Dozens of NY Elected Officials Sign Letters in Support of Striking UAW Legal Services Workers

Approximately 1,850 of the 2,000 legal services workers represented by the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys—UAW Local 2325 (ALAA)—reached tentative agreements last week following powerful strike actions and sustained public pressure. Remaining on strike are ALAA members at CAMBA Legal Services, Goddard Riverside Law Project, and Urban Justice Center while legal workers at organizations including the Legal Aid Society, New York Legal Assistance Group, Bronx Defenders, Office of the Appellate Defender, and the Center for Appellate Litigation are working as they vote on tentative agreements.

This week, New York electeds representing neighborhoods where the remaining striking organizations serve vulnerable community members signed two letters of support, one addressed to CAMBAand the other to Goddard Riverside.

The letter to CAMBAwas led by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and includes 26 elected officials including NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Jabari Brisport, City Councilmembers Carmen De La Rosa, Rita Joseph, Crystal Hudson, and more. The Goddard letter was led by Democratic Nominee for Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, currently a State Senator, and includes every Manhattan West Side elected representative. Read more here!

Every day, ALAA members provide free legal representation to tenants facing eviction, immigrants at risk of deportation, families navigating child welfare and custody cases, survivors of domestic violence, the unhoused, and people seeking access to health care, disability benefits, and other critical services. Underfunded for decades, these legal services workers are demanding fair wages, adequate resources, and staffing to reduce burnout and high turnover—issues that directly impact the quality of representation their clients receive. Follow the union for updates!