New Orleans marches to defend federal and public sector workers
New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, March 22, over 100 New Orleanians gathered at Congo Square downtown for a march to fight against Trump’s attacks on federal workers. The demonstration brought together at least ten different unions across the city in coalition with community organizations, building a broad united front against Trump’s attacks on labor.
“I’ve been a labor activist in this city for a few years and this is the fastest I’ve seen unions endorse anything. People are riled up and ready to fight,” said Abbey Lodwig, one of the march organizers and member of the Association of Flight Attendants union.
Tens of thousands of workers have already been fired because of billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” taking aim at unionized federal employees. Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion and cuts on federal grants have dramatically affected the public sector workers in New Orleans.
“Privatization is an attack on everything we’ve fought for and won. It’s an attack on the people,” said Emma Maxwell, a contract employee with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The NOAA helps forecast weather and manage fisheries, among other functions important to the Gulf South. Maxwell reported massive layoffs in the NOAA due to cuts in federal funding, forcing operations with far less people and resources.
The crowd took the streets chanting “Get up, get down, New Orleans is a union town!” and “Let’s go workers, don’t give up. Let’s go workers, elbows up!” as they stopped the flow of downtown traffic. Union members marched with signs held high, demanding Trump “Stop the war on America’s workforce.”
Serena Sojic-Borne, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, helped to close out the demonstration with a fiery speech, stating, “The system we live under has no right to exist and it is long past its expiration date!” as the crowd cheered.