LAS Workers Raise the Bar Mid-Contract

by Navruz Baum

The LAS Attorneys chapter pickets August 23, 2023

On July 26th, LAS Attorneys ratified a salary reopener with a $6,500 bonus and a 4% raise bringing attorney step 1 to $85,025.91. The week prior, the Interpreters and Investigators Unit ratified a similar proposal.

Because reopeners usually happen while the no-strike clause is in place, it’s rare for workers to win significant gains. However, a few key factors led to a better outcome this time. First, the workers bargained stronger than usual reopener language in their contract last time around. Instead of being contingent on specific funding, it was to happen regardless. Second, the City has issued funding for a 3% COLA in fiscal years ’25, ’26, and ’27, although many ALAA employers are simply pocketing the money. Third, and perhaps most important, LAS workers have been increasingly demonstrating their organization. During their latest contract campaign, LAS Attorneys held lunchtime pickets for the first time in years. This collective action has led to some of the highest salaries in public defense, and workers plan to build on these tactics to win a broader set of demands in 2025. As Jane Fox, a criminal attorney at LAS and the chapter chair, puts it “when we fight together, we win together.”