1995.03.31: ALAA/1199 Update #29

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UNION REPS:  FOR ALL ALAA & 1199 MEMBERS

ALAA/1199 UPDATE #29
MARCH 31, 1995

ASSOCIATION OF LEGAL AID ATTORNEYS/LEGAL AID CHAPTER OF 1199
568 BROADWAY, RM. 702A, NY, NY 10012-3225•212.343.0708•FAX 212.343.0966

STATUS OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE FUNDING

The first news story about state Aid to Defense funding appeared yesterday in the New York Law Journal, which announced that Republican State Senator Dale Volker acknowledges the need for at least some funding restoration. Volker’s statement appears to have been a result of Union/Society lobbying efforts.  Lobbying teams will go to Albany again next week.

TUESDAY’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

On Tuesday night, representatives of Supervisors, Exempt staff, Staff Attorneys and Support Staff addressed the Board of Directors concerning the impact of any state cuts.  The Supervisors and Exempt Staff each made their presentations out of the presence of all other constituencies.  ALAA and 1199 made a joint presentation.

●UNION PRESENTATIONS.  The Unions’ central theme was that Legal Aid would forfeit its increasingly-tenuous status as primary defender were it to lose any further Staff Attorneys or Support Staff in the criminal divisions.  That, said the Unions, would threaten the criminal divisions with gradual — or even rapid — extinction.

ALAA further stated that the loss of former supervisors (who would be laid-off first) would sacrifice needed experience, while laying-off recent Staff Attorney classes (who would be laid-off next) would wreck CDD’s team concept and undermine the Society’s future ability to attract essential new Staff Attorneys.

ALAA reported that Management’s preliminary proposal for CAB, which called for no Staff Attorney lay-offs, is sensible in light of growing Staff Attorney seniority in CAB, the small size of recent entering classes, implementation of teaming and other staff-based cooperation, and a resulting Supervisor:Staff Attorney ratio that would still be significantly higher than other appellate defender offices, such as that in Chicago.

Both Unions opposed any Support Staff lay-offs in CAB.

In order to ensure quality representation under these reduced ratios, ALAA detailed its previously-reported proposal for a staff-based mentoring/training program.

1199 identified those job classifications that would be particularly impacted by the cuts.

The Unions also stressed the need to consider a scenario in which the state restores some, but not all, funds.

●BOARD ACTION.  In a presentation to the ALAA and 1199 Bargaining Committees on Thursday afternoon, Danny Greenberg and Human Resources Director Elaine Kurtz reported that the Board (which met until after midnight), agreed that the Society would not be able to handle all the criminal work under a worst-case state cut scenario.  It also explicitly delegated to Management decisions about how to implement any state budget cuts that may occur.

Greenberg and Kurtz also reported that the Board had discussed, but has not reached a decision on, whether to offer buy-outs and/or severance beyond that already provided for by existing agreements.

As a result, any buy-out offers would probably be made available only after lay-off notices are issued.  Buyouts would then reduce the number of effective notices.  On Thursday, The Society had a preliminary discussion with the City on how buyout and/or severance could be funded.

On Monday, Society representatives with meet with Criminal Justice Coordina¬tor Katy Lapp to explore her previous offer to expedite admission of Legal Aid attorneys to the 18-B panel in the event of lay-offs or buy-outs.

Management also said that there will be no lay-off notices prior to the next Board meeting, which will take place on Tuesday morning.

ALAA & 1199 MOBILIZE FOR TUESDAY PROTEST TO STOP PATAKI’S CUTS

Both Unions strongly urge their members to join a mass Walk for Justice on the 27th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to be held this Tuesday, March 4, 2 p.m. (flyer attached).

The march will go from City Hall Park to Wall Street.

The protest is sponsored by numerous churches, unions, students, and advocates for the poor.  It demands that the Pataki administration “stop the budget cuts, repeal tax cuts and end corporate welfare.”

The ALAA/Legal Aid Chapter 1199 contingent, with our Unions’ signs and banners, will gather at 2 p.m. sharp, directly in front of 15 Park Row.

