Council members call for investigation into Brooklyn Defender Services

"The Association of Legal Aid Attorneys-UAW Local 2325 currently represents the lawyers with Brooklyn Defender Services and claims that the organization's executive director Lisa Schreibersdorf wanted to bring in a more management-friendly union to represent staff. A union delegate alleged that Schreibersdorf offered her chairmanship of the new company union and a reduced workload without any loss of pay. The delegate filed a formal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in September."

"The federal regulator is looking into the complaint, but 21 members of the City Council wrote in a letter that they "feel strongly" the Brooklyn Defender Services' board should launch its own probe. "The misconduct allegations against Ms. Schreibersdorf are serious and impact our confidence in an organization on which our constituents rely for their most fundamental protections," the letter reads."

"Brooklyn Defender Services union co-chair Andrew Eichen thanked the Council members for their support and added that 84% of voting union members had voted to declare no confidence in Schreibersdorf's leadership and called on the board to place her on leave. "This letter should make clear to the Board that ignoring Schreibersdorf's misconduct will not make it go away," Eichen said in a statement."

Brooklyn Defender Services' union alleges management attempted to replace the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys-UAW Local 2325 with a more management-friendly union. A union delegate says Executive Director Lisa Schreibersdorf offered her chairmanship of a company union and a reduced workload without any loss of pay, and filed a formal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB is investigating the complaint. Twenty-one City Council members asked the BDS board to launch an independent external investigation and requested the findings be shared. Union leaders report 84% of voting members declared no confidence and called for Schreibersdorf to be placed on leave.

Read at City & State NY