NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Some teenagers who were employed by the City of New Orleans during the summer still haven’t received a paycheck.
Some of the jobs were offered through the New Orleans Recreation Department, and others were offered through the city’s JOB1 YouthWorks program.
Juanita Carruth says her teenage daughter worked for NORD over the summer, assisting with the NOLA Gen Z Fezt that was held in June.
Carruth says she finally picked up her daughter’s first paycheck Tuesday, Aug. 15, after she was told by NORD staff the direct deposit failed.
“Initially, I asked why they didn’t issue a check in the beginning, but they said they don’t do that, so that was an exception to the rule yesterday once the bank denied the check or rejected the check,” Carruth said. “So, I had to go pick it up from NORD.”
Brideisha Harness-Parker, the founder of the New Orleans Youth Coalition, says she received about eight people between the ages of 16-24 through JOB1 to work for her over the summer.
So far, she says two people were paid.
“I was the first one who pulled the alarm on it because once I noticed my kids weren’t paid by the time [the city] said they were going to be paid by, I’m like hold up, hold up, hold up,” Harness-Parker said.
According to the nonprofit founder, JOB1 staff stopped communicating with her, but she has heard from the nonprofit Step Up Louisiana.
Step Up Louisiana is collaborating with the nonprofit the Workplace Justice Project, who say they’re available to meet with the unpaid teens to start the process of recovering the wages under the Louisiana Wage Payment Act
“So, it’s always good when someone can step in and be the voice for them, so that’s what we plan on doing, being their voice, so that they can be properly represented and know that their efforts weren’t done in vain,” Step Up Louisiana member Harold John said.
The damage is done, some parents say, and their children will not be working with the city in the future.
“I just hope in the future they have things organized because listen, I’m not trying to make trouble. I’m just going to give a voice to those who are afraid to speak out or who just don’t have the time,” Carruth said. “I got time every day.”
WGNO reached out to the city to figure out if there’s a timeline for when all the teens will receive their money. A spokesman said he would try to get answers, but we didn’t hear back before airtime.
Council President JP Morrell, however, says he and the council plan on taking action.
We also reached out to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Its public information director, Regine Williams, released the following statement: “We’re current on our draw downs, and this particular issue doesn’t lie within the Louisiana Workforce Commission. We have no further comment.”
Contact the Workplace Justice Project online.
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