The union that represents court workers in San Francisco voted on Monday to strike over their stalled contract negotiations, though no date for a strike has been set.
SEIU 2021 spokesman Steve Stallone said the membership voted by 91.3 percent to empower the bargaining to call a strike at a future date.
The vote follows on last week's rally outside the city's Civic Center Courthouse after unions say there has been "bad faith bargaining" with court management over their contracts.
Last week, Stallone said court management basically "looked us in the eye and said we have a lot of money, but it's not for you."
Stallone said the court workers are asking for 3 to 3.5 percent wage increases, but that court management, under Michael Yeun, executive officer for the court, has offered no proposed wage increases in response. He said that the courts have $16 million in reserves but that court management is refusing to place it in the hands of workers.
The vote over striking is a last resort that the union turned to only after months of "futile" talks, Stallone said.
In a statement, T. Michael Yuen, court executive order, said the court "will remain open during any potential clerks' strike," which the "court believes is unlawful under its existing contract." Yeuen said the contract contains a no-strike provision. An unauthorized strike, he said, will "cause delays in most civil cases and potentially be disruptive to public health and safety concerns."
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In addition, Yuen said the union members have received a $3,500 one-time payment followed by a 3 percent cost of living increase. "The court has bargained in good faith," Yuen said.
Court workers went on a one-day strike in 2012, after court management declared a 5 percent decrease in wages.
San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar and San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, both support the union. They were both at last week's rally.
Mirkarimi, who is running for re-election in 2015, said he last week he knows "how hard the people work" and said he stands with them in their struggle for fair wages.
NBC Bay Area's Stephanie Chuang contributed to this report.
