San Francisco Superior Court strike ends, clerks to return to work
San Francisco court clerk strike over staffing, training
San Francisco criminal and civil court services were brought to a near standstill Thursday as court clerks hit the picket line as they have been working without a contract since the end of September.
SAN FRANCISCO - After striking for more than one day for the first time ever, the San Francisco Superior Court's clerks say they've reached a tentative agreement to end their strike.
What we know:
The agreement was reached Friday afternoon, officials with Service Employees International Union Local 1021 said. The clerks were demanding better wages, training and staffing.
The details of the agreement have not been released and the terms will still need to be ratified by roughly 220 clerks who are union members.
Negotiations between the court and the union had been at an impasse since December.
"We made it very clear to court management that the court can’t function without us. We are very thankful to the public who supported us, including the numerous attorneys, other court workers, public officials, and legal experts who stood in solidarity with us and affirmed our importance to the justice system," union representative Jennie Smith-Camejo said in a news release on Friday.
The courts had previously said they bargained fairly and that they had offered to increase contributions to health benefits.
If the strike had drawn out any longer, legal analysts said it would strain the system and that cases could have backed up.
Both the San Francisco district attorney and public defender's offices had been vocal in their support of the clerks.
What's next:
Court services will resume as normal on Monday. The union said the clerks look forward to getting back to work, serving the public that morning.
