STAFF AT BUILD UP JUSTICE NYC ANNOUNCE UNIONIZATION
Brooklyn, NY – Staff members at Build Up Justice NYC announced their intent to join the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA), UAW Local 2325 on Monday, January 5th, 2026. Workers aim to establish a wall-to-wall union to secure sustainable workloads, dignified pay and benefits, and increased organizational transparency to ensure staff well-being.
Staff members are calling on management to voluntarily recognize the union after an overwhelming majority of staff signed union authorization cards.
Build Up Justice, NYC (formerly Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A or Brooklyn A) was founded in 1968 shortly after the establishment of the Office of Economic Opportunity which, for the first time, made federal money available for legal services for the poor.
For nearly 60 years the organization has addressed a range of issues that disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities across New York City. The staff at Build Up Justice work to preserve affordable housing and represent indigent tenants, support low-income families in building generational wealth through homeownership, and provide legal assistance on commercial leases and contracts for small businesses. BUJ also represents low-income taxpayers in IRS disputes, guides families through the estate planning process, and advocates for survivors of domestic violence.
Build Up Justice NYC utilizes an array of innovative legal and advocacy strategies coordinated across all practice areas to defend the rights of individuals and families and to foster economic security for low-income New Yorkers. These strategies, coupled with a demonstrated commitment to building community-based coalitions, have helped them remain a leading voice in New York City’s ongoing public discourse about affordable housing, tenants’ rights, foreclosure defense, economic justice, and community-based development.
In the midst of this cost-of-living crisis, many New Yorkers are spending more than half their income on rent. Tenants and small business owners have to make the inhumane decision between paying their rent and putting food on the table. At the federal level, human rights are under attack. For undocumented tenants in particular, the danger of eviction comes with an added danger of detention or deportation. BUJ staff members stand in defense of their clients and in pursuit of justice.
As articulated by a BUJ staff member, “The union is extremely important because our pay increases are not aligned with NYC inflation. Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck, which leaves us one paycheck away from facing evictions like the very clients we serve on a daily basis.“
In 2018, the staff of BUJ (then BKA) sought union recognition, similarly citing unreasonable workloads and the need for increased training resources, administrative support, and greater transparency in decision-making. BKA management declined to voluntarily recognize the union, and the effort was ultimately unsuccessful. That same month, CAMBA Legal Services—a comparable organization in Brooklyn—requested voluntary recognition and received management approval within one week. As a result, BUJ remains among the last non-unionized legal services organizations in Brooklyn.
“This year, over a six-month period, we lost 30% of our staff to union jobs at other legal services organizations,” reported one paralegal in BUJ’s Brooklyn office. “The vast majority of our organization works in Brooklyn Housing Court where we are the only legal services provider without a union.”
BUJ employees believe the formation of a wall-to-wall union is essential to the sustainability of this work. As articulated by a long-time staff member, “to serve our client's best interests, we should also prioritize the workers' needs to ensure high-quality services.”
Employees at Build Up Justice are thrilled to announce their intent to unionize. “I’ve been trying to join a union since I started working as a dishwasher at age 17.” Said one employee. “Growing up with union membership at an all time low across all industries, I finally feel empowered. I’m so grateful to be a part of this union and proud to support it.”
If the union is recognized, staff members at Build Up Justice, NYC will join more than 3,400 members of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325. ALAA – UAW Local 2325 is a union for legal and social service workers, including attorneys, paralegals, social workers, investigators, receptionists, interpreters, advocates, administrative staff, and counselors with chapters at 35+ non-profits in the NYC metropolitan area. The Union represents members at public defender and public interest legal organizations such as the Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service, Queens Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, as well as advocates for the indigent at non-profit social services organizations such as VOCAL-NY and New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). The Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys is the oldest union of attorneys, legal services, and advocates for the indigent in the United States.
Through the union, the staff members will have a voice within the organization to ensure labor protections and sustainable working conditions. BUJ staff stand ready to work with management toward voluntary recognition and a fair contract that supports both workers and the communities they serve.
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Press Contact: Leandra “Lee” Diaz, ldiaz@alaa.org, 347-399-1168