City Waste Union Solidarity Statement
We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the 14 all Black sanitation workers, or hoppers (because they hop on and off the back of the truck to load the garbage) who have been on strike at Metro Service Group in New Orleans since May 5, 2020. 

The strikers earn only $10.25 an hour, receive no benefits, aren’t equipped with consistent supplies of proper gloves and PPE, all while working in the sweltering summer heat amidst a deadly pandemic. They are striking for the following just demands: $150 per week in hazard pay; Proper distribution of PPE; Living wage of $15 an hour; Better working conditions; Fix broken trucks that leak hydraulic fluid on workers daily; Recognition of their union (City Waste Union). Their employer, Metro Services Group, is using the subcontractor PeopleReady, which is owned by TrueBlue, Inc, whose second quarter revenue was $359 million. This wealth could easily cover all the City Waste Union strikers demands.

The strikers themselves have regularly identified with the Memphis sanitation strikers Dr. King supported when he was assassinated in 1968, by carrying the iconic ‘I Am a Man’ signs. The Memphis strikers earned $1.65 an hour in 1968 which adjusted for inflation would be $12.51 today. This means, relative to the different time period, the strikers in New Orleans are making over $2 an hour less than the Memphis strikers in 1968. 

Over the last couple months, we have seen how the brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police led to an explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement and daily protests in streets around the country. Millions of people have united to oppose police brutality and state-sanctioned violence against Black people. At the same time, we’ve seen a rise in strikes, union organizing, and workplace struggles due to the pandemic where essential workers, disproportionately BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), have put their lives at risk. This is also a growing part of the Black Lives Matter movement. The sanitation workers strike in New Orleans embodies all of this. They are Black essential workers forced to work in the middle of a deadly pandemic and under extremely unsanitary and dangerous working conditions.  

In summary, we believe it’s imperative to build solidarity with workers in other industries. An injury to one is an injury to all! When one set of workers wins their struggle, it makes it easier for workers in other industries to win. Therefore, we call on our fellow union members and allies all over the U.S. to do the following in support of the City Waste Union strikers:

1. We stand in solidarity with the strikers and will help to raise money for the strike fund and encourage allies to purchase City Waste Union t-shirts and masks to help fund their strike.  

2. We will mobilize our allies to write emails and make calls to New Orleans politicians and bosses at Metro Services Group, PeopleReady, and Trueblue to meet the strikers demands. 

3. We will either take part in existing pickets or initiate the organizing of one outside a local office of PeopleReady or TrueBlue to pressure management to meet the strikers demands. 

4. We will help organize virtual solidarity town halls or participate in already organized ones with local activists and union allies to help raise funds and awareness about the strike.

5. We will support the organizing of City Waste Union Solidarity Committees in our cities and/or participate in the national City Waste Union Solidarity Committee.  

