The nonprofits that provide free legal representation to low-income defendants rely significantly on taxpayer funds. This year, the City Council<\/a> agreed to boost spending on organizations providing constitutionally mandated defense by approximately $32 million, an increase of about 12.5%. The union says that funding should more than cover its demands for raises and benefits at Neighborhood Defender Services and Bronx Defenders, but negotiations remain stalled.<\/p>\n This is familiar territory for staff at Bronx Defenders: They\u2019re in the unprecedented position of going on strike for the second consecutive summer, after management proposed what the unions described as considerably higher raises for its staff attorneys than its social workers, some of whom are currently juggling caseloads of upwards of 50 clients.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the Neighborhood Defender staff union filed formal charges to the National Labor Relations Board that, among other things, accused the organization\u2019s leadership of offering \u201cfinancial incentives\u201d to employees who crossed the picket line. The organization\u2019s unionized staff at its offices in San Marcos, Texas, and Detroit, Mich., who are also on strike, joined the complaint.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jesus Infante, NDS\u2019 chief administrative officer, did not immediately respond to The City Reporter\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n Talks resumed on Wednesday afternoon. Tony Chiarito, a Bronx Defenders spokesperson, said the organization is \u201chopeful that we can arrive at a fair and equitable contract that meets these realities.\u201d<\/p>\n Though staff at both organizations share much of the same responsibilities and offer similar services, they have different issues at their respective bargaining tables.\u00a0<\/p>\n Key to the bargaining dispute at Neighborhood Defender Services is management\u2019s proposal to for the first time force staff to contribute to healthcare costs; coupled with a proposal of yearly 1% cost-of-living increases, the union says management\u2019s offer amounts to a pay cut.<\/p>\n The two sides have been bargaining regularly since their strike began on July 24, but are no closer to reaching a resolution on the issue of healthcare, said Jahnavi Bhaskar, a senior staff attorney and union member.<\/p>\n MORE: The <\/a>United Auto Workers Is New York City\u2019s Unlikeliest Kingmaker<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt is really the cost of living increase and the healthcare costs that they are trying to impose on our members that are the reason we are on strike,\u201d she said. \u201cAll other issues are resolvable.\u201d<\/p>\n Neighborhood Defender has said that its healthcare proposals are \u201chighly competitive<\/a>, both increase employee take-home pay, and both provide zero in-network deductibles and zero co-insurance healthcare options.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Bronx Defenders staff claim that management is proposing to decouple its attorney and social work staff into separate wage tiers \u2014 which would lock social work staff out of the substantial salary bump the organization is offering its lawyers.<\/p>\n Jessica Coffrin-St. Julien, an attorney with the organization\u2019s immigration unit, said that Bronx Defenders\u2019 offer amounted to a $10,000 starting salary bump for attorneys while cutting social workers out of the same perk. Under the current agreement, social workers and attorneys earn the same starting salary. Any changes to that arrangement, she said, is a non-starter for the union.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand the need to recruit and retain attorneys who can provide the best representation for our clients,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we do not believe that should come at the expense of our social workers, who do life-saving work.\u201d<\/p>\n The organization\u2019s social workers, particularly in the immigration unit, work substantial case loads that are out of step with their legal peers. The immigration unit has more than two dozen attorneys on staff, each with about 10 to 12 cases; that same unit only has two social workers on staff, who each currently represent upwards of 50 of those clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n LISTEN: FAQ NYC \u2013 The Tide Is Out and NY\u2019s Old-Guard Dems Are Beached<\/a><\/p>\n Ashley Guzman and Denise Herrera, the immigration unit\u2019s only two non-management social workers, told The City Reporter that management\u2019s proposal was demoralizing.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt undervalued,\u201d said Herrera. \u201cIt feels like management is trying to divide us, when we all deserve to be fully compensated.\u201d Guzman added that among the organization\u2019s total 30-plus social workers: \u201cWe\u2019re all pretty united on the issue\u201d of pay parity with attorneys.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> published when the strike began on July 27, Bronx Defenders executive director Juval Scott said the raises it proposed for social workers, which would bring their starting salaries to $88,100, would place those employees \u201cwell above the statewide average for their profession.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott also acknowledged the City Council\u2019s funding boost, but said it \u201cis not enough to meet every union demand.\u201d<\/p>\n Leaders of Neighborhood Defender Services and Bronx Defenders have said senior, non-union attorneys will pick up cases from striking attorneys. A spokesperson for the state Office of Court Administration said the agency is \u201cclosely\u201d monitoring the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we always hope that our courts and those they serve experience no disruptions, our entire judicial system remains committed to ensuring full operations should any arise,\u201d the spokesperson, Al Baker, said in a statement. \u201cFor now, of course, the courts remain fully open.\u201d<\/p>\n Two other legal organizations servicing low-income clients in Brooklyn and Queens<\/a> courts ended a six-day strike last week<\/a> after securing a deal on raises and benefits, capping a rocky two years.<\/p>\n![\"Bronx](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/072826_bronx_defenders_strike-3.jpg\")
Unionized staff Bronx Defenders objected to a proposal that would place the nonprofit\u2019s social workers in a lower pay bracket than staff attorneys. Credit: Alex Krales\/The City Reporter<\/p>\n![\"Brooklyn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/071726_public_defenders_strike-2.jpg\")
Brooklyn Defender Services ended a strike last week. Credit: Alex Krales\/The City Reporter<\/p>\n