All members are invited — officers, delegates, alternates and other interested members from nearby offices (lower Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn) are particularly asked to attend, so that we may bring attention to the cuts at Legal Aid, and oppose all the other cuts which we and our clients face.

1995.03.27: ALAA/1199 Update #27

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ALAA/1199 Update #27

March 27, 1995 Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/Legal Aid Chapter of 1199 568 Broadway, Rm. 702A, NY, NY 10012-3225•212.343.0708•FAX 212.343.0966

More Layoffs Proposed in Society Plan

●Staff Attorneys.  Based on further calculations, the Society has increased by 12 the number of Staff Attorneys it proposes to lay-off in the event that it loses all $10.8 million in State funding now at risk.  The revised calculations would bring the total number of CDD Staff Attorney lay-offs to 86 instead of 74.  The impact falls directly on the September 1993 class, which would lose 13, rather than 1, of its 26 members.

●Support Staff.  The Society has also informed 1199 that the previously-reported number of Support Staff lay-offs was too low, and that the accurate figures will be provided shortly.

ALAA Details its Proposals

In last Friday’s bargaining session, ALAA detailed its previous proposals and explained that the only chance to maintain the Society’s position as primary criminal defense provider and teaming program is to retain its case-handlers – Staff Attorneys and Support Staff – if necessary, by dramatically reducing the Management/Staff ratio.

In order to maintain the quality of client representation under this scenario, ALAA proposed the following staff-based training/mentoring program, which draws in part on the way in which these tasks are carried out in the Civil Division:

●Cross-Divisional Joint Training Committee.  Modification and expansion of the existing contractual provision for training committees in each division (Art.VII(E)(4)), by creation of a Joint Union/Management training committee made up of representatives from CDD, CAB and JRD, the three divisions which conduct criminal defense.  Reflecting previous ALAA bargaining proposals, this committee of Managers and Staff Attorneys would develop integrated training programs rooted in inter-divisional contact and hands-on experience;

●Complex Staff Trainers.  Creation of a Staff Attorney Trainer position in each CDD complex, with particular responsibility for coordinating training of more junior attorneys.  Openings for the position would be posted in advance and candidates would be selected by local joint Union/Management committees.  The Staff Trainer would remain a bargaining unit member, would receive no additional compensation, and would be exempt from at least 1 monthly arraignment assignment in order to adequately conduct training;

●Mentoring Partners.  Assignment within each CDD team of senior and junior attorneys for mentoring purposes; and

●Inter-divisional Resource Exchange.  Matching of CAB and CDD Staff Attorneys to exchange expertise by providing a ready source of legal advice for trial attorneys, and an opportunity for CAB and JRD attorneys to second-seat CDD trials.

ALAA also proposed additional specified cuts of at least $.5 million in Central Administration (i.e. 22d floor Park Row); no 1199 lay-offs at CAB; and, if necessary to avoid layoffs, transfer of CDD Staff Attorneys to an estimated 16 open positions in other divisions.

Negotiations will resume this Wednesday afternoon.

1199 Details its Proposals

Also on Friday, the 1199 Bargaining Team has proposed that, if need be, Support Staff jobs should be saved through the following changes in Exempt and Management positions:

●Central Administration.  Eliminate 1 of each of the following:   auditor,  executive chief of administration,  comptroller,  assistant comptroller,  accounting director,  manager,  assistant manager accounts payable,  accounting director,  junior accountant,  library director,  assistant library director,  human resources personnel assistant,  senior buyer,  public information position,  development office position,  counsel,  deputy counsel, facilities management executive secretary.  Merge Public Information into Development Office and move Workforce Diversity Director into Human Resources as a part-time position;

●CAB.  Eliminate:  2 Management attorney executive secretaries, 1 support staff personnel director, 1 support staff assistant personnel director, 1 paralegal supervisor, 1 word processing supervisor, 1 PRDU office manager, 1 social work supervisor, 1 mailroom supervisor, 1 computer assistant director, 1 computer administrator;

