In the News
CBR Contract Approved at Metro Council Meeting
After a lengthy campaign, the City of Baton Rouge union contract was approved by the Baton Rouge Metro Council on April 10, 2013.
This culminated years of hard work and dedication of SEIU Local 21 LA union members.
Thank you to the city of Baton Rouge and the Metro Council members who have supported SEIU 21LA throughout the years. We look forward to working with the city.
Below is union president, Helene O’Brien’s statement to the Metro Council:
Hi. My name is Helene O’Brien. I am the president of SEIU Local 21 LA. We represent employees of DPW, Head Start, Juvenile Services, the City Constables, the City Community Centers, Community Development, Mosquito and Rodent Control, to name a few. And I am here today to ask the Metro Council to approve this contract.
This contract is a simple renewal, with no additional costs to the city-parish. But it is a product of good faith negotiations between the Administration and its employees. We’ve made modest changes to the previous contract. The most important of which is to ensure access to training opportunities for all employees. This expanded training access is essential, especially now as DPW re-organizes and upgrades its technology. It is good policy to develop your workforce, especially the dedicated and committed workforce of East Baton Rouge City-Parish.
The only other changes to the contract are measures that ensure better communication and cooperation among the workforce and management, which, again, is essential in a time of great change.
Finally, the members of SEIU Local 21 LA, your City-Parish employees want to thank the Metro Council for its support and the Mayor for recognizing that when we disagree, and you all know that that happens now and again, that when we disagree, it is a family disagreement. And that our members, your city-parish employees, are committed to serving the public with the highest quality and to make you proud.
Thank you.
State of the Schools Second Line for Justice: March 13 at 4 p.m.
How can we improve the working and learning conditions in New Orleans schools for workers and students? A recent report answers this question. Its findings will be released to the community on March 13.
(March 5, 2013 – NEW ORLEANS) — “State of the Schools” is an action research report complete with recommendations that answers the question: How can we improve the working and learning conditions in New Orleans schools for workers and students?
Over the course of three months, a team of action researchers composed of former and current New Orleans school service workers – cafeteria workers and custodians – as well as New Orleans public school students came together for a participatory action research (PAR) project.
The PAR project developed from the need to investigate the impact decentralization is having in the schools by the two groups most impacted by the changes: the workers and the students they serve.
This intergenerational group, ranging in age from 9 to 74, created surveys, gathered data, analyzed findings; and as a result, came up with five solid policy recommendations to improve services. These findings are aimed at all 45 New Orleans school boards and will be released to the community during the March 13 event.
“One of the main reasons I signed up to be an action researcher is because I have children who attend Orleans public schools and I want the best education and learning environments for them,” said Jumal Otis, a seven-year food service worker in the Recovery School District. “I’m working to help all students and workers get the right pay and supplied needed so they can have better lives.”
Both Otis and her 11-year-old son, Carl served on the PAR team.
The second line will start at 4 p.m. at the Recovery School District’s new office located at 1615 Poydras St. and travel to the steps of City Hall, 1300 Perdido St. Music will be provided by TBC Brass Band and the Messy Cookers. Free food will be served at City Hall. School leaders, both charter and traditional, will be attending to support.
The one-page summary of the report is currently available. The report in its entirety will be made available after the event. For more information, contact Jewel Bush at (225) 454-3853 or jewel.bush@seiu21la.org.
RSD Aramark Workers Win Unpaid Wages from Hurricane Isaac
A group of nearly 60 Recovery School District (RSD) school custodians won a total of nearly $19,000 in back pay owed to them by their employer, Aramark.
Aramark is contracted by the RSD to clean its schools. During the week of August 28, Hurricane Isaac swept through New Orleans and surrounding areas. Schools and many businesses were closed as a result. Even though classes were canceled, Aramark, a Fortune 500 company, was paid.
Instead of paying workers for their scheduled shifts that were canceled due to forces beyond their control, the Pennsylvania-based company and its Wall Street owners stiffed New Orleans workers out of thousands of dollars of pay. The loss of income put many workers into precarious situations.
“Not being paid for one day let alone a week is a hardship for me. I had to borrow money just to make ends meet,” said Rosalyn Markum, custodian at Benjamin Banneker School and New Orleans native. “I’m not a Fortune 500 company. I don’t have the luxury of being backed by Wall Street. I’m a single woman and I work hard for every cent I get.”
With the help of her union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 21 LA, Markum and her coworkers called out Aramark about making a week’s work of profits off of the suffering of New Orleans and the New Orleans people. After six months of talks, the Aramark workers finally received four days of pay.
“Me and my coworkers didn’t take Aramark’s no for an answer. We knew it wasn’t fair for the company to receive taxpayer money, but refuse to pay us workers. This is my community and
21 LA member and Aramark employee, Rosalyn Markham tells WDSU about the financial hardships she faced due to lost income during Hurricane Isaac. September 2012.
I’m going to fight for what’s right,” Markum said.
