On Tuesday, July 30 the staff of The Legal Aid Society, union 199 SEIU, picket outside the Legal Aid office at 49 Thomas Street in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Ryland West/ALM

    Hundreds of clerical, paralegal and social work staff for the Legal Aid Society took to the picket line on Tuesday at the organization's offices in all five New York City boroughs as their union, 1199SEIU, and Legal Aid management continue contract negotiations. Legal Aid's nonattorney workers have been working under an expired contract for two years. The major sticking points in negotiations over a new contract have been determining fair pay for workers and settling on a telecommute policy. "We really just want fair wages for all the workers. We have been telecommuting for the past two years and I think that we have proven that we can work remotely, but management is refusing to budge on this," Angela Yang, a paralegal at Legal Aid, said at the demonstration outside the organization's office in Manhattan. "They are trying to get us into the office five days a week. Our members have said loud and clear that they want to keep working from home and fair wages. We are picketing in all five boroughs to show management, but also to show everyone out here how important our fight is. We want to show that we are willing to keep fighting." Rose Ryan, a spokesperson for 1199, told the Law Journal that, while the demonstrations were held to call attention to working conditions for nonattorney employees, some attorneys from Legal Aid—who are themselves represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, UAW Local 2235—stood on picket lines in solidarity with members of 1199. In response to the demonstrations, Legal Aid said in a statement that management has met with 1199 and have proposed a benefits package that would "significantly" increase compensation for the "lowest-paid staff." "Specifically, the package offers step-specific salary increases, baseline cost of living adjustments, one-time payments, and title reclassifications, in addition to other benefits," Legal Aid's statement reads. "Additionally, for the first time ever, this package also includes a right to telecommute in our collective bargaining agreement. "As always, we will continue to advocate for additional resources from our government funders so we can pay our staff the wages they deserve for their invaluable work."