ALE is America's largest union of legislative staffers.

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We are New York City Council staff who unite in solidarity to improve the working conditions, treatment, wages, benefits, job security, and professional standing of legislative employees; protect all members from illegal, improper, arbitrary, harassing, bullying, or discriminatory treatment; and provide members with a meaningful voice in maintaining a safe, respectful, healthy, democratic, and equitable workplace.

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We defend the right of all members to be free from discrimination in their lives on the basis of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and all other protected classes; pledge our collective efforts to secure the welfare, equality, and dignity of all working people; and affirm these principles in solidarity with the labor movement.

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ALE represents approximately 400 Council Member Aides and Finance Analysts at the Council. Our effort is led by the democratically-elected Executive Board, and a range of committees and working groups.

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2022-24 ALE Executive Board:

President: Daniel Kroop 

Vice President: Vinuri Ranaweera

Secretary-Treasurer: Jonathan Szott

Recording Secretary: Faiza Azam

Equity Officer: Fernando Andrade

Stewards' Representative: Matthew Malloy 

Trustees: Jalissa Quigley, Ben Jacobs, and Courtney Curd

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Message from ALE's Executive Board: November, 2022

 

Dear ALE Members & Friends, 

 

As the members of ALE’s newly elected Executive Board, we want to take a moment to thank all of our Council colleagues for their incredible support and engagement this year. It’s been an eventful and productive time for our union, and there is much more we want to accomplish before the end of the year. 

 

In the last few months, together, we have: 

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• Built a contract bargaining platform based on extensive surveying of staff;

• Successfully advocated for a 24% increase to this year’s Council’s budget, and for district office rents to be paid centrally, resulting in salary increases for staff in at least 15 member offices;

• Defended several staff members from firings or demotions;

• Installed union Stewards in half of Council Member offices;

• Managed another smooth, democratic election for ALE’s leadership body;

• Grown ALE’s dues paying membership by 87 percent, and established ALE on a stable financial footing;

• Successfully blocked the Council’s attempt to end hybrid flexibility for Central staff;

• Successfully advocated for 4 hours of paid leave for staff taking the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot.

 

ALE’s newly elected Executive Board will serve for the next two years. Many of us were part of the last EB, and collectively we bring many years of experience within unions and diverse organizing spaces.

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Our immediate, overarching priority is to win the strongest possible contract for Member Aides and Finance staff. We will be returning to the bargaining table soon, and believe that the fundamental reasons for our success in defending hybrid flexibility will continue to serve us well. 

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As ALE fights for a strong contract, we will continue to use a deeply collaborative approach with our colleagues; we will not hesitate to demonstrate staff’s collective power and fighting capacity; and we will maintain strong visibility in the media.

 

We are facing a challenging bargaining environment -- with inflationary headwinds and historic challenges, like the City and major unions' struggles to settle on healthcare for current and retired workers. We need all of you to remain engaged, and become even more so. This is the only way that we will win staff demands such as:

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• $75,000 minimum salary; 

• Paid overtime; 

• Hybrid flexibility for all; 

• Fair grievance policy & protection from firings without cause; and

• Health & safety policies which reflect staff input & are implemented consistently.

 

There are many ways to get involved with ALE. If your office does not yet have a union Steward, we strongly encourage you to work with your co-workers to nominate a candidate. 

 

Don’t hesitate to get in touch via nyccouncilunion@gmail.com. We look forward to working with you and winning a powerful contract!