●CDD.  Eliminate: 1 support staff personnel director, 1 assistant personnel director, 1 computer systems administration position, 1 computer systems director, 1 Bx office central records supervisor, 2 Bx office complex administrators, 1 Bk office complex administrator, 1 Bk office court service assistant supervisor, 1 Bk office deputy boro administrator, 1 Bk office word processing supervisor, 3 Man. office complex administrators, 1 Man. office CSA/Data supervisor, 1 Man. office word processing supervisor, 1 Qns office complex administrator, 1 Qns office CSA/Central Records supervisor, 1 Qns office data entry supervisor.  Staff Attorney Voluntary Measures Would Yield Savings

The Society reports that as of Friday afternoon, Staff Attorney response to questionnaires showed that:

●36 would take a voluntary leave of absence for periods up to three months, for a savings for $200,000;

●41 would accept buyouts, for a savings of about $2 million (at an average salary of $50,000); and

●20 would go on a shortened work week, for an unknown savings.

It costs about $200,000+/week to employ the attorneys at risk.

ALAA Establishes Hardship Fund

The ALAA Executive Committee has established a hardship fund in the event that Staff Attorneys are laid-off.  Please send checks to ALAA, with a note to indicate they are intended for this fund.  Should lay-offs not occur, contributions will be promptly refunded.

Lobbying and Outreach Continues

●Delegations and Letters.  As Union and Society lobbyists continue to work for fund restoration in Albany, all LAS employees and friends are reminded to join delegations to NYC legislative offices being coordinated by ALAA member Christina Swarns (Manhattan CDD, 602-533), and to send individual letters of support for funding by immediately contacting contact ALAA member Sandra Engle (CAB, 577-577-3420), who will produce and send out 1 or more letters over your signature.

●Support From Dennis Rivera.  On Thursday morning, 1199 President Dennis Rivera met with 1199 delegates, ALAA and the Society to discuss ways to increase the pressure for restoration of Legal Aid funds.  Rivera agreed to coordinate  a letter to State officials, and offered to fund an advertisement in the New York Times.

●Weekly News.  A short article co-authored by the two unions has appeared in the Weekly News, a newspaper published by 1199 and other unions, and which is distributed free to hundreds of thousands of people at subway stations and other locations.

1199 and ALAA Support Battle for Public Education

1199 and ALAA each  organized support for CUNY, SUNY and public school students who last week protested devastate budget cuts proposed by the Pataki and Giuliani administrations.

On Thursday afternoon, 1199 president Dennis Rivera spoke to some 20,000-30,000 students rallying at City Hall Park.  The rally was also addressed by ALAA president Michael Letwin, who later organized a safe withdrawal by, and sought release of, students under attack by some 3,000 police equipped with riot gear, horses and motorcycles.

About 60 students were arrested, 6-7 of whom have been charged with such felonies as assault 2˚ (assault on a police officer) and resisting arrest.  Police also maced and beat scores of other students.  On Friday, CDD Special Litigation director Michelle Maxian brought a writ to ensure the release of the students who were put through the system.

On Friday afternoon, 15-20 ALAA members from CAB helped to prevent similar police violence by quickly responding to an emergency call for legal observers at a rally of hundreds of higher school students in City Hall Park.

Please contact ALAA HQ if you can represent the students in criminal and/or civil actions, and/or are willing to serve on a newly-established Legal Observer Committee.

Space Available for Labor Notes Conference

Last week, the ALAA Executive Committee voted to send the Union’s third consecutive delegation to the national Labor Notes Conference, which will be held on April 28-30 in Detroit.

Labor Notes, which is distributed to ALAA Union representatives, is a monthly newsletter that presents news and discussion about re-building the strength of the labor movement, especially through rank-and-file movements to democratize their unions.  Its bi-annual conferences are attended by about 1,000 labor activists representing many different unions, and is particularly relevant to the larger political and economic context in which we now operate.

Depending on its size, the ALAA delegation may travel by surface transport.  Registration, hotel and other related expenses will be paid for a limited number of members.

If you are interested, please call ALAA HQ by this Friday afternoon.

