Bronx Defenders avert strike with ‘historic’ contract deal

Bronx criminal court
Bronx Criminal Court at 215 East 161 St.
Photo Adrian Childress

The union representing the Bronx Defenders reached a two-year contract deal, narrowly avoiding a strike that was authorized to begin July 22. 

In announcing the deal, the union — which represents all 262 Bronx Defenders employees including attorneys, paralegals, social workers and other non-attorney staff — said the “historic” agreement was reached following a marathon bargaining session just days before the strike was set to begin. In the end, the deal was approved by 91% of the members who participated in the ratification vote.

Members are “really excited” about the new contract, according to Samantha Espada, a Bronx Defenders staff attorney in criminal defense. Espada told the Bronx Times the deal puts the agency “finally on par” with other public defense agencies in the city. 

The Bronx Defenders serve approximately 20,000 Bronxites per year with free legal representation and holistic support services for those involved in the court system. Bronx Defenders staff work in all the borough’s courts — housing, civil and criminal — as well as federal immigration court.

The path to a new contract was contentious, as UAW Local 2325 (BxD Union) members voted overwhelmingly on July 3 to authorize the unlimited unfair labor practices strike, accusing management of retaliation, withholding information and bargaining in bad faith.

In early July, attorneys including Espada told the Bronx Times they were eager to avoid a strike but were deeply concerned about high turnover, which they attributed mainly to low pay compared to other attorney jobs — the lowest pay among public defenders in the city, they said.

The newly-announced deal runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026, and includes provisions such as an 8-10% salary increase, a phased-in remote work policy and free speech protections for members expressing views outside the workplace that Espada called “the broadest we’ve ever had.” 

The new contract gives the union the ability to reopen salary negotiations in one year, with the right to strike. It also aligns the union’s negotiation timeline with that of other UAW Local 2325 organizations— opening the possibility of approximately 800 legal services employees going on strike at the same time.

Joining forces under sectoral bargaining “makes a huge difference in how competitive we get to stay,” Espada said. The organization plans to compare contracts with similar agencies to identify new goals and strategies, she said. 

“We look forward to joining sectoral bargaining negotiations with our fellow New York City legal services workers in both 2025 and 2026 as we aim to make the city more equitable and just for all New Yorkers,” said Babatunde Aremu, Chapter Chair of BxD Union in a statement announcing the agreement.

The deal ended up requiring “significant compromises,” Wesley Caines, Bronx Defenders’ interim executive director, said in a statement. “But what was never compromised was the commitment on both sides to reaching a deal that centers the needs of the Bronx community and ensures our staff are compensated fairly for their work.”

The new contract was only the second ever negotiated by the relatively new union — and Espada said members learned a lot from the months of contentious back-and-forth. 

“We’re prepared now more than ever,” she said. “I think we’re only going to get better at this.”


Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes