that workers have to live in because of the lack of focus on workers' needs at the state.
Mack: Ben, have you reached out to big employers in the state about this idea and what's been their reaction to it?
Zucker: So employers know what workers know that inequality is not helping people being able to be able to spend money and improve the economy of our city. Like Sherman Esteem, the owner and chef at Nanos Cajun cuisine has hosted events and has spoken out really publicly because he knows that if there's more money in the pockets of the workers of our city that it's more money than people could spend at his restaurant. It will help the economy grow.
Mack: Now, Louisiana is one of five states without its own minimum wage. You've been a part of efforts to change that. How would this charter amendment fit into those hopes?
Zucker: If we want to raise the minimum wage federally, there's no better time than a presidential election year to renew those calls. And when it comes to state policy, the labor movement is alive and well. In Louisiana, the dollar store workers movement, which was at the heart of a lot of this Workers' Bill of Rights effort, the actors Strike Starbucks, workers United the Port strike, the nurses at UMC, the at and t strike, the two lane grad worker Union, the call center in Bogalusa, that's organized. And all these workers that are in motion all across the state have really stepped up in the past few years. And this is a moment to galvanize this movement energy at the ballot and send a message, and that if voters vote yes and vote early, that this can be a turning point for workers in our state.
