UnLocal’s Staff Demand Voluntary Recognition of Union; “Pro-Union” Exec Delays

For Immediate Release

New York, NY – Staff members at UnLocal announced their intent to join the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325 on September 3, 2025. UnLocal United demanded voluntary recognition from the organization’s Executive Director Tania Mattos upon sharing that an overwhelming majority of employees signed union authorization cards declaring their support for the Union. Mattos, who was personally involved in unionizing her former workplace under CWA Local 38010, outright rejected the UnLocal United’s voluntary recognition demand and forced an election via the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”). 

Though UnLocal United anticipates a unanimous “yes” vote amongst those who participated in the NLRB election, the union’s certification remains uncertain. Because the NLRB is closed during the ongoing government shutdown, UnLocal’s ballot count has been postponed indefinitely. 

In response, staff members are calling on UnLocal’s management to immediately grant voluntary recognition – a step they believe should have been taken weeks ago.

Founded in 2010, UnLocal has served New York’s immigrant communities with fierce commitment. UnLocal delivers direct legal services, community education, and advocacy to our diverse immigrant community through tailored programming, including the Post Order Defense Project, the Queer Immigrant Justice Project, the Pro Se Plus Project, and the Education and Outreach Program. Their staff is made up of dedicated legal advocates, educators, and community organizers who have helped clients avoid deportation, secure pathways to citizenship, access vital social services, and learn about their rights and the immigration system. Beyond direct services, UnLocal has led community-initiatives to unite and uplift our community. 

Through their unionization, workers aim to secure organizational stability, pay transparency, protections against unjust discipline, and improved benefits that ensure staff well-being.

UnLocal staff members defend their clients at a time when fundamental human rights are increasingly under attack. By respecting their staff’s decision to unionize, UnLocal has an opportunity to become an organization that not only protects the community it serves, but to model dignity, care and respect within its own workplace – especially during an unprecedented time for the immigrant justice and labor movements. 

UnLocal’s staff, many of whom are directly impacted by the issues the organization addresses, work unremittingly for their clients. They are demanding to be heard, to have increased protections, and to build a more sustainable and transparent workplace. UnLocal’s staff believe a more just workplace is their labor right and will strengthen their ability to serve their clients. Labor organizing will not only better equip workers to continue this critical work, but collectively face this turbulent and pivotal moment together.

Fearing retaliation, UnLocal staff interviewed for this release requested anonymity. 

One staff member shared: “For me, in an organization that has historically been small and scrappy, sometimes formal organizational structures, when it comes to pay transparency and working roles, can get left by the wayside. By unionizing, workers will be at the forefront of these discussions.” 

Another shared, “Leadership has ignored our calls for fairer working conditions and has set unrealistic standards that they themselves fail to meet. It is dangerous to our clients' well-being to expect staff to work without regard for their health and safety. We are not machines without souls, we are also human beings. As we are expected to continue to advocate for immigrant rights across the city, we must also advocate for ourselves. ” 

“We are thrilled to welcome the workers at UnLocal to ALAA, where they will be joining thousands of union siblings in the legal services and advocacy sector in New York. The work these members do is absolutely crucial - now more than ever. These workers have chosen to form a Union because they need working conditions that allow them to stay at UnLocal, to continue to do the day to day work that protects and empowers our city’s immigrant communities. UnLocal staff deserve union protections, and a workplace that recognizes the dignity of their work,” said Leah W. Duncan, Financial Secretary-Treasurer of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys. “We call on UnLocal management to voluntarily recognize the new union and engage in fair, open negotiations.”

When their union is recognized, the staff members at UnLocal will join more than 3,400 members of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325. ALAA 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 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). ALAA is the oldest union of attorneys, legal workers, and advocates for the indigent in the United States. 

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Press Contact: 

Leandra Diaz (“Lee”)

ldiaz@alaa.org | 347-399-1168