This Labor Day, some New Orleanians may be grilling hot dogs or reveling at Southern Decadence, while others are still at work.
The federal holiday acknowledging the accomplishments of the country’s labor movement has offered respite to some Americans since the late 19th century. And New Orleans has its own rich labor history — from longshoremen on strike to Black and white teachers’ unions banding together to protest pay inequity — that has shaped its institutions and people over time.
At Verite, we’re committed to covering stories that document the struggles of and solutions for workers in New Orleans today. So far, our reporters have written about the challenges facing workers at Lowe’s, dollar store workers and convention center employees.
Our reporters approach these stories with an intersectional lens, asking questions about how race, gender and class affect the experiences of workers. We’ve looked at the difficulties experienced by Black teachers during the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve explored what working in nail salons means for some Vietnamese Americans. And we’ve delved into how this summer’s record heat is affecting outdoor workers in Jackson Square.
Verite has also focused our coverage on issues facing New Orleans city employees. We’ve led coverage on an impasse in efforts to form a city workers’ union. Following our reporting, the New Orleans City Council passed a “Right to Organize” ordinance, which for the first time codified the rights of city employees to unionize.
We’ve also broken news on stalled negotiations between the city and its firefighters union and staffing issues in city government, and followed up with the city’s delays on payments for summer youth workers.
Is there a labor story you think our reporters should be covering? Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] with tips.