6. We will encourage our unions to pass a resolution in support of the City Waste Union hoppers.

In Solidarity,
1. Stephanie Price, NEU/OEU, Educator, Oklahoma, U.S.A
2. Crystal Watkins, NEU/OEA/OEU, Teacher, United States
3. Katie Ehrlich, NEU/WSEU, Washington, EA teacher, Washington State, US
4. Janette Corcelius, FEA/NEU, Music Educator, Lorton, VA, USA
5. Steve Price, N/A, Crew Worker, Norman OK, U.S.
6. Melissa A Tomlinson, NEU, Badass Teachers Association, Teacher, Mays Landing, NJ, USA
7. Carla Okouchi, FEA/NEU, Educator, Fairfax, VA
8. Darrin Hoop, NEU/WSEU/WEA/SEE, Educator, Seattle, WA
9. Aimee Jensen, Arizona Education Association, Teacher, Phoenix, AZ, USA
10. Monique Dols, United Federation of Teachers, NYC MORE Caucus, Teacher, Bronx, NY
11. Jesse Hagopian, Seattle Education Association, Teacher. Seattle, WA, USA
12. Elizabeth Deere, LCSW, Central Arkansas DSA, Central Arkansas Democratic Socialists of America, Licensed Certified Social Worker, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
13. David McNally, Texas State Employees Union, Professor of History, Houston, TX
14. Bill Mullen, PURDUE AAUP, Self employed, West Lafayette Indiana US
15. Lorraine Liriano, United Federation of Teachers, Teacher, Brooklyn,NY USA
16. Carlos Valdez, Aurora Education Association/Colorado Jobs With Justice, Member/Board Member, Aurora, CO, US,
17. Tim Meegan, AFT Local 7158, Teacher, Mankato MN USA
18. Elizabeth Lalasz, National Nurses United, Registered Nurse, Union Steward, Chicago, IL
19. Nicole McCormick, WV United Caucus, WVEA/NEA, Music Teacher, Ronceverte, WV
20. Tony Ginocchio, National Writers Union, Chicago, IL
21. Michael Shea, Chicago Teachers Union, Teacher and Union Delegate, Chicago Illinois US
22. Maryam Arshad, Union for Union Representatives, Organizer, member, Orlando, FL
23. Josh Austin, Berkeley Federation of Teachers, CEU, NEU, Oakland, CA
24. Jannie Harris, National Nurses United, Nurse, Chicago, IL
25. Shreya Mahajan, National Nurses United, Registered Nurse, Washington DC
26. Marco Rosaire Rossi, GEO 6297, Chicago, IL
27. Hector Agredano Pasadena City College Faculty Association, Geography Instructor, Pasadena, CA
28. Claire Willeford-Carrillo, No Union Affiliation, Freelance Writer & Translator, Poulsbo, WA, USA
29. Jay O'Neal, WVEA, Teacher, Charleston, WV
30. Jordan Weber, Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600, Tutor, Chicago, IL
31. Eric W. Maroney, American Federation of Teachers 1942, Assistant Professor, Gateway Community College, New Haven, CT
32. Sheilah Garland-Olaniran, Retired, National Nurses United, Chicago, IL, USA
33. Adam Burch, ATU Local 1005, Bus Driver, Minneapolis, MN
34. Kenneth Barrios, Chicago DSA, Member of to Executive Committee, Chicago, IL USA
35. Kaitlin Chase, Northwestern Graduate Students Union, Chicago/Illinois/Cook County
36. Nancy Welch, UVM United Academics AFT AAUP, Professor, Burlington, VT
37. Kyle Kerley, New York State Nurses Association, Nurse, New York/NY/USA
38. Alex Macmillan, NCAE, Teacher, Greensboro, NC
39. Hannah Fleury, UFT, Occupational Therapist, Queens NYC USA
40. Alison McKenna, Concordia University Chicago, Adjunct Professor, Chicago, IL
41. Diana Torres, New York State Nurses Association, Registered Nurse, New York City, NY
42. Rachel Johnson, Educator, Democratic Socialists of America Member, Chicago, IL
43. Russell Weiss-Irwin, Boston Teachers Union (AFT Local 66), Teacher, Boston, MA, USA
44. Dorothy Clare Tessman, Nurses for Racial Justice, Illinois
45. Natalia Tylim, DSA, Restaurant Organizing Project NYC, New York, NY
