San Francisco court clerks strike; union alleges labor law violations

San Francisco Superior Court clerks went on strike Thursday over what they allege is management’s violations of labor laws, a spokesperson for the union said Wednesday night.
Roughly 200 courtroom clerks covering criminal, civil and juvenile justice divisions were striking due to court management’s “refusal to negotiate in good faith” on staffing and training issues “that have already caused over 70 misdemeanor cases to be dismissed and that continue to cause unnecessary delays and errors that can be very consequential to people’s lives,” read a release sent out by the clerks’ union, Service Employees International Union Local 1021.
The strike is coming during the second week of the high-profile trial of Nima Momeni, accused of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee. The trial was set for a half day on Thursday and now will resume on Wednesday, Oct. 30 after planned “dark days” on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.
“The strike … could halt trials and delay hearings on everything from felonies to traffic violations to proceedings for divorces and child custody cases,” said a statement sent out by the union. “But after months of bargaining in good faith while court management refuses to seriously address the root causes of the backlog, workers see a strike as a necessity to call the public’s attention to the court’s mismanagement and violations of both labor law and the U.S. Constitution.”
The workers will be picketing and chanting in front of the Hall of Justice on Bryant Street, the union said.
“We don’t have enough clerks to staff the courtrooms,” said Benjamin Thompson, a courtroom clerk at the Hall of Justice and vice president of the SF Superior Court chapter of SEIU 1021, in a statement released by the union.
“Clerks from other divisions are being thrown in to cover absences and vacancies without proper training. Different courtrooms handle different kinds of matters, some of which are unique to that courtroom alone. Clerks aren’t just interchangeable parts to be slotted in without a second thought,” Thompson said.
“Currently you have defendants sitting in county jail longer than they should have to, and victims and their families waiting longer than they should have to, for their day in court,” he said.
Despite the strike, San Francisco Superior Court remained open Thursday for mandated essential and emergency services.
“The Court will ensure that mandated services are available with the help of management employees who will triage and prioritize emergency matters for people who need help today,” said Court Executive Officer Brandon Riley in a statement released by the court.