San Francisco court clerks ready to strike Thursday

Clerks at San Francisco Superior Court will strike Thursday unless their demands to increase staff and improve training methods are met, union representatives said.

The clerks gave court CEO Brandon Riley notice of their intent to strike over "major staffing and training issues that have been causing backlogs, delays, and mistakes," said a news release issued Monday by their union, SEIU Local 1021.

"Our current working conditions are unsustainable," Hall of Justice clerk Rob Borders said in the release. "A strike is a last resort. We are really hoping CEO Brandon Riley and Presiding Judge Rochelle East will show leadership and do the right thing to get San Francisco's courts back on track."

The court was approached for comment but did not respond by press time.

Clerks also struck in October 2024 over similar issues, the release said, but staff claim new measures promised by the court to resolve the problems were never adopted.

The backlog and delays caused several cases to be dropped after missing their constitutionally mandated deadlines, according to the union.

SEIU Local 1021 has also filed unfair labor practice charges with the California Public Employment Relations Board against court management claiming it refuses to "negotiate in good faith."

A group of clerks rallied outside the Hall of Justice on Feb. 19 claiming that the "staffing crisis" has caused criminal defendants to be held in custody for days after judges ordered them released.

At the rally, Borders said the clerks were asking for a new contract that guaranteed better training. There are only three people supervising 45 clerks in one building, he added.