46. Casey Kerr-Meyers, Registered Nurse, California Nurses Association, Chico, CA
47. Dominic Renda, CWA Local 1101, Queens NY USA
48. Sean Orr, Teamsters Local 705, Package Car Driver, Steward, Chicago, IL
49. Lillian Denker, CWA1105, Retired Business Agent, Bronx, New York
50. Maia Watkins, PFSP, Paraeducator, Portland, OR USA
51. Marea Jenness, Tucson Education Association, Teacher, Tucson, Arizona, USA
52. Stephen Siegel, Reynolds Education Association, Teacher, Portland/Oregon/USA
53. Jay Poppa, NEA/CEA/Bridgeport Education Association, Bridgeport/CT/USA
54. Kathy Rioux, CWA RETIRED, Former VP, SECRETARY/TREASURER, Newport News, Va USA
55. John Gallagher, Fremont Unified District Teachers’ Association (FUDTA), Teacher, Fremont, California
56. Grant Stover, Project Staff Union, Union Organizer, Los Angeles, California, USA
57. Geoff Guy, OPEIU (organizing drive), Chicago IL
58. Mary Gen Davies, AFSCME, Local 1215, Librarian, Chicago, IL
59. Axel Fair-Schulz, UUP, Associate Professor, Potsdam/NY, USA
60. Tim Goulet, Teamsters Local 810, Building Engineer, New York, NY
61. James Raynor, Retired CWA, Atlanta Georgia USA
62. Michelle Gonzalez, New York State Nurses Association, Registered Nurse, Bronx, NY
63. Donna Stern, Massachusetts Nurses Association, Registered Nurse, Board Member, Hadley, MA/ USA
64. Martha Baer, SEIU 1021, Registered Nurse, San Francisco, CA
65. Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, Minneapolis, MN, USA
66. Tithi Bhattacharya, Director, Global Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
67. David Zirin, The Nation Magazine, Sports Editor, Washington DC
68. Gillian Russom, United Teachers Los Angeles, Teacher, Steering Committee Member, Los Angeles, CA
69. Alex Schmaus, United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
70. Michelle Sapere, Rochester Teachers Association, Teacher, Rochester, NY USA
71. Steve Leigh, SEIU 925, Retiree Chapter member, Seattle, WA
72. Tim Horras, AFSCME DC 47 Local 2186, Philadelphia, PA, USA
73. Nanci Harwood, National Nurses United, Registered Nurse, Chicago, Illinois USA
74. Kate Griffiths, RAFA (PSC-CUNY), New York, NY
75. Maria Silvestri, DSA LA, Los Angeles, CA
76. Dana Cloud, California Faculty Association, Professor, Long Beach, CA
77. Amy Mizialko, MTEA, President, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
78. Rose Brewer, AAUP, Activist Scholar, Minneapolis MN US
79. Michele Bollinger, Washington Teachers Union, Washington, DC
80. Audrey Bomse, People’s Strike, Legal Committee Representative, Brooklyn, NY
81. Steven lazaroff, Illinois State Graduate Student Workers, PhD Student/Graduate Assistant, Normal, IL, USA
82. Ashley Payne, SEIU 1021, Martinez, CA
83. David Cobb, Cooperation Humboldt, Director, Eureka, CA
84. Matthew Nichter, Rollins College, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Orlando, FL
85. Greg Tichenor, NEU/KEU/NEA, ECE Teacher, Louisville, KY
86. Gabriela Mitchell, National Educators United, Facilitator, California
87. Erin Dyke, IWW Central Oklahoma Branch, Stillwater, OK, US
88. Nick Wozniak, SEIU 73, Steward, Chicago/IL/United States
89. Steve Ember, Retired, Middlesex
90. Julie Keefe, New York State Nurses Association, Registered Nurse, Brooklyn, NY
91. Sean Larson, Rampant Magazine, Editor, Chicago, IL
92. Sarah Dowd, New York State Nurses Association, Registered Nurse, Brooklyn, NY, Kings County
93. Steven Serikaku, Chicago Teachers Union, Retiree, Chicago/Illinois
94. Dana Blanchard, Haymarket Books, Chicago, IL
95. Rachel Cohen, Chicago Feminist Action, Chicago, IL
96.Jennifer Uhlig, FUDTA, Teacher Representative, Union City, CA, USA
