A union for legal aid lawyers has agreed to pay $315,000 to three of its attorney members who claimed the labor group tried to expel them for opposing a pro-Palestine resolution they viewed as antisemitic, according to counsel for the attorneys Thursday.
The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, representing Association of Legal Aid Attorneys members Ilana Kopmar, Diane Clarke, and Isaac Altman, revealed the settlement in a news release. A New York federal judge closed the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) case in October after the parties informed the court that a resolution had been reached.
Settlement Terms Include Training and Statement
In addition to the $315,000 payout, the union agreed to issue a statement acknowledging that communications surrounding the resolution were “hurtful” and “inappropriate.” The settlement also requires the ALAA to host mandatory training on union members’ rights for its executive board.
“Labor unions are supposed to be advocates for social justice and workplace equality,” said Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center. “To find the oldest hatred in such places is deeply antithetical to their mission. This settlement is a landmark in the fight against antisemitism in this sector.”
