A strike involving more than 1,100 Legal Aid Society attorneys planned for July 25, 2025, has been postponed. This comes after their union reached a tentative deal with management.
Contract Decision Ahead
The agreement arrived just 48 hours before the strike deadline. The attorneys, represented by the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys – UAW Local 2325, have demanded higher pay, reduced caseloads, better retirement plans, and stronger job security after their previous contract expired in June.
Negotiations had been stalled, resulting in the union ending its collective bargaining agreement and threatening to walk off the job. Now, union members will cast votes next week to ratify or reject the contract.
Incremental Improvements, Ongoing Advocacy
Jane Fox, union president, hailed the agreement as meaningful progress. Nonetheless, she expressed disappointment that pay and pensions remain unresolved.
“We have achieved historic improvements in workload protections, a unique student loan benefit, expanded parental leave, and retiree health care. Yet Mayor Adams and our employers failed to deliver adequate salary and pension increases,” Fox noted.
She also stressed that the contract’s reopener allows further negotiations in 2026. “We’ll be back to fight for fair compensation and retirement,” Fox promised.
Legal Aid and City Reactions
Twyla Carter, CEO and Attorney-in-Chief at Legal Aid, welcomed the outcome, saying attorneys can continue assisting low-income New Yorkers without disruption. Carter recognized that pay still lags behind their contributions due to systemic underfunding.
Deanna Logan, director at the Mayor’s Office for Criminal Justice, added, “Legal Aid attorneys provide vital support. We’re pleased an agreement was reached and the justice system remains uninterrupted.”
Budget Concerns Continue
Though $20 million in new funding was added in the most recent city budget, attorneys insist this is insufficient for public interest legal work. Union leadership and advocacy groups continue calling on Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council to invest more, especially as heavy caseloads and under-staffing jeopardize service.
Had the strike happened, the city would have faced a loss of its largest legal aid provider. In the meantime, other groups have settled on tentative agreements; however, smaller-scale strikes involving hundreds of legal workers are active around NYC.
Funding Fight Far From Over: Legal Aid Society Reaches Tentative Deal
