Union Strikes at Legal Services NYC

[TenantNet]

Union Strikes at Legal Services NYC
Andrew Keshner
New York Law Journal
05-15-2013

More than 200 attorneys and other workers at Legal Services NYC walked off their jobs this morning after voting overwhelmingly to reject offers for a new contract.

The organization has pledged to continue operations with about 45 managers. However, Raun Rasmussen, Legal Services' executive director, said before the vote that the intake of new cases would be cut "significantly" in the event a strike was called.

Members of the Legal Services Staff Association have been working without a contract since July 2012. The union, which is part of UAW Local 2320, represents attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, social workers and other staff.

Two votes were held at Cooper Union. In the first, only 26 people voted to accept a May 1 proposal, while 192 voted no.

The second vote incorporated the initial offer plus supplemental terms submitted to the union on May 15. There were 173 no votes and only 13 yes votes.