1995.03.20: Executive Committee Bulletin #33

[Download .pdf version 33 ]Association of Legal Aid Attorneys 568 Broadway, Room 702A, NY, NY 10012-3225•212.343.0708•FAX: 212.343.0966 Executive Committee Bulletin #33•March 14, 1995

Executive Committee Agenda

Monday, March 20, 1995, 6:30 p.m.

All Members Welcome – Pizza Served. Estimated length of meeting: 2.5 hrs.

 

Please Note: This is an Urgent EC Meeting to Address the Current Funding Crisis – All Offices, Delegates and Alternates Should Attend

 

1. Adoption of EC Minutes from February 21, 1995 (attached)(1 min.).

2. Main Agenda Item: ALAA Response to Legal Aid Funding Crisis: (1.5 hours).

A. CDD/CAB. Adoption of additional proposals now under discussion in the offices in regard to current $10.8 million NYS cut.

B. Civil/Volunteer.

C. JRD.

D. Other.

3. Bargaining Committee Membership: Filling Open Positions (Lesbian & Gay, Health Benefits – (Please be prepared to nominate and vote)(15 min.).

4. Federal Defender Salary Increases (5 min.).

5. Political Action: Brief Discussion of Inter-Union Coalition Against Cuts (5 min.).

6. Labor Notes Conference: ALAA Delegation to National Conference of Rank and File Unionists in Detroit at the end of April (5 min.).

 

EC Minutes: February 21, 1995

Legend. VP=Vice President; AVP=Alternate Vice President; D=Delegate; DVA=Designated Voting Alternate; NVA=Non‑Voting Alternate; *=Voting in Another Capacity; M=Member; A=Absent; CDD Numbers/Letters=Complex; Dble Underline=motion adopted; Strike Through=motion defeated; Shading=motion tabled..

ALAA Staff. President: Michael Letwin; Secretary‑Treasurer: Michael Dinnerstein;

Civil & Volunteer. VP: A; Aging: Judy Whiting (D); Appeals/Homeless Family Rights: A; Bronx: A; Brooklyn Neighborhood Office: A; Chelsea: Dennis Boyd (D); Community Law Office: Lisa R. Edwards (D); Maria Elena Gonzales (NVA); Bill Nelson (M); Paula Pace (M); Millie Pinott (NVA); Edwin Vega (M); Carwina Weng (M); Far Rockaway: A; Harlem: Josh Goldfein (DVA); Queens: A; Staten Island: Quiche Suzuki (ACLA).

Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB) and Federal Defender Division. VP (CAB & Federal): A; AVP: A; CAB Proper: Laura Boyd (D); Parole Revocation: A; Prisoners’ Rights: Milt Zelermeyer (D); FDD (Appeals): Mark Gombiner (D); FDD (EDNY): A; FDD (SDNY): A.

Criminal Defense Division (CDD). BxVP: A; AVP: A; Cherebin; BxA: A; BxB: A; BxC: A; BxD: A; BkVP: Jean Mandic; Bk1: A; Bk2: A; Bk3: A; Bk4: Danny Ashworth (D); Bk5: A; Bk6: Sonya Zoghlin (D); MVP: A; M1: A; M2: A; M3: A; M4: A; M5: A; M6: A; MNDU/STAB: A; QVP: Barbara Byrne; Q1: Larry Halfond (D); Q2: A; Q3: A; Q4: A; SI: Tom Bomba (D); Special Litigation: A.

Juvenile Rights Division (JRD). VP: Nancy Ginsburg; AVP: Adrien Lesher; Appeals: Kenn Rabb (DVA); Bronx: A; Brooklyn: A; Manhattan: A; Queens: A; Special Litigation: Michael Scherz; Staten Island: A.

 

1. Criminal Appeals Bureau. Motion (Gombiner/Zelermeyer): Endorse all efforts to get Phil Weinstein reinstated and insist upon full staff participation prior to any restructuring (passes unanimously by voice vote).

 

2. Community Law Office/Volunteer Division. Motions (Edwards/Popper):

 

A. Support all efforts on the part of CLO and any and all affected attorneys to have an equal role in any or all efforts to restructure the Volunteer or any Division, which necessarily includes David Wechsler’s role at CLO and LAS (passed: 13-0-1).

