Members of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys-United Auto Workers (ALAA-UAW) Local 2325 recently rallied outside New York City Hall, calling on the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to increase their funding and wages. ALAA is the City’s largest Public Defender Union and Members who work as Appellate Service Providers help previously convicted clients appeal their cases and seek other services. These Legal Workers have been navigating increasing workloads that verge on violating ethical standards for the profession all while being paid less than a living wage. This combination has put a strain on the Appellate Workforce, which Attorneys fear will ultimately result in worse services for people who rely on them. ALAA Members are prepared to escalate to a work stoppage in order to get the resources they need - contracts for almost two dozen Legal Services Providers throughout the City are set to expire in purposeful coordination on June 30th. “We are really hoping that management meets our demands in order to avoid a potential Strike,” ALAA Leave of Absence Organizer Estefania Rodriguez said. “I think we’ve definitely made it clear to management through this action and other actions that we are willing to escalate as much as necessary. Whether they understand the gravity of that is still to be determined.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: As public defender strike looms, appellate attorneys are demanding a higher wage — Queens Daily Eagle