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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Cameron Molyneaux, Chapter Chair of Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (UAW Local 2325)
6:01:37
·
130 sec
Cameron Molyneaux, representing UAW Local 2325, addressed the challenges faced by legal service workers in New York City. He highlighted issues of underfunding, attrition, workload crisis, and stagnant wages affecting the quality of services provided to poor and working-class New Yorkers.
- UAW Local 2325 represents over 3,400 legal service workers across 30 non-profit organizations in NYC.
- The union is considering a potential sector-wide strike in July due to low salaries and high cost of living.
- Molyneaux emphasized the importance of experienced practitioners in navigating complex housing laws and regulations.
Cameron Molyneaux
6:01:37
Thank you all for the opportunity to speak.
6:01:39
My name is Cameron Molineaux and I'm the elected president slash chapter chair of A Better NILAG, a chapter of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys which is UAW Local two thousand three twenty five.
6:01:49
In my position I sit on the Executive Board of Local two thousand three hundred and twenty five.
6:01:54
Two thousand three hundred and twenty five represents over 3,400 active and retired legal service workers at over 30 non profit organizations in the New York City area including the majority of providers participating in the RTC program.
6:02:06
2,325 members are attorneys, paralegals, social workers, investigators, interpreters and more.
6:02:11
We are the workers who keep people in their homes, fight for tenants rights to safe and habitable housing and keep landlords accountable to the law.
6:02:19
Our members are an essential labor force but like with HPD and DOB, underfunding has led to untenable conditions.
6:02:25
We are facing an attrition and workload crisis.
6:02:28
We're facing a student debt crisis.
6:02:30
Our salaries and retirement benefits have failed to keep pace with our counterparts and city in city and state governments.
6:02:36
When our wages stagnate, the services poor and working class New Yorkers receive are degraded.
6:02:41
It takes years as a practitioner to fully understand the power of the law like the rent regulation system in New York City and how to use DOB and HPD to assist our clients in fighting for their rights.
6:02:52
Our members use these systems and agencies as tools to keep people in their homes and to make sure those homes are safe and habitable.
6:02:58
It takes a depth knowledge with rent regulations like HPD Section eight, HPD Mitchell Lama rent stabilization to navigate the world of landlord tenant law.
6:03:09
It takes experience to know how to best advocate with these city agencies about making sure our clients homes are free of maintenance issues.
6:03:17
We've tried to fill senior positions in our organizations but that has failed because senior attorneys and paralegals are leaving our organizations every day.
6:03:24
Our salaries are too low and the cost of living is too high.
6:03:28
This year Local two thousand three hundred twenty five has aligned the contracts of over 2,100 of our union members across 12 chapters to expire on June 30 for a potential sector wide strike in July that could shut down the courts across the city.
6:03:40
We are committed to bargaining in good faith with our employers and we don't wanna strike, but we are prepared to withhold our labor to win a few