Build Up Justice NYC to Voluntarily Recognize Staff Union

Brooklyn-based civil legal services organization Build Up Justice NYC has agreed to voluntarily recognize the BUJ Staff Union, which announced their intentto join the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA), UAW Local 2325 on Monday, January 5th, 2026. Workers there aim to establish a wall-to-wall union to secure sustainable workloads, dignified pay and benefits, and increased organizational transparency to ensure staff well-being. In 2018, the staff of BUJ (then BKA) sought union recognition, but the effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

"The union is extremely important because our pay increases are not aligned with NYC inflation," an anonymous BUJ staff member said in a statement last week. "Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck, which leaves us one paycheck away from facing evictions like the very clients we serve on a daily basis." Through the union, the staff members will have a voice within the organization to ensure labor protections and sustainable working conditions. With their Employers' agreement to voluntarily recognize the Union, BUJ staff stand ready to work with management toward voluntary recognition and a fair contract that supports both workers and the communities they serve.