Unionized Workers at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) Ratify First Contract with Nonprofit
For Immediate Release
June 9, 2022
Joint ALAA-NICE Press Release
ALAA Contact: Alexi Shalom, 347-417-1715, ashalom@alaa.org
NICE Contact: Ian Newton, 617-680-5009, ian@nynice.org
Unionized Workers at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) Ratify First Contract with Nonprofit
NICE Union and management have reached a collective bargaining agreement after members voted to ratify the two and a half-year deal. The contract is effective immediately.
Queens, NY -- Workers at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating pathways to success and empowerment for essential immigrant workers, have ratified a first collective bargaining agreement. In their new union contract, members of A Very NICE Union, a chapter of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) - UAW Local 2325, will see increased compensation, employer retirement contributions, paid parental leave, and stronger job protections, including industry-standard accommodations for immigrant workers. The staff at NICE are the driving force of the organization’s mission to support day laborers, domestic workers, and newly arrived immigrants through labor organizing and legislative advocacy.
Karen Vargas, a staff member at NICE and a member of the union’s bargaining committee, expressed that as an immigrant worker and a single mother of three she is very hopeful after reaching the contract. She expressed that, “the rights we gained restored our human dignity, which the discrimination we face as immigrants robs us of when we cross the border into this country seeking better work opportunities, personal safety, and peace and respect for our souls.”
“Like the workers NICE supports, we are immigrants who have faced hardships such as job insecurity, wage theft, and more in our past experiences,” said Leticia Ochoa, a union bargaining committee member. “With our own union, we have shown that workers can win added protections such as additional paid sick time and fully-paid family leave to be able to take care of our families.”
"We’re proud to call NICE a union shop,” said Diana Moreno, Interim Executive Director at NICE. “The bargaining agreement is an extension of NICE's mission of empowering immigrant workers and will only make our organization stronger as we continue advancing the rights and protections for immigrants in New York City. I’d like to thank and congratulate our dedicated team for their efforts to come to this momentous agreement."
José Payares, also a member of the union bargaining committee, believes “this experience has allowed us to unite as colleagues and strengthened our conviction for the work we do for the community.”
“We are thrilled to see the staff at NICE win their first contract,” said Lisa Ohta, the president of ALAA - UAW Local 2325. “We believe that with this agreement, our members will be able to serve our communities with dignity and pride, carrying out the critical work of NICE among new immigrants and working people in Queens. We look forward to uplifting and supporting the work of NICE as we build on this first contract.”
About ALAA
The Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325 is the nation’s oldest union of attorneys and legal workers, composed of over 2,700 members including the employees of NICE, Asian Americans for Equality, The Legal Aid Society, and other legal services and non-profit organizations.
About NICE
New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable and precarious workers, with a focus on day laborers, domestic workers, and newly arrived immigrants. www.nynice.org