About us

The Aotearoa Legal Workers’ Union empowers legal workers to improve pay and conditions in the legal sector through collective action.

ALWU was established in 2019 by legal workers concerned about a wide range of workplace issues, such as  sexual harassment, bullying, low pay, and a lack of overtime. Members understood that these and other problems in legal workplaces are aggravated by the power imbalance between legal employers and employees. In 2020, members identified collective bargaining as a top priority.  

Union organisation will help democratise legal workplaces and achieve better pay and working conditions, which will in turn help make our industry more inclusive for workers from different backgrounds, including law clerks and new lawyers, women, LGBTQIA+ workers, tangata whenua, people of colour, and disabled people.

Our rules

Our rules are democratically decided. Changes can be made by members at the annual general meeting.

Rules of the Aotearoa Legal Workers' Union

Frequently asked questions

  • A union is a group of employees working together to improve their pay and working conditions. The Aotearoa Legal Workers' Union is a democratic, member-led organisation that empowers legal workers to win a better deal. As an employee, you are legally entitled to be a member of a union.

  • Union members can negotiate better pay and conditions
    We are stronger when we work together, and being a union member helps build the strength of legal workers both at your workplace and across the legal industry. Members can bargain together for a collective employment agreement at their workplace, and get to decide what terms they want to bargain for, such as overtime pay or improvements to remuneration. With strength in numbers, the terms of a collective agreement will be significantly better than the terms of individual employment agreements.

    The union supports members with problems in their workplace
    When a workplace issue arises, ALWU members have access to advocacy support and a pro bono panel of employment lawyers to provide advice, support, and representation.

    Union members contribute to industry-wide improvements
    ALWU and its members have helped change the legal industry, including by bringing transparency to compensation rates, ensuring compliance with minimum wage legislation, pressuring firms to adopt living wage policies, and challenging the enforceability of professionals bonding clauses.

  • Most legal workers and students are eligible for membership.

    Ordinary membership
    You can become an ordinary member if you work as a lawyer, in a policy or advocacy role that interfaces with the law, or in a role that supports legal workers. If you are an employer or a representative that deals with employees on an employer’s behalf (for example, you work in HR) you cannot become an ordinary member.

    Student membership
    You can become a student member if you are aged 16 years or older and in at least your second year of nationally accredited study that will qualify you to become a legal worker. If you have completed study in the last two years, you can also join under this category.

    Solidarity membership
    You can become a solidarity member if you support ALWU’s work but cannot join under another category. If you are eligible to become an ordinary member but don’t wish to be represented by ALWU in collective bargaining, you can instead choose to join under this category.

  • Fees for members not covered by a collective agreement are payed annually on the anniversary of joining. Fees for members covered by an ALWU collective agreement are paid by fortnightly payroll deductions. Members may apply for a fee exemption or payment plan for reasons such as financial hardship.

    Ordinary members not covered by an ALWU collective agreement (by annual pre-tax income)

    • $50,000 or less: free

    • $50,001 or more: $50 per year

    Ordinary members covered by an ALWU collective agreement (by annual pre-tax income)

    • $25,000 or less: $4.50 per fortnight ($117 annually)

    • $25,000 – $49,999: $5.80 per fortnight ($150 annually)

    • $50,000 – $64,999: $11.50 per fortnight ($300 annually)

    • $65,000 – $79,999: $15.00 per fortnight ($390 annually)

    • $80,000 – $99,999: $18.50 per fortnight ($480 annually)

    • $100,000 or more: $23.10 per fortnight ($600 annually)

    Student members
    Free.

    Solidarity members
    Annual donation of $50 or more requested.

  • No. You do not have to tell your employer that you are a member, and we will not tell them without your consent. It is illegal for your employer to discriminate against you in any way due to union membership or your involvement in union activities.

    Use your personal email address and phone number when applying for membership and in other correspondence with us. If you use your work email address, your employer may be able to see that you’ve been communicating with us.

  • Members of the Aotearoa Legal Workers’ Union may belong to another union. Other unions may have different policies, so it’s best to check their eligibility rules.

Our executive

The union is governed by an executive elected annually by members ahead of the annual general meeting. The current executive includes workers from a wide range of legal workplaces in the private and public sectors, as well as students and those with trade union experience. 

The 2023-2024 executive was elected on a platform of growing union membership and working towards collective bargaining.

Executive members