A Kew Gardens-based public defender agency has declined to voluntarily recognize a new staff union, setting the stage for a potentially drawn out legal process overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
A majority of eligible attorneys and social workers at the organization Queens Defenders signed union cards Dec. 16 demonstrating their intent to join the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys – UAW Local 2322. The roughly 70 staffers called on Queens Defenders management to recognize the union and prevent litigation.