Office of the Appellate Defender Staff Form Union

New York, NY – Staff Attorneys, Senior Staff Attorneys, and members of the Operations and Client Services teams at the Office of the Appellate Defender (OAD) today announced their intent to join the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys - UAW Local 2325 by filing an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  OAD is New York City’s second-oldest public defense office providing appellate and post-conviction representation to indigent clients in Manhattan and the Bronx.  In an effort to avoid a protracted NLRB election, OAD staff has called on management to voluntarily recognize their union and begin directly bargaining with them. 

An overwhelming majority of OAD’s staff signed cards indicating their support for unionization.  Staff expressed their intent to work collaboratively with OAD’s new Executive Director, Caprice Jenerson, to address a variety of concerns, including compensation and benefits, job security, transparency in hiring and evaluating employees, diversity and anti-racism, and effective delivery of client services.

“Working at OAD has been the best professional experience of my life,” said Staff Attorney Katherine Pecore.  “We are unionizing because we care deeply about this organization and want to make it even stronger and more effective than it already is.”

“In a democratic society, people should have a say in decisions that affect their lives, whether it is in the voting booth or in the workplace,” said Gabe Newland, a Staff Attorney.  “Our union is a small step in the right direction.  It will make OAD an even better place to work, and it will improve the high-quality representation that we provide our clients.”

Renee Lemmel, a member of the Client Services team, stated:  “Being a part of a union gives us additional tools to create the equitable and diverse workplace we envision, which in turn improves our advocacy.  I hope that management will enthusiastically recognize our union, as the ethos of public defense should extend to acknowledging the need for more fair relations between employers and employees.” 

“I want us all to be treated with true respect, which includes receiving the good health care and benefits to which we are entitled,” stated Asa Taylor, a member of the Operations team.

Julia Burke, a Senior Staff Attorney, said, “A union will provide much-needed protection and support for our staff at a time when we are especially vulnerable as a result of the pandemic and our clients are even more vulnerable.”

“Every workplace is strengthened when workers come together in solidarity, and OAD will be no different,” stated Stephen Strother, a Senior Staff Attorney.  “Our union will make OAD — already one of the best providers of indigent defense — a more effective, dynamic, and diverse office.”

OAD staff follows in the footsteps of employees at the Legal Aid Society, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, the Bronx Defenders, the Center for Family Representation, New York Legal Assistance Group, and other public interest legal nonprofits which have won union recognition.  Last month, Queens Defenders also announced its intent to unionize.  OAD staff seek to be part of this historic shift in how indigent representation is conducted in New York City.