More than 250 union members representing Bronx Defenders attorneys briefly went on strike for the first time in history last week, but resumed work following a tentative deal with management announced Monday.
The Bronx Defenders nonprofit provides a wide range of services to low-income people facing legal eviction, incarceration, deportation, and other legal problems. The organization serves about 20,000 Bronxites annually.
The union, UAW Local 2325, Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA) had filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Bronx Defenders executive management and complained of relatively low pay for attorneys and other staff, while top executives collectively made $2.5 million.
The tentative agreement includes wage increases for investigative, advocate, and administrative staff that the union called “historic” in a July 21 statement.
If the agreement is ratified through a union vote, it will set a $68,500 wage floor and provide raises for all attorneys and social workers. It will also give yearly bonuses to attorneys, social workers, and non-attorney staff who remain with the organization for eight years or more.
“BxD Union members are now back at work, defending indigent, working-class New Yorkers throughout and beyond the Bronx after successfully advocating for fair wages that put us on a path to reducing attrition and ensuring every single staff member at BxD earns a living wage,” the union’s statement said.
Scott issued a statement celebrating the tentative deal while expressing concern for the “daunting” future ahead.
“From the moment I joined The Bronx Defenders nine months ago, I pledged open communication with the union, meeting with them monthly to hear their concerns, in the interest of building mutual trust and understanding,” said Scott. “Yesterday’s tentative agreement is the fruit of that labor, and I am looking forward to working closely with the union to ensure that this year’s agreement is the foundation of future success.”
Where is the money going?
At the start of the strike, Scott said in a statement that the union’s ask was not feasible without an additional $600,000 in funding, but the deal was reached just two days later.
During bargaining, the union expressed doubts about management’s claims that its demands were impossible to meet. The union said revenue for fiscal year 2024 exceeded $65 million and that management did not open the books to prove financial constraints, nor did it strongly advocate to the city for more funding.
A Bronx Defenders spokesperson said details about how additional funding came through could not be shared before the agreement is signed, but that both the union and management had to make concessions.
Union spokesperson Sophia Gurulé told the Bronx Times that the newly agreed-upon $68,500 wage floor will help set the standard for all shops in the city and help its lowest-paid members thrive amid high living costs.
The agreement will force all organizations to examine “where is the money in these organizations really going and how is it being prioritized for the people who are actually providing the day-to-day legal services that thousands of New Yorkers depend on,” said Gurulé.
Others on strike
While the Bronx Defenders strike was brief, other legal nonprofits serving the Bronx and beyond are locked in labor disputes that are already jeopardizing critical services.
About 400 members from Goddard Riverside Law Project, Urban Justice Center, CAMBA, and New York Legal Assistance Group started striking last week, and more could join, including the Legal Aid Society.
These groups, like the Bronx Defenders, are calling for higher pay and more investment from the city to keep their crucial services going.
Joan Hill-Barnett, an immigration attorney with CAMBA, told the Bronx Times that her organization has been on strike since July 15. The Brooklyn-based nonprofit serves people in the Bronx and citywide in immigration and consumer protection matters.
Hill-Barnett said CAMBA attorneys are passionate about helping those who need it most.
“Personally, as an immigrant and former resident of the Bronx for many years, we are proud of the work that we do,” she said. “Going on strike was really our last resort.”
Hill-Barnett said paralegals are CAMBA’s lowest-paid employees, but they don’t just do paperwork — they have “substantive” responsibilities, including representing clients in immigration proceedings. Those staff members make $53,000 per year, well below the $68,500 wage floor now set by the Bronx Defenders.
She said that CAMBA has historically had high turnover and difficulty recruiting staff due to low pay. With Bronx Defenders having set the bar higher, Hill-Barnett hopes management will be pressured to keep up.
“It would be hard for us to try to do similar or comparable work,” while paying far less, she said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
