Brooklyn Defender Services Statement on Decision to Strike

“After months of intensive and good faith bargaining with the BDS Union, we regret to announce that we have not yet reached a tentative agreement, and staff have begun a work stoppage this morning. We stand ready to continue bargaining to reach a swift and equitable resolution.

In keeping with our mission of providing outstanding legal representation, BDS supervisors will handle the cases of the people we represent and be available to New Yorkers who rely on our critical services. It is our highest priority to ensure that our clients are not negatively impacted by the work stoppage.

Every day, New Yorkers are threatened with family separation, incarceration, deportation, and other serious harms in the legal system. As a public defense office representing over 40,000 people across Brooklyn and Queens each year, Brooklyn Defender Services defends New Yorkers with zealous advocacy and works tirelessly to uphold people’s rights, freedom, and dignity.

Our team of dedicated attorneys, social workers, and support staff deserve commensurate compensation to allow them to do this critical work. For that reason, we are proud to have made a strong offer to the union that reflects the value of their incredible representation. We are thankful to Mayor Mamdani for additional public defense funding, the highest level in NYC history, which enabled BDS to provide salary increases, healthcare coverage, and other employee benefits our staff need to serve their clients and afford to make a living in New York City.

We will continue to negotiate and hope to reach a swift and fair resolution. We remain committed to working together to provide the highest quality legal representation to New Yorkers in need.”