About Me

Alex Parker began his life as a civil servant in 1992 at Spofford Juvenile Detention Center. Alex realized his passion for service while on winter break in 1988, when he and his college basketball teammates facilitated a Special Olympics basketball tournament at the University of Maryland. After graduating from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland,in 1992, Alex began serving at-risk youth at the NYC Department of Juvenile Justice who were detained pending adjudication in the New York State Court System. Alex quickly moved up the ranks from juvenile counselor to tour coordinator and eventually tour commander. The agency used his expertise and experience to manage the infamous Spofford (renamed Bridges), Horizon Juvenile Detention Center, Crossroads Juvenile Center, and Vernon C Bain Barge. In May 2001, Alex expanded his advocacy when he successfully ran for and was elected to three terms as president of Local 1457 Juvenile Center employees while continuing his duties and responsibilities with the youth from the community. Alex fought for and won wage raises and safer working conditions and expanded employee benefits programs. Alex managed a network of shop stewards, ensuring coverage and representation for three secure detention facilities and five family courts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During his tenure as president of Local 1457, he advocated for his members against the City of New York, filing multiple FLSA (Fair Labor Standard Act) lawsuits worth millions of dollars. Mr. Parker’s fervor to help others propelled him to take on additional responsibilities. From 2002 to 2008, he was elected executive vice president of District Council 37. In 2009, President Parker merged Local 1457 into Local 371 to assist when the City of New York laid off 700 child welfare specialists at the Administration for Children Services. Mr. Parker started his family shortly thereafter and returned to detention services, where he continued his dual advocacy for members and at-risk youth. For the past 6 years, Alex has been working as a grievance representative for Local 371, advocating for all for titles within local. Since 2014, Alex Parker has continued his quest to right overtime wrongs for the members of Local 371. Subsequently, 12 suits have been filed on behalf of members at NYCHA, Administration for Children Services, Department of Homeless Services, and Department of Human Resources Administration for various titles such as child protective specialists, community titles, fraud investigators, caseworkers, and ACS investigative consultants, to name a few. More recently, the New York State Legislature passed the Raise the Age Bill into law. Alex has been instrumental in the challenging transition of adolescents from Rikers Island to Horizon Juvenile Center, as well as the introduction of 17-year-olds to Crossroads. Alex Parker’s advocacy reaches to Albany to New York State Governor Mario Cuomo’s Justice Center, where he established relations that honored our contract in terms of notification, representation and training. This demystifying of the Justice Center removed the fear and anxiety that our members face daily due to the potential of arrest and criminal prosecution. Alex has returned to City from the Union to pursue to campaign to run for President of Local 371.