San Francisco Superior Court clerks will begin an indefinite strike Thursday, the union announced Wednesday evening.  

“The San Francisco Superior Court clerks’ contract negotiations team was hopeful Tuesday that the package of common-sense proposals they had put together over the weekend, which made significant movement in an effort to strike a compromise with court management, would get the two sides to an agreement that would put the brakes on a strike,” wrote the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, the union representing the court clerks, in a statement sent out Wednesday evening. “However, the court management team under the direction of CEO Brandon Riley simply refused to negotiate over the clerks’ new proposals at all, all but guaranteeing that the open-ended unfair labor practice strike announced on Monday would go forward on Thursday.” 

The clerks will go on an unfair labor practice strike surrounding what they say is the need for proper training for clerks, reference books to help with their job, and a reduced workload. 

“Our current working conditions are unsustainable — and create huge problems for San Francisco residents who have to interact with the court, whether as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors,” said Robert Borders on Monday, a Hall of Justice clerk.  

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Superior Court issued a statement saying that it will remain open for mandated and emergency services at the Civic Center Courthouse, the Hall of Justice, and the Juvenile Justice Center should a strike take place. Cases with statutory deadlines will be prioritized, and clerks’ offices will also likely be closed to the public.   

“Mandated services will proceed with the help of management employees who will triage and prioritize emergency matters for people who need help today,” said Court Executive Officer Riley in the statement. “It is unfortunate that SEIU has decided to disrupt court services after more than 28 bargaining sessions and two mediation sessions to reach a fair 3-year contract that reflects the economic realities of state funding for the judicial branch.” 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.