97. Fernando Ramirez, United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) Union, Union Organizer, Los Angeles, California
98. Theo Figurasin, New York State Nurses Association, Union Representative, New York, NY, USA
99. Akunna Eneh, Boston Public Library Professional Staff Association, MLSA-AFT Local 4928, Boston, MA USA
100. Michael Stark, SSJC, Healthcare Worker, Silver Spring, MD
101. Courtney Wielgus, Phoenix Workers Alliance, Phoenix, AZ USA
102. Robert Jones, DC 37 Local 371 Social Service Employees Union, New York, NY USA
103. Adam Sanchez, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Caucus of Working Educators, Rethinking Schools, Teacher, Philadelphia, PA, United States
104. Melanie E L Bush, AAUP, May First Movement Technology, Adelphi University, Activist/Scholar, Brooklyn NY
105. Tamara O'Malley, NEA/OEA/PAT, Teacher, Portland, OR
106. Philip Gasper, Notre Dame de Namur University, Professor Emeritus, Madison, WI
107. Mueze Bawany, Chicago Teachers Union, Delegate, Chicago, Illinois, USA
108. Karen Kortsch, National Nurses United, Registered Nurse, Lake Bluff IL
109. Elizabeth Deere, DSA, Co-Chair, Little Rock, AR
110. Alec Hudson, SEIU Local 73, Special Recreation Leader, Chicago Park District, Chicago DSA, Chicago, IL
111. Neha Ojeda, FUTDA, Teacher, Fremont, CA
112. Tristin Adie, AFGE Local 2604, Exec Vice Pres, VT AFL-CIO, Burlington, VT
113. David Feurzeig, AAUP/AFT, Professor, University of Vermont, Huntington, VT
114. Eric Blanc, CWA Local 31003, NYC, NY
115. Sarah Richmond, Chicago DSA, Chicago, IL
116. Rossana Rodriguez, Chicago City Council, Council Member Ward 33, Chicago, IL
117. Lisa Torres, CCCTA, Teacher, Maryland
118. Susan Hurley, Chicago Jobs with Justice, Executive Director, Chicago, IL
119. Lillian Osborne, Chicago DSA, Branch Steering Committee Member, Chicago, IL
120. Julia Rapkin, SEIU 1021, County of Sonoma. Steward, Santa Rosa, CA, US
121. Meagan Day, CWA Local 31003, Los Angeles, CA
122. Haley Pessin, 1199 SEIU, Paralegal, Queens/NY/USA
123. Vikramjit Gill, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
124. Maria Melchor, 1199SEIU, New York, NY USA
125. Brenden Ross, Legal Services Staff Association (LSSA) 2320, Staff Attorney, Brooklyn, NY, USA
126. Serena Hale, DOE, Art TA, New York
127. Marc Rockland, Coalition to End the New Jim Crow, Sterring Committee, Suffern, New York,USA
128. David Julian Guerrero, 1199SEIU, Paralegal, Queens, NY, Unites States
129. Brianda Guzman, 1199 SEIU, Casehandler, Bronx, NY, USA
130. Anil Sindhwani, DC 37, Brooklyn NY USA
131. Melinda Garrett DC37, Project Manager, New York, NY
132. Jack Lundquist DC 37, Local 375, New York, NY, USA
133. Hannah Howard, N/a, CA
134. Flynn Murray, Labor Organizer, Publishing Director of Dissent Magazine, New York
135. Jasmine Szympruch, Democratic Socialists of America NYC--AfroSocialist Caucus, Brooklyn/NY/USA
136. Sonia Hussain, NYC Fight for Our Lives, Brooklyn, NY, USA
137. Stephen Visovsky, DC 37 Local 375, Data Analyst, Bronx, NY
138. William Fowler, DC37 Local 1549, New York, NY
139. Alan Schulman, CCT, Program Development Coordinator, Brooklyn, NY
140. Katherine Demby, DSA-NYC AfroSocialists, New York
141.Tammie David, AfroSocialists, Brooklyn, NY
142. William Borstell, UIC GEO, Teaching assistant New Orleans, Louisiana
143. Sasha Jones, DC 37, Local 1930,Library Information Assistant, New York, NY
144. Chau Ngo, TSEU-CWA Local 6186, Austin, TX
145. Girim Jung, Felician University, Lodi, NJ
146.Carl Foster, District Council 37, Fresh Meadows, NY
147. Wellington Echegaray, Electrician, Bronx NY
