LSSA Strike Settled

After nearly six weeks on strike, members of the Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (LSSA) Monday approved a contract that allows the employees of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) to return to work representing New York City’s low-income communities.
 
Employees successfully defended health care and retirement benefits that management had sought to slash, and won new terms meant to protect unionized employees in the event of future layoffs. Such “layoff equity” protections require that any significant layoffs be fair and reasonable with respect to their impact on union members. These protections are particularly important considering the organization’s poor and costly 1:3 citywide ratio of management to staff.
 
“This is a significant victory for the union, employees, and low-income New Yorkers,” said Aisha Baruni, a Staff Attorney at the organization’s Queens office. “These new layoff equity terms ensure that this organization will continue to employ and retain committed staff to represent this city’s low-income families and the elderly.”
 
The contract, which will run retroactively from July 1, 2012 through July 31, 2014, maintains employees’ current salary scales and retirement benefits. The parties also agreed to a 1% salary contribution to health care premiums, to be paid by both management and staff, and a joint committee to study potential future health care savings.
 

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