Home Rule Charter amendment passes with 80% of vote

NEW ORLEANS ( WGNO ) — The presidential election has ended and as a result, several of the amendments put before Louisiana voters passed with great support from New Orleans residents.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, a multi-year campaign to secure basic rights for New Orleans workers, also known as the Home Rule Charter, was on the ballot. It read:

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The proposition passed with 80% of the vote. 117,542 constituents voted yes but 29,345 voted no.

Officials with Step Up Louisiana say the vote is a "huge step forward."

"Now we're going to go out and have our team on the ground, organizing worker assemblies, and bringing it back to the workers to demand what they're worth from their employers. And as workers continue to stand up, we'll keep getting to the next step. Local businesses are on our side, and we're pushing employers to speak up and persuade other business owners to offer better wages and stand up for what's right. We worked very hard on this amendment and we won't stop there," said Tasha Williams, Step Up Louisiana Economic Justice Organizer.

Organization officials say they have spent years supporting the Worker's Bill of Rights along with business' political leaders and the New Orleans City Council.

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"The Mayor and Council now have a clear directive that the City must do everything it can to protect the rights of workers. We're moving forward to implement a Workers' Commission and Healthy Workplace Incentive Program to do just that, and we look forward to continued support from City Hall in those efforts," said Britain Forsyth, Step Up Louisiana Legislative Coordinator.

The amendment will "affirm workers' rights to a living wage, healthcare, equal pay, paid leave and the ability to organize in the workplace without intimidation."

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