148. Juwan Mimes, DSA-NYC Afro-Socialists, Poor People's Campaign, Brooklyn, New York
149. Simon Andrade, AFSCME, District Council 37, Local 1407, New York, NY
150. Melissa Morrone, DC 37 Local 1482, New York, NY
151. Catherine Ahn, DC37, Yonkers/NY/U.S.
152. Rob Santos South, Brooklyn DSA, Organizing Committee, Brooklyn, NY
153. Jamilah McMillan, DC 37, Community Associate, Brooklyn/NY/USA
154. Ingrid Goldstrom, Montgomery County DSA, Silver Spring Maryland
155. Andy Sernatinger, Teamsters 695, Madison, WI USA
156. Brittany Micek, Brooklyn, NY, USA, Founder
157. Sydni Meyer, DC 37, Queens, NY, USA
158. Elizabeth Bevington, AFSCME - DC 37 Local 1930, Librarian, New York, New York
159. Lucia Jazayeri, Creative Director, Queens, NY, USA
160. Zyad Hammad, CWA Local 1109, Lineman, Brooklyn, NY
161. Natasha Pasternack, DC37, Social Worker, New York, NY, USA
162. Jamil Davis, Black Voters Matter, North FL Regional Organizer, Pensacola, FL
163. Deborah Tint, DC-37 Local 1482, Brooklyn, New York
164. Abigail Garnett, DC 37- Local 1482, Librarian, Brooklyn/NY/USA
165. Carol Lang, PSC, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Bronx, NY
166. Victor Jordan, UUP, Brooklyn, NY, USA
167. Avery Dement, DC 37, Local 371, Project Manager, New York, New York USA
168. Anthony Beckford, Black Lives Matter Brooklyn /Anthony Beckford For City Council, President/Candidate, Brooklyn, NY, USA
169. Nicole Espina, Brooklyn, NY
170. Vicky Garvey, DC37/Local 371, Planner, New York City, NY, USA
171. Brian Escobar, Syracuse DSA, Liverpool, NY
172. Paul Wasserman, CUNY PSC, Teacher, Brooklyn, NY
173. Emily Schmidt, DC37, Brooklyn, NY, USA
174. Rosa de la Torre, Former LSSA, New York NY USA
175. Angela Ghesquiere, DC37, City Research Scientist, New York, NY, USA
176. Jasmine Soltani, DC 37 Local 371, Community Coordinator, Brooklyn, NY, USA
177. Marta Burgos, SEIU 1199, Bronx/NY/USA
178. Haley Shaffer, DC 37, Local 768, Labor Investigator, New York, NY
179. Margaret Dunn-Carver, DC 37 Local 768, Nutritionist, Brooklyn, NY, United States
180. Eric Tien, NYC Fight for our Lives Coalition, South Brooklyn Mutual Aid, Organizer, Brooklyn, NY, USA
181. Cassie Hackel, DC 37 Local 375, New York
182. Zack Pattin, ILWU Local 23, Tacoma, WA
183. Bratton Young, Amazonians United, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
184. Tyler Rasmussen, ILWU Local 23, Tacoma, Washington
185. Nyef Mohamed, ILWU 23 Young Workers Committee, Tacoma,WA
186. Jonathan Pottle, AFT Local 2196, Professor, Tacoma, WA, USA
187. Blair F. Bertaccini, AFSCME Retirees, Professor, New York, NY
188. Gloria Villasenor, NUHW, Optician, Union City, California USA
Organizational Endorsements
1. People's Strike, U.S.
2. Meditating for Black Lives, Brooklyn NY
I AM A MAN
Solidarity Links and Background Information
Background
CWU mini documentary-https://southerlymag.org/2020/08/14/watch-our-documentary-on-strike-for-everybody/
New York Times op-ed - https://nyti.ms/3kCvKd9
City Waste Union Facebook - https://bit.ly/2YboBXN
MLK Jr and the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike - https://n.pr/3gQnzrr & https://amzn.to/33Xj9ez

Solidarity
CWU Solidarity Committee Slides - https://bit.ly/2DQG00C
CWU Strike Fund - https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-the-essential
City Waste Union masks and shirts - https://cwulove.com/collections/all
Contact information for politicians and bosses - https://bit.ly/3fRtwmH
PeopleReady Locations - https://bit.ly/3ixLI6q
Sample Union Resolution - https://bit.ly/3kGXD3B
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