The Bronx Defenders, ALAA Announce Recognition of Staff Union
Contact:
Justine Olderman | The Bronx Defenders | JustineO@BronxDefenders.org
Alexi Shalom | ALAA | ashalom@alaa.org
BRONX, NY – Today, The Bronx Defenders recognized the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 as the collective bargaining representative of its workers, pursuant to a card check. The Bronx Defenders management and staff now look forward to negotiating a contract that will safeguard and reinforce the organization’s long-standing values of zealous advocacy for the people of the Bronx.
Low-income people of color in the Bronx have long been victims of the kinds of police violence and racial discrimination that have recently sparked mass protests across the country. These same communities are also bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic from both an economic and public health standpoint. Given the urgency of the moment, both Management and the Union agree that full focus must be put to assist the people of the Bronx in recovering from this crisis and seek to achieve a collective bargaining agreement quickly and without delay.
“For the past 23 years, the dedicated and talented staff of The Bronx Defenders have been pushing the boundaries of what a public defender office can do and helping to redefine public defense. Together, we have built one of the leading public defender offices in the country,” said Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. “As we look to tomorrow, we are confident that through collaborative action, we will be able to realize our shared goals of creating a sustainable, supportive, equitable, and inclusive workplace as well as providing the best possible services to the people of the Bronx.”
“We applaud The Bronx Defenders for living up to its values and setting an example for other legal services nonprofits,” said Jared Trujillo, President of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325. “This is the kind of leadership we need during a difficult period for workers across the country. We are so excited to welcome the workers of The Bronx Defenders into our ALAA family.”
About The Bronx Defenders
The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself.
About ALAA – UAW Local 2325
ALAA – UAW Local 2325 is the nation’s oldest union of attorneys and legal workers. Bronx Defenders employees now join the almost 2,000 members of ALAA who are employed at the Legal Aid Society of New York City, the Nassau County Legal Aid Society, Federal Defenders of New York, The Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Youth Represent, CAMBA Legal Services, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York Legal Assistance Group, Asian Americans for Equality, Center for Family Representation, and Safe Passage Project.
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