San Francisco court clerks ready to strike Thursday

San Francisco Superior Court announced it will remain open for "essential and emergency services" if a planned strike by clerks goes ahead Thursday.

Clerks at the court will strike unless their demands to increase staff and improve training methods are met, union representatives said.

The clerks gave Court Executive Officer Brandon E. 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.

In a news release Tuesday, Riley said, "Mandated services will proceed with the help of management employees who will triage and prioritize emergency matters for people who need help today."

According to the release, court resources will be shifted to prioritize cases with statutory deadlines such as criminal cases, custody arraignments, unlawful detainers, and civil harassment and domestic violence matters.

If the clerk's offices are closed to the public, drop boxes will be placed outside offices at the Civic Center Courthouse, Hall of Justice and Juvenile Justice Center, the court said. Cases without pressing statutory deadlines will be recessed.

The court said the union's decision to strike comes after at least 28 bargaining sessions and two mediations.

The parties are trying to reach an agreement on a new three-year contract for the clerks "that reflects the economic realities of state funding for the judicial branch," Riley said.

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.

"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 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.

The court's release said it and the union had reached a tentative agreement in Oct. 2025 which averted a three-day strike, but the agreement was not ratified.

On Feb. 13, the court also filed an unfair Practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Board claiming the union was also not bargaining in good faith.

During subsequent bargaining sessions, the union's bargaining team presented a new package with higher wages and additional terms, the court said.

According to the court's release, it offered up to a 6.5% increase in wages over three years -- 2% each year and a possible additional 0.5% increase in October of 2026 if it receives additional allocations. In addition, the court said it also offered bi-weekly increases to its health benefits.