2025 Candidate Survey

Frank Robert Janusa

I plan to honor the contract and all related collateral matters. Further I will indicate to my department heads that they must respect and honor Civil Service rules. I fully support the right to organize. A healthy dynamic will exist when the Mayor, the Council and the Union actually talk together without hidden agendas.

Richard Twiggs Jr.

1. Enforcing Civil Service rules.

Under my platforms consolidation plan, the Office of Human Resources and Civil Service will be merged into a single department led by a Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners. This ensures fairness in hiring, promotions, and benefits while standardizing rules across all departments. A Deputy Commissioner of Civil Service will specifically oversee compliance with civil service standards.

2. Enforcing collective bargaining agreements & the Right to Organize ordinance.

We will create a Chief Labor Relations Officer within that same department to handle union relations, grievances, and negotiations. This role will ensure that AFSCME’s new contract is honored in practice, not just on paper. Regular third-party audits and performance-based budgeting will add transparency and accountability, so agreements cannot be quietly undermined.

3. Building a healthy City: AFSCME dynamic.

My vision is a partnership model: unions are not adversaries but co-stewards of the city workforce. That means quarterly labor management meetings, open door policies for grievances, and a standing commitment that no city employee will face retaliation for organizing, bargaining, or whistleblowing

Oliver Thomas

As someone who is a product of unions, I understand firsthand how organized labor has lifted families like mine, created pathways to the middle class, and built the very foundation of our city’s workforce. The workers represented by AFSCME Local 2349 are the people who keep New Orleans running—they pick up our trash, maintain our parks, process our permits, and deliver essential services every day.

As Mayor, I will partner openly and transparently with AFSCME to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and fully uphold the Right to Organize Ordinance. That means negotiating in good faith, respecting the rights of workers, and making sure the city government lives up to both the letter and the spirit of the law.

At the same time, I know our city faces a budget deficit and real challenges in service delivery. My administration will take a collaborative approach—bringing union leaders to the table early to tackle tough issues like staffing shortages, safety standards, and modernizing city services. Together, we will find solutions that both support our workers and deliver the high-quality services our residents deserve.

For me, this isn’t just about policy—it’s about values and trust. If we want a city that works for everyone, we need to respect and invest in the people who make that city work every day. That’s the kind of Mayor I will be: one who stands with workers, honors their contributions, and works side by side with them to build a stronger, fairer New Orleans.

Helena Moreno

You know me as a partner and advocate for workers' rights. With the support of AFSCME, the New Orleans City Workers Organizing Committee, and others, I introduced and last year passed the Right to Collective Bargaining Ordinance (Right to Organize Ordinance). Yet, that was just the starting point, and as mayor, I plan to focus on implementation in collaboration with those same partners, Civil Service, and the City Council. 

The dynamic is: I need your help. AFSCME workers know what to do and how to do it. Front-line workers understand what is going on way before the mayor. Yet, in many cases, they have been held back, silenced, or undermined. 

I see you, city employees, every day holding down the fort across our city, doing your jobs, often under extremely challenging circumstances. You know better than anyone that the buck stops with the mayor. When it doesn’t work and city services break down, everyone in government is, in some ways, made complicit. For me, there has been nothing worse than looking at my constituents — the people who elected me to help — and feeling like, on some of this stuff, it was futile because what we truly needed was a proactive mayor. Do you know that feeling?

We need a new mayor who will do what I and AFSCME have been demanding over the last eight years: get back to the basics, make city hall a great place to work, fix city services from Safety & Permits to NORD, and generally be a 24/7 mayor who will be honest, present, and available, along with my whole team. 

Royce Duplessis

I strongly support workers’ rights, and I’m proud to have the endorsement of the AFL-CIO in this race. Our city cannot function without an inspired, professional workforce that feels valued, respected, and heard. The AFSCME contract is an important milestone, and as mayor, I will ensure that it is honored and fully enforced, alongside the Civil Service rules and the Right to Organize ordinance.

My administration will take a proactive approach to compliance, making sure department heads and managers receive clear guidance and training on their obligations. We will also establish regular check-ins with union leadership to resolve issues early, before they escalate into disputes.

A healthy dynamic between the City and AFSCME must be rooted in trust, open communication, and a shared commitment to delivering excellent services to the people of New Orleans. I see AFSCME members not just as employees, but as partners in solving problems, improving operations, and building a stronger city government.