B. Amend the ALAA By-Laws to create a separate Vice President position for the Volunteer Division (passed: 11-1-1).

C. Demand that there be no involuntary transfers of any attorneys or support staff currently working at CLO without buyouts (passed: 12-0-0).

D. Condemn the secret and insular process utilized by Daniel Greenberg in firing various division heads (passed: 10-0-2).

E. Require that all communications between management and union members and officials regarding restructuring not be made in confidence (failed: 3-9-1).

F. Demand the resignation of Daniel Greenberg in light of his continual breach of trust with the union and the staff of the Society (failed: 5-6-0).

G. Demand that David Weschler be reinstated as head of the Volunteer Division since Greenberg has, by decree, abolished both the position and the Division (Passed: 9-0-4).

 

3. State Budget Crisis. Governor Pataki has proposed eliminating $10,840,000 from the Aid to Defense and Point of Entry Budgets for Legal Aid, $1,050,000 from the Civil Legal Services budget for Legal Aid, and $550,000 from the Homelessness Prevention budget for Legal Aid. Society has agreed to release up to two Staff Attorneys to coordinate ALAA’s lobbying against the cuts.

1995.03.14: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BULLETIN #33

ASSOCIATION OF LEGAL AID ATTORNEYS

568 BROADWAY, ROOM 702A, NY, NY 10012-3225•212.343.0708•FAX: 212.343.0966

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BULLETIN #33•MARCH 14, 1995

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AGENDA

Monday, March 20, 1995, 6:30 p.m.

All Members Welcome — Pizza Served. Estimated length of meeting: 2.5 hrs.

 

Please Note: This is an Urgent EC Meeting to Address the Current Funding Crisis – All Offices, Delegates and Alternates Should Attend

 

1. Adoption of EC Minutes from February 21, 1995 (attached)(1 min.).

2. Main Agenda Item: ALAA Response to Legal Aid Funding Crisis: (1.5 hours).

A. CDD/CAB. Adoption of additional proposals now under discussion in the offices in regard to current $10.8 million NYS cut.

B. Civil/Volunteer.

C. JRD.

D. Other.

3. Bargaining Committee Membership: Filling Open Positions (Lesbian & Gay, Health Benefits – (Please be prepared to nominate and vote)(15 min.).

4. Federal Defender Salary Increases (5 min.).

5. Political Action: Brief Discussion of Inter-Union Coalition Against Cuts (5 min.).

6. Labor Notes Conference: ALAA Delegation to National Conference of Rank and File Unionists in Detroit at the end of April (5 min.).

 

EC MINUTES: FEBRUARY 21, 1995

Legend. VP=Vice President; AVP=Alternate Vice President; D=Delegate; DVA=Designated Voting Alternate; NVA=Non Voting Alternate; *=Voting in Another Capacity; M=Member; A=Absent; CDD Numbers/Letters=Complex; Dble Underline=motion adopted; Strike Through=motion defeated; Shading=motion tabled..

ALAA Staff. President: Michael Letwin; Secretary Treasurer: Michael Dinnerstein;

Civil & Volunteer. VP: A; Aging: Judy Whiting (D); Appeals/Homeless Family Rights: A; Bronx: A; Brooklyn Neighborhood Office: A; Chelsea: Dennis Boyd (D); Community Law Office: Lisa R. Edwards (D); Maria Elena Gonzales (NVA); Bill Nelson (M); Paula Pace (M); Millie Pinott (NVA); Edwin Vega (M); Carwina Weng (M); Far Rockaway: A; Harlem: Josh Goldfein (DVA); Queens: A; Staten Island: Quiche Suzuki (ACLA).

Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB) and Federal Defender Division. VP (CAB & Federal): A; AVP: A; CAB Proper: Laura Boyd (D); Parole Revocation: A; Prisoners’ Rights: Milt Zelermeyer (D); FDD (Appeals): Mark Gombiner (D); FDD (EDNY): A; FDD (SDNY): A.

