Overview
- The Neighborhood Defender Service Union launched simultaneous strikes on Friday, with roughly 80 members picketing outside the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in Detroit and nearly all of the about 120 Harlem staff on the 125th Street picket line.
- Union leaders say talks broke down over the employer’s push to end no-cost health insurance and a contract offer that included just 1% annual cost-of-living raises, while the union has pushed for preservation of free coverage and larger raises.
- Neighborhood Defender Services management did not respond to requests for comment and union members said managers were not engaging with strikers during the picket, leaving negotiators off the table for now.
- Striking attorneys say they each carry unusually heavy caseloads—typically 60 to 80 active cases—which union leaders warn could disrupt court schedules and leave clients without steady representation if the work stoppage continues.
- The action is the union’s first strike and drew public support from elected Democrats including Attorney General Letitia James; related labor moves include a recent Brooklyn Defender Services tentative deal and a Bronx strike set for July 27, which could widen staffing strains across city courts.