Budget Deal: The Right Move to Protect Middle Class Families
WASHINGTON, DC – After a deal was reached to avert the fiscal cliff, Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement:“This deal is the right move to protect America’s middle class families, who were facing a New Year with higher taxes, and to prevent two million Americans from losing their unemployment benefits.
“Unfortunately, right wing extremists once again pushed the debate outside the mainstream by fighting to protect the wealthiest at the expense of the middle class. The leadership of the President, Majority Leader Reid and Leader Pelosi mitigated their extreme agenda and will require more of the richest Americans to pay their fair share to invest in our country.
“Working families have already made significant sacrifices in the name of deficit reduction. In 2013, working families need elected leaders to turn away from the politics of painful cuts and focus on creating good jobs and jumpstarting our economic recovery. The best way to get our economy moving again is to get people back to work.”
Tonight is a Victory for Working Families
Helene O’Brien, President of SEIU Local 21 LA on the re-election of President Barack Obama, Baton Rouge Mayor Kipp Holden, Cedric Richmond of the Louisiana 2nd Congressional District and the runoff elections of union endorsed candidates James Gray of District E, New Orleans City Council and Dana Kaplan of District B, New Orleans City Council:
“This Election Season, SEIU Local 21 LA phonebankers made 23, 997 calls to frequent voters and we hit the streets in Baton Rouge and New Orleans by the hundreds.We interviewed candidates and didn’t hesitate to ask the tough questions. While our hard work paid off, it’s not over. We will stay in the streets until our agenda for working people is a reality.”
On Election Day, SEIU Local 21 LA showing our support for James Gray in the New Orleans City Council race for the District E seat. Mr. Gray made it to the December runoff.
State Representative Regina Ashford Barrow with SEIU Local 21 LA grassroots activists on November 3 before the team went out into Baton Rouge neighborhoods to get out the vote.
Delores Jampierre: Talking Politics
Associate member Delores Jampierre has spent nearly two months leading up to Nov. 6 Election Day on the phones calling frequent voters to discuss working families issues.
Delores Jampierre is all politics these days and she is loving every bit of it.
It’s the week before Election Day and Jampierre, a dedicated associate member of SEIU Local 21 LA, is busy, busy, busy.
Associate members are allies who join with 21 LA union workers in the fight for good jobs.
Jampierre is on the phone nonstop at the union’s call center. On an average day, she makes as many as 250 calls. Of those calls, she has about 40 conversations. These aren’t brief chats with friends either. Jampierre is having tough conversations with frequent voters about a taboo topic: politics.
“We are asking people would they consider supporting a candidate that will fight for working families,” said Jampierre, the St. Helena Parish resident and retired union member. “We are calling and encouraging people to go out to vote. We are also encouraging them to bring others to the poll.”
Jampierre said some callers are more receptive than others, but she doesn’t allow this to deter her or dampen her spirits.
Her motto is to “address everyone with a deep respect,” regardless of how they act.
“I love talking to people about politics. Politics concerns people, ideas and change,” Jampierre said. “A strong union can make anything happen. If you stand alone, you won’t have anyone to fight for you.”
To learn more about associate membership, please call (504) 483-2125.
SEIU Local 21 LA Announces Nov. 6 Endorsements
Local 21 LA has announced its November election endorsements, and topping the list are the re-elections of President Barack Obama, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden and Cedric Richmond of Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District.
View the complete list of endorsements including Baton Rouge Metro Council, New Orleans City Council and New Orleans School Board endorsements below.
U.S. President & Vice President
Barack Obama & Joe Biden
Louisiana 2nd Congressional District
Cedric Richmond-endorsed
BATON ROUGE
Baton Rouge Mayor-President
Kipp Holden-endorsed
Baton Rouge Metro Council:
District 2: Corey Alfred-favorable
Chana Banks-Daniel-favorable
District 6: Donna Collins-Lewis-endorsed
District 7: C. Denise Marcelle-endorsed
District 10: Tara Wicker-endorsed
District 12: Smokie Bourgeois-endorsed
New Orleans City Council
District B: Dana Kaplan-endorsed
District E: James Gray-endorsed
New Orleans School Board:
District 1: Ira Thomas-endorsed
District 2: Cynthia Cade-endorsed
District 3: Karen Harper Royal and Brett Bonin: endorsed
District 4: Lourdes Moran-endorsed
District 6: Woody Koppel-endorsed
District 7: Nolan Marshall, Jr.-endorsed
Constitutional Amendments:
Proposed Amendment #1: IN SUPPORT
Proposed Amendment #2: NO POSITION
Proposed Amendment #3: OPPOSED
Proposed Amendment #4: IN SUPPORT
Proposed Amendment #5: OPPOSED
Proposed Amendment #6: NO POSITION
Proposed Amendment #7: IN SUPPORT
Proposed Amendment #8: OPPOSED
Proposed Amendment #9: IN SUPPORT
Orleans proposition
Amends the City Charter to allow the City Council-at-Large seats to be separate elections. YES
21 LA Members Deliver Letter of Demands to Aramark
Watch SEIU Local 21 LA members deliver a letter of demands to Aramark on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The company, owned by private-equity investors, provides custodial services to RSD schools in New Orleans. Although the company was paid during Hurricane Isaac, it chose to pocket the profits instead of pay workers.
http://screen.yahoo.com/workers-unpaid-isaac-225721639.html
21 LA member and Aramark employee, Rosalyn Markham tells WDSU about the financial hardships she faced due to lost income during Hurricane Isaac.