Criminal Defense Division (CDD). BxVP: A; AVP: A; Cherebin; BxA: A; BxB: A; BxC: A; BxD: A; BkVP: Jean Mandic; Bk1: A; Bk2: A; Bk3: A; Bk4: Danny Ashworth (D); Bk5: A; Bk6: Sonya Zoghlin (D); MVP: A; M1: A; M2: A; M3: A; M4: A; M5: A; M6: A; MNDU/STAB: A; QVP: Barbara Byrne; Q1: Larry Halfond (D); Q2: A; Q3: A; Q4: A; SI: Tom Bomba (D); Special Litigation: A.

Juvenile Rights Division (JRD). VP: Nancy Ginsburg; AVP: Adrien Lesher; Appeals: Kenn Rabb (DVA); Bronx: A; Brooklyn: A; Manhattan: A; Queens: A; Special Litigation: Michael Scherz; Staten Island: A.

 

1. Criminal Appeals Bureau. Motion (Gombiner/Zelermeyer): Endorse all efforts to get Phil Weinstein reinstated and insist upon full staff participation prior to any restructuring (passes unanimously by voice vote).

 

2. Community Law Office/Volunteer Division. Motions (Edwards/Popper):

 

A. Support all efforts on the part of CLO and any and all affected attorneys to have an equal role in any or all efforts to restructure the Volunteer or any Division, which necessarily includes David Wechsler’s role at CLO and LAS (passed: 13-0-1).

 

B. Amend the ALAA By-Laws to create a separate Vice President position for the Volunteer Division (passed: 11-1-1).

 

C. Demand that there be no involuntary transfers of any attorneys or support staff currently working at CLO without buyouts (passed: 12-0-0).

 

D. Condemn the secret and insular process utilized by Daniel Greenberg in firing various division heads (passed: 10-0-2).

 

E. Require that all communications between management and union members and officials regarding restructuring not be made in confidence (failed: 3-9-1).

 

F. Demand the resignation of Daniel Greenberg in light of his continual breach of trust with the union and the staff of the Society (failed: 5-6-0).

 

G. Demand that David Weschler be reinstated as head of the Volunteer Division since Greenberg has, by decree, abolished both the position and the Division (Passed: 9-0-4).

 

3. State Budget Crisis. Governor Pataki has proposed eliminating $10,840,000 from the Aid to Defense and Point of Entry Budgets for Legal Aid, $1,050,000 from the Civil Legal Services budget for Legal Aid, and $550,000 from the Homelessness Prevention budget for Legal Aid. Society has agreed to release up to two Staff Attorneys to coordinate ALAA’s lobbying against the cuts.

 

 

1995.03.13: ALAA/1199 Update

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ALAA/1199 Update

March 13, 1995 Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/Legal Aid Chapter of 1199 568 Broadway, Rm. 702A, NY, NY 10012-3225•212.343.0708•FAX 212.343.0966

State Funding Still at Risk — Layoffs Possible

Governor Pataki’s final budget proposal restored all “Aid in Prosecution” but no “Aid to Defense” funding, which includes $10.8 million for Legal Aid’s criminal work.

Lobbying efforts by the Unions and the Society now focus on state legislators, particularly Republicans in control of the State Senate. 1199 and the United Auto Workers (UAW) are assisting these efforts.

A worst-case scenario in which neither the State nor the City provides these funds would mean layoffs in CDD and CAB, possibly by April 1, the beginning of the State’s fiscal year [attached are the Society’s preliminary estimates of how varying levels of funding cuts could impact the staff].

Such cuts would make it impossible for the Society to fulfill its new criminal contract with the City, which requires Legal Aid to take all non-conflict cases other than homicides.

A collapse of the Society’s criminal contract would almost certainly have a serious impact on the non-criminal divisions as well, particularly in the extreme event that Legal Aid goes into bankruptcy.

In coming weeks and months, the Civil and Volunteer divisions also face the additional threat of large cuts in federal, state and city funding. Union and Society representatives are working closely with the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (UAW) and Legal Services for New York to restore this money.

ALAA Bargaining Committee members will hold office meetings this week to discuss these and related issues.

