Contract approved for Bronx Defenders, providing significant advancement for non-lawyer professionals
Bronx Defenders Union Secures Significant Salary Increase for Non-Attorney Staff
The Bronx Defenders union, a chapter of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA), has successfully negotiated a contract that guarantees an annual minimum salary of $68,500 for all non-attorney positions such as investigators, advocates, and administrators. This landmark agreement, ratified by 97% of voting union members, addresses longstanding pay disparities and aims to better support vulnerable workers within the organization.
The one-day strike, which took place on an unspecified date, was marked by an unprecedented amount of solidarity among attorneys and non-attorneys. This solidarity, according to union leadership, played a significant role in the quick resolution of the strike. The executive director of the Bronx Defenders framed the agreement as laying a foundation for future success and recognized the importance of fair pay for quality legal representation.
The union's initial demand was a minimum annual salary of $70,000 for non-attorneys, but management initially offered a floor of $59,000. However, management "miraculously found the money" to meet the union's demands, putting a planned paralegal program on hold. The union committee, representing both attorneys and non-attorneys, rejected an offer from management to increase the minimum salary to $70,000, but with the condition that workers would not receive raises for four years.
The strike focused on the most vulnerable workers at the nonprofit, with the wage floor offering a substantial raise for people in non-attorney, non-social worker positions who have been working for around two decades and were still making $60,000. The provision of a minimum salary became a major point of contention in the contract negotiations.
It is worth noting that several smaller providers have continued to stay on strike weeks later, while other ALAA chapters, including the Legal Aid Society, returned to work in the weeks after ALAA authorized strikes across the city's legal services sectors.
This development marks a significant step forward in the fight for fair pay and working conditions for non-attorney staff in the legal sector. The Bronx Defenders union's successful negotiations serve as an inspiration for other unions seeking to improve the compensation and recognition of their non-attorney members.
[1] Information sourced from various union communications and news reports.
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