{"id":371,"date":"2026-06-30T23:14:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T23:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=371"},"modified":"2026-06-30T23:14:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T23:14:02","slug":"harlem-public-defenders-threaten-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=371","title":{"rendered":"Harlem public defenders threaten strike"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Over 100 public defenders, social workers, administrative professionals, attorneys, and advocates with Neighborhood Defender Service are threatening to go on strike as soon as Wednesday, as they negotiate a contract with management.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Stay quenched:\u2019 Mamdani activates Code Red alert ahead of heat wave<\/a><\/p>\n

The NDS Union picketed outside their downtown Manhattan offices on Tuesday as their July 1 contract expiration date looms. Workers at the Neighborhood Defender Service is a public defense practice serving residents of Upper Manhattan in criminal court and in other legal settings.\u00a0 A strike would threaten to slow the arraignment process, leaving judges and courts scrambling to provide low-income defendants with legal representation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The New York State Office of Court Administration did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cManagement is asking us to accept less and to give more, less security, less stability, less support, less for our families and less for our futures,\u201d said Helmis Ortega, a senior paralegal at NDS Harlem. NDSU has never had a strike before but as the contract expiration nears closer and bargaining stalls, the options are looking slim.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NDSU is a unit within the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys, UAW Local 2325.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Union leaders said the sticking point at the bargaining table is healthcare benefit rollbacks. Management is claiming they can no longer afford the current plan that is premium and deductible free due to rising healthcare costs. NDS management\u2019s most recent offer at the bargaining table would only keep their current healthcare benefits if the union agreed to no increase in wages. The union claimed this was unacceptable as an increase in wages to account for inflation was necessary in order to meet the current cost of living. Picketers said that any plan that kept wages stagnant would be a \u201cpay cut.\u201d<\/p>\n

A representative for NDS management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Read more Mamdani, Menin shake on $126B NYC budget<\/a><\/p>\n

On the picket line were two familiar faces: Darializa Avila Chevalier, who just defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the Democratic primary, and Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who just won the Democratic primary for retiring Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorkers are not going to back down from salary increases that reflect a real cost of living, we’re not going to back down on childcare benefits, on healthcare benefits,\u201d said Valdez, who was previously a UAW Local 2110 organizer at Columbia University. \u201cWe’re going to lock arms with our coworkers and demand exactly what we are owed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Avila Chevalier, meanwhile, worked for Neighborhood Defender Services as an investigator before running for office, and was represented by the union.<\/p>\n

In conversation with City & State, Avila Chevalier said that she plans to sign on to the to protect workers\u2019 right to organize her first day in office due to the rise in retaliation from the Trump administration and the \u201cemboldening of institutions that feel like they can take away the rights of workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next bargaining meeting is scheduled to take place Wednesday afternoon, the first day NDS workers would be on an expired contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is no strike deadline but as of tomorrow workers have the right to strike, according to Susie Charlop, NDS staff attorney and union member.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Eric Adams\u2019 Charter Revision Commission sues to get open primaries on the ballot<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The union\u2019s contract with Neighborhood Defender Service \u2013 Darializa Avila Chevalier\u2019s unit \u2013 expires on Wednesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,84,20,18],"tags":[125,85,21,19],"class_list":["post-371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-courts","category-labor","category-new-york-city","category-policy","tag-courts","tag-labor","tag-new-york-city","tag-policy"],"yoast_head":"\nHarlem public defenders threaten strike - Business Relocation Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=371\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Harlem public defenders threaten strike - 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