Volunteer Division Restored

In response to widespread outcry, Danny Greenberg has restored the Volunteer Division and reinstated David Weschler at its head. An official press statement to this effect was sent to all staff on Friday. In a related development, Greenberg has met with staff and supervisor representatives to discuss the reorganization of CAB.

CDD Restructure

●Support Staff Hiring. In response to calls from staff in the boro for additional support staff, especially investigators and paralegals with legal research training, Human Resources Director Elaine Kurtz has agreed that the Society will give priority to filling ten open support staff positions, the classifications and locations of which will be jointly determined with the Unions in coming weeks.

●Supervisors & Teams. ALAA continues to stand by the position agreed to some time ago by the citywide joint CDD transition committee that attorney supervisors are not team members, that they may attend team meetings by invitation only and that a supervisor’s main responsibilities include availability for Staff Attorney trials, training and evaluations, particularly for new attorneys. If the role of supervisors is a problem in your team, please contact ALAA.

Bereavement, Vacation Grievances Settled

Danny Greenberg has agreed to settlements in the following ALAA grievances, both of which had been previously denied by Arch Murray.

●Bereavement. Like support and management staff, Staff Attorneys will now be entitled to bereavement leave of five consecutive workdays, rather than the previous policy of five consecutive calendar days. Three attorneys who filed grievances on this issue will be reimbursed for the appropriate number of vacation days.

●Vacation Usage. Arising from a grievance by a Brooklyn JRD Staff Attorney who was denied the right to use individual vacation days to care for his infant child, the use of such days will now be subject only to approval based on the particular case coverage needs of the office on the day(s) in question.

JRD Special Litigation Position

The JRD Special Litigation Unit seeks an experienced litigator for a Staff Attorney position. The unit litigates complex class and individual civil actions in the NY federal and state courts on behalf of children who are involved in the child welfare, juvenile justice and education systems. The Unit also addresses childrens’ public policy issues through various forms of advocacy and services as a legal support resource to attorneys in the Division’s county offices.

Requires 3+ years litigation experience in federal/NYS court, excellent writing, analytical, organizational, litigation and negotiation skills, and admission/eligibility to practice in NYS. EEO. Send resume by March 24, 1995 to: Henry Weintraub, Director, Special Litigation Unit, The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Division, 15 Park Row – 21st Floor, NY, NY 10038 Juvenile rights/constitutional law experience preferred.

Unions Join to Resist Budget Cuts

ALAA and 1199 representatives joined hundreds of rank-and-file public sector unionists on Saturday, March 4 to organize a resistance movement against all City and State budget cuts.

The meeting launched a petition campaign addressed to Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki demanding: 1) A moratorium on tax cuts; 2) Stop the tax giveaways to real estate developers; 3) Convene a blue ribbon panel to determine what services are needed by the people of New York City; and 4) No cuts to services, jobs or wages.

The petition – copies of which are attached – will be circulated in workplaces and elsewhere. Each signer will be asked to contribute a dollar in order to publish the petition in the Chief-Leader, a weekly newspaper that is widely read in the New York City civil service and public sector.

Additional Petitions are available from CWA Local 1180, 6 Harrison Street, NYC, 212.226.6565, and should be returned, along with the donations collected, by Friday, March 17.

The four-hour conference was initiated by Local 1930, New York Library Guild, DC37, AFSCME. It was sponsored by a coalition of unions which also include Locals 1180 and 1188 of the Communication Workers; American Federal of Musicians, Local 802; American Transport Union Local 726 (NYC Transit Authority); Association of Legal Aid Attorneys; Committee of Interns and Residents; EMS Local 2507, DC 37, AFSCME; and others.

Other unions with members in attendance included 1199 National Health and Human Service Employees Union; Transport Workers Union Local 100 (NYC Transit Authority); United Federation of Teachers; Professional Staff Congress of CUNY; and Teamsters Local 237.

ALAA Executive Committee Meeting:

Wednesday, March 22, 1995, 6:30 p.m.

Please be advised that this date may change depending on the budgetary events discussed above. An agenda will be sent out shortly.