Legal Aid attorneys walk out to demand a new contract

Legal Aid attorneys from all over New York City, who have been without a new contract for seven months now, walked out of their offices on Feb. 8 as the union workers picketed to demand better pay.

From 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. attorneys from Brooklyn, and the other four boroughs held a rally outside of their offices.

“Despite high caseloads and inadequate resources, members fight every day for justice for poor and low-income New Yorkers,” said Lisa Ohta, President of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 (ALAA).

“Management tells us they appreciate our work, but appreciation doesn’t pay the bills,” Ohta said. “All staff deserve raises that address high inflation and attrition. We call on The Legal Aid Society to bargain fairly with ALAA so that staff can continue its vital work representing the most vulnerable New Yorkers.”

Employees say that staffers are quitting without contracts, but that has only prompted management to offer a two-percent raise. Workers are demanding City and State funders to increase wages, reduce caseloads, and improve employee benefits.

According to the union, local Legal Aid attorneys are paid thousands less than counterparts in attorney general offices across the state. According to the New York Times, the Legal Aid Society has lost 10 percent of its staff, which accounts for about 200 employees, over the last 12 months.

“My caseload has become out of control during the pandemic, and I don’t know a single attorney in my office who isn’t burnt out,” said Claire Gavin, a housing staff attorney in LAS’s Queens Neighborhood Office. “Refusing to give us case caps is tantamount to destroying the City’s landmark Right to Counsel in housing court. Without case caps, we cannot zealously…