Matthew Hill

I will fully enforce what’s already on the books. That means respecting Civil Service independence and holding regular oversight on hiring speed, discipline timelines, and pay-plan compliance; standing up a properly resourced Labor Relations Advisor to police the “Right to Organize” ordinance with clear timelines and a public compliance tracker; and embedding every CBA clause into department SOPs so overtime, scheduling, safety, and training are honored in daily practice. When disputes arise, we’ll use the contract’s grievance/arbitration process—promptly and without political interference

A healthy City-AFSCME dynamic starts with good-faith, interest-based bargaining and zero tolerance for retaliation. We’ll keep lanes clear—Administration negotiates, Council funds and oversees, Civil Service guards merit—and we’ll put frontline voices at the center. Joint Labor-Management Committees in each department will run Lean “gemba/kaizen” sessions to map pain points, standardize the work, and escalate barriers fast. A simple public dashboard will track what matters: grievance age, arbitration cycle time, hiring cycle time, preventable injuries, and service SLAs.

In the first 100 days, we’ll activate the LRA and publish the RTO compliance dashboard, require each department to file a one-page CBA-to-SOP attestation, and launch three Lean pilots in high-friction areas (e.g., permits, catch-basin work orders, payroll/timekeeping). Within 12 months, the goals are clear: 50% fewer grievances older than 60 days, arbitrations finished on time, a 30% faster time-to-hire, fewer recordable injuries, and 90% on-time service SLAs—alongside improved retention. Lean government will make your workday easier because you’ll help redesign your job.

Matthew Willard

I grew up in a union household and am a strong advocate for labor rights . I have led the fight against efforts in Baton Rouge to end public sector unions and their abilities to collectively bargain and organize. I also led efforts in the House last year to kill a Constitutional Amendment that would gut civil service protections. Unfortunately, while I fought to defeat that bill again this year, the Governor picked up two of my members and it passed with the exact number of votes it needed. 

My record speaks for itself – I'm with you.ion text goes here

Kenneth Cutno

I fully support the rights of City workers to organize and collectively bargain, and I recognize the historic importance of AFSCME members ratifying their first contract. That contract, along with the Civil Service rules and the “Right to Organize” ordinance, must not just exist on paper—they must be enforced in practice.

As Councilmember, I will:

Ensure enforcement by holding the administration accountable through oversight hearings, regular reporting requirements, and direct engagement with Civil Service to make sure rules and agreements are upheld.

Protect workers’ rights by making sure no employee faces retaliation or intimidation for union activity, and that grievances are addressed fairly and in a timely manner.

Strengthen collaboration by creating regular, structured dialogue between the City, AFSCME, and Civil Service to problem-solve issues before they escalate.

Budget responsibly so that negotiated wage increases, benefits, and staffing commitments can be funded and sustained.

A healthy dynamic between the City and AFSCME is built on mutual respect, transparency, and shared goals: better pay and working conditions for employees, and high-quality services for residents. When City workers are respected and supported, the people of New Orleans benefit directly through stronger, more reliable public services.

Gregory Manning

A healthy relationship between the city and AFSCME starts with a commitment to regular meetings, and a promise from me that my door will always be open to AFSCME. I will enforce Civil Service rules and the CBA by holding any city managers or department heads accountable if they retaliate against unionized city employees or otherwise violate their rights as unionized workers, especially their Weingarten rights, through public investigations and disciplinary action against the offending manager, up to and including termination. 

JP Morrell

Progress is born from conflict, and I will continue to hold the executive branch accountable when necessary. As the legislative branch, I firmly believe we must give opportunities for workers to call out discrimination, unfair treatment, and hostile work environments. I did just that for several DPW whistleblowers, including opening a Council Investigation into HR issues in the department. All workers deserve a healthy, productive work environment, and I am committed to using my position as Councilmember to fight for municipal employees. 

I believe that a healthy dynamic between the City and AFSCME is one built on respect and understanding. It is not enough for the City to simply share a copy of the CBA with supervisors. There must be training and explanation on what the CBA is and the rights it affords to workers. 

Alex Mossing

The ordinance protects workers' rights to organize, and as the city entity responsible for the budget, it is incumbent upon the City Council Members to honor all expenses related to collective bargaining agreements accepted by the administration. Currently, the city has unfilled positions in many departments. In order to attract workers to those departments, it is important that the city provides competitive wages and benefits. By honoring the collective bargaining agreement, it is my hope that we can attract the skilled and invested workforce needed for city government to operate efficiently. It is the council's responsibility to consider the city's long-term fiscal management plan and to determine how best to balance costs of employment and the need for a strong in-house workforce.