21 LA Union President, Helene O'Brien, delivers the letter of demands to Aramark headquarters on September 18.
Everett Armand’s Hurricane Isaac Story, Union Offering Disaster Relief for Members
Everett Armand knew it was time to evacuate his Laplace home when the flood waters reached his waist. He quickly gathered his wife, elderly mother-in-law and the eight-month-old baby the couple is caring for into a motor home.
“If it wasn’t for having a motor home, we wouldn’t have gotten out. I had to drive it through the water like it was a boat,” described Armand, a longtime SEIU 21 LA union member. “I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t have a chance to do anything. I had just woken up and it was time go.”
The Armands drove to New Iberia and spent three days in a hotel incurring lodging, food, gas and expenses for even basic needs like clothes and toiletries.
Tens of thousands of people throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast have been impacted by Hurricane Isaac. SEIU Local 21 LA has established the SEIU Local 21 LA Disaster Relief Fund to help Armand and other members who have lost so much during this trying ordeal.
“I didn’t have time to grab anything. My wife grabbed a few shirts and her work clothes and put it in a little bag, but everything else went under water,” said Armand, a Jefferson Parish Public School owner-operator bus driver.
Armand lost two vehicles and his home is a total loss. Luckily, his bus was parked at another location and wasn’t damaged. He’s currently gutting his home (removing the sheetrock to prevent molding and additional problems) and trying to do as much of the work himself because he has no confidence the insurance company will adequately settle his claim.
The contents of 21 LA member Everett Armand's Laplace home that was flooded with 6 feet of water during Hurricane Isaac on August 29, 2012.
The inside of 21 LA member Everett Armand's Laplace home that was flooded with 6 feet of water during Hurricane Isaac on August 29, 2012.
Armand and his family are living in his motor home parked in the driveway of their Laplace house.
“I got my hands full, but I can handle it. It’s bad. It’s really bad. I still have water in the house. That will just have to dry,” Armand said. “The only thing I’m looking for is for people to keep praying for me.”
21 LA member Everett Armand's Laplace home was flooded with 6 feet of water during Hurricane Isaac on August 29, 2012.
The criteria for the distribution of SEIU Local 21 LA Disaster Relief Funds:
- Eligible only to dues-paying members: (members defined as those who were paying dues to the Service Employees International Union Local as of August 31st, 2012)
- Have been affected by one of the following
- Are among those who were displaced from their homes due to a natural disaster resulting in a “State of Emergency” being declared by the Governor of the state in which they reside;
- Suffered loss of pay or property as a result of a natural disaster;
- Suffered from lack of medical attention for yourself or dependants as a result of a natural disaster or it’s effects;
Members may qualify for up financial assistance in an amount to be determined by the amount of loss and the availability of funds to members meeting at least one of the criteria above. Funds will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. If funds are available and there are still significant needs we may at a later date decide to make an additional contribution.
To apply for the SEIU 21 LA Disaster Relief Fund, please call (504) 483-2125.
Harold Sterling of SEIU Local 21 LA assists in the clean up of 21 LA member Everett Armand’s Laplace home.
Social Justice Social II at M. Francis Gallery
Organizations and individuals with a passion for improving New Orleans for the 99 percent gathered on August 21 at the M. Francis Gallery at 604 Julia St. in the Crescent City for the Social Justice Social II.
The mixer was co-sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 21 LA (SEIU), Neighborhoods Partnership Network, OxFam America, AVODAH, Puentes New Orleans and VAYLA New Orleans.
21 LA board member, Belinda Antoine speaks with a member of the delegation from the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training.
Participants played a round of Social Justice Bingo, a take on the age-old game, where issues such as education reform, good jobs, food justice and healthcare replaced the letters and numbers of the traditional bingo card. There was even a slot for Social Justice Bingo players to fill in the blank with an issue not already appearing on the card.
Guests came from as far as Japan. That’s right, a delegation from the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training was in attendance.
Myesha Francis, the proprietor of the only black-owned gallery on Julia Street, a thriving art stroll in the city’s central business district, offered her second anniversary print, the breathtaking image, A Sweet Starry Night in NOLA at a super duper discounted rate of $25 especially for this event!
A Sweet Starry Night in NOLA by Myesha Francis of the M. Francis Gallery
To view images from the Social Justice Social II please click the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.444521958925266.104781.130877403623058&type=1