WHO ARE WE?

CAMBA Legal Services Workers United (CLSWU) is a union of over 50 attorneys, paralegals, and support staff at CAMBA Legal Services (CLS). CLSWU workers provide free legal services to low-income New Yorkers in housing, immigration, consumer, and foreclosure matters.

New York City is facing an affordability crisis just as attacks on due process threaten rights and freedoms. CLSWU workers play a critical role in defending the rule of law for New York City’s most vulnerable community members. New Yorkers need CLSWU workers back on the frontlines. 

WHAT'S THE ISSUE?

While members of CLSWU struggle to afford the nation's most expensive city, our executives take home eye-popping compensation ranging from $300,000 to $500,000. Due to low salaries and poor benefits, CLS loses talented paralegals and attorneys to other legal services organizations, severely hindering our ability to provide quality legal representation.

Our decision to strike on July 15 was not made lightly; CAMBA Legal Services and CAMBA, Inc. management have failed to engage with the union on key demands that reflect the dignity, fairness, and respect that our members deserve. Management refused to even meet with our bargaining committee from July 23 to August 18. We are now in mediation, but management has not shown any willingness to give a real offer.

CLSWU members are eager to get back to work, but we know that employers within the nonprofit industrial complex leverage our passion for this work to offer substandard compensation and benefits.

We are fighting for:

• A livable wage floor for paralegals;
• A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that accurately reflects the crisis of affordability in New York City;
• Competitive compensation for all attorney steps;
• Workload protections for housing staff, in line with a recent Right to Counsel report;
• Industry standard leave provisions, including parental leave and short-term disability leave

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Tell management at CAMBA Legal Services to bargain fair and give us the fair contract we NEED to keep serving New Yorkers!

You can also donate to a Go Fund Me to support striking workers here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/6d7fkv-support-striking-legal-service-workers

The Goddard Riverside Law Project Union is also on strike. You can sign their community letter here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTzw33ec8f2GOlWofNs4SG-Tl9Im_noGUpPpZsJeZde1fNjA/viewform

Further Reading: 

• https://citylimits.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/UA-Caseload-Working-Group-Report-and-Recommendations_08312023.pdf
• https://nycclc.org/news/dozens-ny-elected-officials-sign-letters-support-striking
• https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/evictions-up-representation-down/