Court workers in Alameda County who walked off the job for a one-day strike Wednesday extended the action into a second day Thursday.
In a statement Wednesday, the union that represents Alameda County Superior Court workers said the extension was issued because court management still isn’t hearing what they have to say.
Hundreds of workers, including courtroom clerks, walked off the job and picketed Wednesday outside courthouses Alameda County. The strike shut down courtrooms and disrupted the court filings and other document processing.
The Service Employees International Union has been negotiating for a new contract since before their last one expired in December. Workers say they’re understaffed and overworked, aren’t paid enough and new hires aren’t trained adequately.
"COLA is an issue. We live in the Bay Area. Folks can’t afford eggs. Folks can’t afford gas. So cost of living is always an issue," said Kasha Clarke, president of SEIU Local 1021. "But some of our more huge issues center around training."
Union member D’Mario Clemmons added: "We’re basically getting poorer every year. … Inflation is still going up, and our pay is not going up."
A Superior Court spokesperson says training and staffing have not been the union’s focus during negotiations and that the courts have done their best to retain workers in the face of an annual budget cut of nearly $4.5 million.
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The court issued a statement Thursday, saying in part: "Although the union claims it is concerned about public safety it has refused the Court’s repeated efforts to mediate these matters before neutral mediators and has instead chosen to critically endanger the public’s access to justice by choosing to strike."
The court spokesperson added that the Judicial Council of California crunched the numbers and said "based on the current caseload at the Superior Court of Alameda County, our court is overstaffed by more than 100 employees."
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The union disputes that figure.
The court told NBC Bay Area on Wednesday that if there’s a civil or criminal case that can be delayed or postponed it will be. But if there’s a strict deadline mandated by law, the case will proceed with the help of managers or workers who aren’t represented by the union.
Anyone with jury duty notices or pending cases should still proceed as scheduled unless they've been notified by the courts about changes, the court says.
Full statement from Alameda County Superior Court issued Thursday:
"The Superior Court of Alameda County continues to have limited operations due to a strike called for by the Service Employees International Union 1021. Critical cases are being held but many civil, family law, traffic and probate cases are being delayed.
"Although the union claims it is concerned about public safety it has refused the Court’s repeated efforts to mediate these matters before neutral mediators and has instead as chosen to critically endanger the public’s access to justice by choosing to strike.
"The Court has developed a robust training division, staffed with union-represented employees, and the Court ensures that all legal processing assistants and any other employees that are asked to fill in for other positions are trained for the job they are working.
"The Court remains committed to its mission of providing access to justice for all and to collective bargaining/mediation in a fair, just and respectful manner. We invite the union to again join us in this mission and end this needless and harmful strike."
