July 27, 2026

The Bronx, NY – Today, unionized staff at The Bronx Defenders began a strike after the parties were unable to reach a tentative agreement. In response, Juval O. Scott, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders, issued the following statement: 

“Everyone at The Bronx Defenders is a public defender. Attorneys, social workers, investigators, interpreters, benefits specialists, advocates, and support staff all make holistic defense possible, and all deserve to be paid more than they are today. 

“We agree with unionized staff on that fundamental principle. Where we differ is on how to use the limited funding available to us fairly and responsibly at this moment. 

“Our proposal increases salaries and benefits across all roles while directing a larger share to attorneys, whose compensation has fallen furthest behind comparable legal work. That gap has made it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain the lawyers our clients and defense teams need. When one essential part of a holistic defense team is under strain, the entire model suffers. 

“We are proud of the proposal we put before the union. For first-year staff, it provides salary increases ranging from 3% to 10%. For many staff with five years or more of service, the increases range from 4% to 14%. A first-year attorney’s salary would rise from $85,600 to $95,000. A first-year social worker’s salary would rise from $85,600 to more than $88,100, continuing to place our social workers well above the statewide average for their profession. 

“We also proposed additional differentials for investigators and homicide practice advocates, and increased compensation for holiday arraignment shifts. The package would expand sabbaticals and parental leave, increase access to leave pools, add student-loan reimbursement, strengthen retirement benefits, and raise the annual cost-of-living adjustment from 2% to 3%. 

“This is a strong proposal that moves substantially toward what the union requested. The City increased public defense funding this year following sustained advocacy by BxD and staff. But the increase remained far below what we requested and is not enough to meet every union demand. We cannot responsibly promise resources the City has not provided. We also cannot ignore that different parts of our holistic defense model are facing different pressures. 

“We have returned to the bargaining table whenever asked and remain available to continue negotiating. Although the union did not accept our package, we will continue working toward an agreement that honors our staff, strengthens holistic defense, and protects the quality of representation the people of the Bronx deserve.” 

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