Neighborhood Defender Service Union Reaches Tentative Agreement, Ends Strike

Unionized staff at Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, including about 140 attorneys and other staff in the city, ended the first strike in their history after management and the union came to an agreement on Monday.

Union members said management made two major concessions that helped lead to the tentative agreement. There is now a proposal for a 3% annual increase in salary scales. Management initially proposed a 1% increase over several years, then shifted to 1% annually, but now they have agreed to a tentative deal for 3% each year. Members also secured an improvement to the healthcare language in their current contract. Members will vote on whether to ratify the contract in the coming days. Read more in the Queens Eagle and the Amsterdam News.

"This contract was won by every single member who stood strong in the face of adversity, by every member who said they deserve better," the union said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. "Management showed their true colors, but we showed them what true power looks like."