Holly Friedman

I will ensure all three are enforced consistently and transparently. Civil Service rules must guide fair hiring, promotions, and discipline. The collective bargaining agreement should be honored through clear grievance and arbitration processes and regular training for supervisors and stewards. And I will fully uphold the Right to Organize ordinance, protecting employees’ ability to organize and bargain collectively without interference. A healthy relationship is built on respect, transparency, and collaboration. I support regular labor–management meetings, open communication on staffing and workplace issues, and joint problem-solving. By honoring the contract and working together, the City and AFSCME can improve morale, strengthen services, and deliver better results for residents.

Bob Murrell

You can't enforce what you don't measure, so I will introduce monitoring/alerts for Civil Service violations that are reported by City workers on the points of the CBA. Next, working with the City is critical for not just compliance but enforcement as well, utilizing hearings and the power of the purse for keeping City departments in compliance when they aren't. I envision a healthy dynamic between AFSCME and the City would be one that ensures a safe working environment so City services are being delivered without the cost of exploitative or unhealthy working environments, where conflicts can be resolved without resorting to escalations from the Mayor's office.

Aimee McCarron

A healthy dynamic means one that is open and honest with each other and a working partnership. Our city workforce is the what makes our city great and my platform from day-one has been about building up our city workforce to get our basic services back on track and I want to hear directly from our city workers on how we can accomplish this together. I want to ensure our workers are taken care of in the ways that matter to them the most - not what I THINK matters most and this can only be accomplished if we work together and I am committed to that. 

Kelsey Foster

The “Right to Organize” ordinance, Civil Service rules, and AFSCME’s first collective bargaining agreement all represent critical steps toward ensuring City workers are treated fairly and with dignity. As a Councilmember, I will work to hold the administration accountable for enforcing these commitments—through public oversight hearings, responsive constituent services, and legislative action when necessary. A healthy dynamic between the City and AFSCME starts with respect: the City must treat the union as a partner in problem-solving, not an obstacle. By maintaining open communication and building trust, we can improve morale, reduce turnover, and deliver better services to the public.

Freddie King III

My plan is to make enforcement routine, visible, and fair. I will require strict adherence to Civil Service rules and the collective bargaining agreement in writing and in practice, and I will direct training for managers and HR so the terms are understood and applied. I will ask the CAO and Civil Service for regular compliance reports that track grievances, timelines, resolutions, and any variances, and I will push for corrective action when violations occur. A healthy City–AFSCME dynamic starts with respect and early engagement. Workers should be at the table before decisions are made that affect safety, pay, workload, and scheduling, and there must be protection from retaliation for union activity. This approach reflects my platform’s focus on reliable city services, accountability, and strong public-sector capacity, and it matches my work as a councilman and community advocate who listens first, meets with workers and unions, and follows through.

Eliot Baron

The basic expectation that recent changes be respected and rules enforced which protect organized workers might go a long way toward a healthy dynamic between AFSCME and...

Leilani Heno

A healthy dynamic between the City and AFSCME requires open communication, mutual respect, and collaboration. I envision regular meetings with union leadership, early engagement on workplace issues, and a commitment to problem-solving before conflicts escalate. When both the City and the union work together in good faith, we can improve working conditions for employees while delivering better services to residents.

Cyndi Nguyen

Yes, I support enforcing Civil Service rules, the collective bargaining agreement, and the Right to Organize ordinance to ensure city workers are treated with fairness and respect. My plan includes establishing clear accountability mechanisms, timely contract implementation, and ongoing dialogue with AFSCME representatives. I will work to strengthen the relationship between the City and AFSCME through transparency, mutual respect, and consistent communication. A healthy dynamic means collaboration that values workers’ voices while delivering quality public services.

Jonathan-Anthony Roberts

AFSCME members are the backbone of city services, and enforcing their rights is essential to keeping New Orleans running fairly and effectively. My plan is to:

• Hold city management accountable for fully honoring the Civil Service rules, the collective bargaining agreement, and the Right to Organize ordinance.

• Partner openly with AFSCME Local 2349, ensuring that workers’ voices are heard directly in decision-making.

• Establish regular communication channels — including quarterly check-ins and public reporting; to track progress on grievances and systemic issues.

A healthy dynamic between the City and AFSCME means collaboration, transparency, and shared respect. City workers should feel supported, not sidelined, and I will work to make AFSCME a full partner in shaping a better workplace for every employee.

Rev.Richard S.Bell

None 

Gavin M. Richard

To be honest, I know little about the CBA and the Right to Organize ordinance. That being said, I would do my due diligence to research these two topics. I believe a healthy dynamic with the City and AFSCME is transparency. I would remain in communication with the union members. Out of fairness, I would uphold our rules and ordinances to regarding our civil service rules, our workers, and union employees.