The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater New Orleans speaks in support of Metro Service Group, Inc.’s commitment to the community

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The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of
Greater New Orleans speaks in support of Metro
Service Group, Inc.s commitment to the community
1888 Press Release - An Open Letter to The People
of New Orleans Regarding Metro Service Group from
Reverend Dr. Willie Gable, Jr. and Members of the
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of
Greater New Orleans. New Orleans, LA - Dear
Community Members As spiritual leaders in our
community we feel compelled to unify in one voice
denouncing what we believe to be unwarranted
disturbing assaults against two exemplary
business leaders. We pray that you will lend your
prayerful support and otherwise speak out against
these perturbing behaviors and actions aimed at
men who have proven to be good citizens in our
community for a very long time. Now, for more
than three months, there has been a steady
drumbeat of allegations made largely by
individuals aligned with special interest groups
and competing businesses against Jimmie and Glenn
Woods of Metro Service Group. We believe these
allegations have no bases in facts and are a
calculated attempt to harm the reputation and
business stability of well-respected
African-American businessmen. As leaders in our
citys religious community, we condemn these
unfounded allegations and encourage you to stand
with us for what is right and just. We are also
concerned that the most vulnerable members who
work as hoppers have been co-opted during a time
of racial change in this country. The fear and
anxiety that many black men experience right now
creates vulnerability that has been used by
wolves in sheeps clothing. Several weeks ago,
hundreds of protestors, many from out of town,
took their complaints to Jimmies neighborhood,
marching to Jimmies home, trampling his yard,
disturbing and his family and neighbors and
pounding on his front door in a mock gesture of
engagement. This is not engagement this is a
reproduction of forced entry against a Black
family with children. Clearly, to those of us who
have watched this malicious and highly personal
attack play out through social media, TV stories
and more, it is time to set the record straight
and define these protests for what they are and
to document the truth. What you have likely
heard or read as reported by biased media,
represents the self interested protestors false
and malicious information and has no true basis
in fact. The community knows of the kindness,
generosity, and sensitivity of someone who
engages in racial uplift, rather than the
oppressive practices reported through local media
sources. People who live here and know Metro and
the Woods family know better. Here are the facts,
which we would encourage you to share with others
who may have been influenced by these unwarranted
and insulting attacks.
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1. No Metro employees are on strike. Not one. The
small groups of strikers are employed by a
staffing company that also provides employees to
other sanitation companies in New Orleans and
across the country. 2. No striker has been fired
by Metro or the staffing company. The staffing
company has released its own statement to verify
this fact. While Metro respects their right to
strike, any who have chosen to do so have been
invited to return to work when they wish. 3. All
Metro employees and contractors are paid in
compliance with the citys Living Wage ordinance,
which is a minimum of 11.19 per hour. No one is
paid under that amount and many are paid more.
Metros pay scale is in line with other
sanitation companies in our State. 4. Jimmie and
Glenn Woods fully understand the important and
often unpleasant work undertaken daily by the
hoppers. They both grew up in the sanitation
business and worked as hoppers early in their
careers. They are very sensitive to the
challenges and demands faced by hoppers everyday
and work hard to treat them with the respect and
dignity they deserve. 5. All truck hoppers are
fully provided with PPE by both Metro and their
staffing company. Before the strike even started
Metro bought 15,000 masks, 2000 pairs of
industrial safety gloves, large amounts of
sanitizer and more, and all drivers and hoppers
are given a generous amount for their shifts. 6.
No one has been permanently replaced with prison
labor. However, during the first four days of
the strike, Metro was forced to subcontract with
a work release program to meet the temporary
staffing shortfall in order for Metro to honor
its contract with the city. The Woods family has
always supported programs that help formerly
incarcerated men and women return to society.
They dont apologize for that fact and no one
should have to. Metro banned the box before it
became law and thus helped many vulnerable and
least likely to be employed Black men to enter
the workforce. 7. No sanitation company in the
city is providing hazard pay, yet these
protestors have singled out Metro, an
African-American owned business while not even
questioning the practices of others. This fact is
especially egregious and is shamelessly racially
motivated. Metro fully supports hazard pay for
all sanitation workers, nurses, bus drivers,
hospitality workers and other frontline essential
personnel and has actively encouraged both the
federal and state governments to provide it since
small, locally owned businesses cannot do so on
their own. As local ministers, pastors and
religious leaders we see first-hand, every day
the harmful effects of actions that divide and
threaten our community. We see what joblessness
and a lack of steady income does to destroy
families and bring poverty and despair to our
people.
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We understand the value of local jobs for local
people and the need to support and stand up for
African-American owned businesses that have long
been there for us. And we also see very plainly
that these attacks represent a reproduction of
neocolonialist practices. Unfortunately, as we
have all become familiar as of late with
institutional and structural racism and the many
ways that various institutions including media
promote these practices those who are
instigating the attacks against Metro are nowhere
to be seen in our neighborhoods, in our streets
or in our churches unless doing so serves their
selfish purposes first and foremost. We urge all
local residents to think for themselves, to get
the facts and not just read the headlines, and to
set the record straight when these unfounded and
divisive allegations are thrown around so cheaply
against people we know and value as friends,
employers and public-minded citizens. Reverend
Dr. Willie Gable, Jr., President The
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance About
the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance The
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance is metro
New Orleans oldest and largest inter-faith civil
rights and social justice advocacy organization,
with pastors serving more than 55,000
congregation members. http//www.neworleansagenda
.com/