San Francisco court clerks went on strike Thursday morning to demand more staff and better working conditions as caseloads surge — and had reached an agreement with the court by Friday afternoon.
“We convened our chapter membership and reached consensus that it was the right thing to do for our families and the public to recommend this agreement for ratification and return to work on Monday morning,” said Rob Borders, a courtroom clerk and member of the union’s bargaining team, in a statement.
The details of the union contract were not immediately clear. It would still need to be ratified in a majority vote of the 220 or so clerks who are part of their SEIU 1021 chapter, the union said. The two sides resumed negotiations on Thursday afternoon after the strike was called, it said, and the court made “important concessions on cost-of-living adjustments and time off” among other issues, including “staffing and training.”
The strike had shut down courtrooms at 850 Bryant St., the San Francisco Hall of Justice, on Thursday and Friday. The building was a “ghost town” in places and chaotic in others — some courtrooms were closed, others were full, and clerks were picketing outside the drab concrete building both days.
San Francisco police have prioritized arrests for low-level crimes under District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Mayor Daniel Lurie, though they are not necessarily winning them. Still, more arrests means higher caseloads, and court clerks have sounded the alarm.
In October, the court warned that it would have to release suspects who do not have access to a lawyer. The city’s public defenders have said they are scrambling to keep up, and even private attorneys brought in are overwhelmed.
The strike ended quicker than the citywide teachers’ walkout earlier this month, which lasted four days. Court clerks, for their part, said they will continue to address the staffing issues “that have for too long been wreaking havoc on San Franciscans’ lives.”
“We made it very clear to court management that the court can’t function without us,” Borders said in the statement. “We feel that we made our voices heard and look forward to getting back to serving the public.”