November 20, 2014 The union members of Legal Services NYC and MFY met on November 19th and set a strike deadline of January 30, 2015. On that date, the union members of both organizations will meet to discuss and vote on management’s January 15, 2015 offer. At that point, union members would then have had […]
The Legal Services Staff Association made a presentation to the Legal Services NYC Board at their October 14, 2014 meeting. Union President Amy Hammersmith addressed contract negotiations, the need for a significant raise to pace with the cost of living, and the union’s recent call for a union-management discussion about hiring. The union and LSNYC […]
The Legal Services Staff Association is gravely concerned about the massive hiring spree occurring at Legal Services NYC. This spree follows on the heels of management’s prior pleas of financial crisis, which led union staff to agree to significant health care and salary concessions in our last contract. In August 2014 alone, LSNYC management created […]
We’re proud to be leading the 2014 NYC Labor Day Parade with our UAW brothers and sisters on Saturday, September 6th! And we’re especially excited that the fast food workers will be marching up front with us. They have our full support and solidarity as they fight for living wages and safe working conditions. We […]
On May 15, 2013, we the unionized employees of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract offer which asked us to give back some piece of almost every benefit we had. One year ago today, we walked off our jobs and into the streets. Secretaries, receptionists, intake officers, attorneys, financial services staff, tech […]
The Legal Services Staff Association is happy to announce the resolution of two grievances centered around abuse of the temporary employment status in our Staten Island office. Last summer, thirteen of the twenty-one bargaining unit employees in Staten Island (62%!) were classified as temporary workers. This meant they had no job protection and an uncertain […]
On March 25th 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory caught on fire and caused the death of almost 150 workers. Management had chained the doors to the factory (in part to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks), so many workers were trapped by the flames while others leaped in desperation out of the windows. For many […]
LSSA 2320 was honored to have one of our members, 25 year veteran union member Darry Phillips, profiled in the March-April 2014 issue of Solidarity magazine. Darry is a process server and investigator in the Brooklyn office of Legal Services NYC, and a proud member of the Legal Services Staff Association union. Darry told Solidarity […]
On January 24, the UAW Region 9A held its 21st annual Region 9A UAW Civil and Human Rights Awards Recognition Dinner. The Legal Services Staff Association was honored to be recognized with the Benny Thornton Labor-Civil Rights Achievement Award, which is given in memory of Benny Thornton, the former chair of the UAW Region 9A Civil […]
Just six months ago we were in the midst of a 40 day strike. More than 200 members of the Legal Services Staff Association (LSSA) – lawyers, paralegals, secretaries, receptionists, process servers, social workers, maintenance workers, and other non-management employees of Legal Services NYC – were on the picket lines fighting for fair health care, […]
Legal Services NYC has agreed to the Legal Services Staff Association’s request to improve the employee retirement plan by adding more low-fee index funds to the portfolio of mutual funds. Before this change, the LSNYC 403(b) retirement portfolio included only 2 index funds out of the 19 options. The union pressed LSNYC to expand these […]
At the next DA meeting on November 6, 2013, delegates will take up the question of amending the bylaws to provide for more proportional representation. There are two proposals that will be considered and voted on. 1) The first proposal is put forward collectively by members of the Delegates Assembly: Article VI – Delegates Assembly […]
I want to wish everyone a wonderful Labor Day! I hope you all enjoy the day off, but I also want to ask everyone to take a minute sometime this weekend to remember all of the men and women who risked their jobs and their lives to fight for the weekends, the minimum wages, the healthcare, and […]
Legal Services NYC Strike Ends After 40 Days as Employees Ratify Contract that Preserves Benefits, Adds Job Security Assurances After nearly six weeks on strike, members of the Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (LSSA) today approved a contract that allows the employees of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) to return to work representing New […]
Striking members of the Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (LSSA), have released a video addressing the LSNYC Board of Directors, including Board Chair Joseph Genova and Executive Director Raun Rasmussen, regarding the organization’s decision to terminate employees’ health care without meaningful notice. “Our health insurance was cut off with zero notification to our […]
At LSSA’s Community Voices event on June 12th, clients, community leaders, and elected officials called for a fair contract for the advocates who provide critical legal representation to save their homes, ensure quality education for their children, and stabilize their families. As Staten Island Legal Services client, Mohammad Hassan, explained: “Without the help of Tyler […]
Monday, 6/17 LSNYC Central Office, 40 Worth Street, 8:30AM- 10AM Milbank Tweed, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, 11:30AM-1PM Tuesday, 6/18 JAMS (Michael Young’s Office), New York Times Building at 242 W. 41st Street, 9AM – 10:30AM Wednesday, 6/18 Home Shop Picket, picket at the office in your community, 8:30 AM-10:AM Brooklyn Office: 105 Court Street Queens […]
Clients, community leaders, and elected officials today spoke out forcefully on behalf of the striking employees of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC). Speakers called for a fair contract for the advocates who provide critical legal representation to save their homes, ensure quality education for their children, and stabilize their families. Councilmembers Rosie Mendez (a former member […]
Striking members of the Legal Services Staff Association will hold Community Voices: Save Legal Services Wednesday, June 12, 2013, from 2-2:30pm, on the steps of City Hall featuring clients and community organizers who have benefited from civil legal services provided by the striking advocates of Legal Services NYC. Following the event, at 2:40, there will be […]
LSNYC’s decision to terminate our healthcare without notice has disrupted necessary health care services for our members and their families, and has directly resulted in missed prescriptions and more than one emergency room visit over the past week. LSNYC’s claims are untrue that they were required to cut off our health care and that our […]
Tuesday 6/11 MLS Harlem Shop Picket, 1 West 125th Street, 9AM – 10:30AM Milbank Tweed Demonstration, 1 Chase Plaza, 12PM – 1:30PM Wednesday 6/12 Brooklyn Court Street Office, 105 Court Street, 8:30AM – 10:30AM Community Voices Event, Steps of City Hall, 2PM March from City Hall to Milbank Tweed and back to City Hall, 3PM […]
Striking members of the Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (LSSA), employees of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), continue their Committed to Our Communities events by releasing a video entitled “Making a Career in Legal Services: Why We Do This Work.” The video explains the motivations behind the decision to strike by the more than […]
Striking members of the Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (LSSA) expressed shock and disappointment at statements made by Executive Director Raun Rasmussen last week. Asked about staff’s concerns with Board Chair Joseph Genova’s leadership of LSNYC, Mr. Rasmussen told a Thomson Reuters reporter “there’s really no one more committed to the organization.” Staff […]
Striking members of the Legal Services Staff Association rallied outside the office of Legal Services NYC Board of Directors Chair Joseph Genova. Mr. Genova, partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy and Board Chair since 2011, has forced LSNYC employees on strike for the first time in nearly 20 years. Mr. Genova has sat on […]