San Francisco courtroom clerks strike over staffing, training

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — San Francisco Superior Court clerks walked off the job Thursday, accusing court management of refusing to address ongoing chronic understaffing and training gaps.

The strike, which includes workers from both criminal and civil divisions of the court, could halt trials and delay hearings in the city on everything from felonies to traffic violations until an agreement is reached between union representatives and the court’s upper management.

“We have been bargaining with management over this contract since September, and we’ve met with them over 25 times,” Rob Borders, a courtroom clerk at the San Francisco Hall of Justice and union negotiator, told Courthouse News. “They have moved very, very little on their position regarding staffing and training. These are the same issues that we raised last year, and we’re unable to seek a resolution.”

The clerks, represented by Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, have been protesting what they say is management’s failure to address staffing shortages and training deficiencies that have plagued the court since their last strike in October 2024.

In January 2025, the clerks reached a one-year agreement that included language to close loopholes that have allowed positions to remain vacant when clerks were promoted or temporarily moved into other positions. It also mandated that court management provide ongoing, quality training for all court employees and have training manuals in place by May 1.

However, union members said those promises were not kept and the clerks voted to authorize a second strike in October 2025, with similar demands made during the previous strike. That strike was called off following a last-minute agreement with court management, though union members later voted down the agreement by 62%, effectively authorizing another strike if a new deal was not made.

“It was what is called the skinny deal, where there were no agreements regarding the noneconomic issues, the staffing, training, annual reviews, and the membership said, ‘no, we need to address these issues,” Borders said.

Borders and other union members said an unprecedented caseload had left the court dangerously understaffed, forcing clerks to work in courtrooms where they lacked adequate training. They also raised concerns that overworked clerks were more likely to make errors that could affect court proceedings.

“It’s really affecting us here at the Hall of Justice. The DA’s new position on filings has dramatically increased the caseload here, and the court has done very little to try to accommodate it, other than doubling up trials in the courtrooms and giving double the work to the clerks who are here,” Borders said.

The union announced its intent to strike again on Feb. 23, accusing management of refusing to negotiate on the new measures proposed by the union. Borders said management’s response to the unions’ noneconomic concerns is to “talk about it after the contract.”

“The stalemate’s kind of been that management does not want to take any concrete action. They don’t want to agree to do anything that would end up in our contract,” he said, adding that once a contract is reached, there will be no reason for management to make any meaningful changes.

The union has also filed multiple unfair labor practice complaints against court management, accusing San Francisco Superior Court CEO Brandon E. Riley of knowingly entering into the bargaining caucus room, as well as bad-faith bargaining.

“The court was not taking our proposals into consideration, and was just attempting to reject them without adequate attempts to negotiate over the issues that you were bringing to the table,” Carey Dall, lead negotiator for the union, said.

In a Feb. 24 press release, Riley announced the court would remain open for mandated essential and emergency services, prioritizing cases with statutory deadlines such as criminal cases, custody arraignments, unlawful detainers, civil harassment and domestic violence matters.

Riley said it is unfortunate that the union disrupted court services after reaching an agreement contract in October that “reflects the economic realities of state funding for the judicial branch.” He maintained that the court was negotiating in good faith.

“The court will continue to provide updates as necessary and remains committed to reaching a fair contract with its valued employees that reflects the current fiscal outlook imposed by ongoing reduced state funding," his office said in the statement.

On the picket line outside the Thomas J. Cahill Hall of Justice, union members and leaders gathered to express their displeasure with court management and support the striking workers.

Multiple protesters said they recognized the strike would disrupt the court’s schedule, but that the circumstances had led them to take drastic measures.

“We would not have walked out if it were not a situation where we could actually bargain in good faith and come together and negotiate it out,” Edgar Woo, a clerk who has worked nearly 10 years with the San Francisco Superior Court, said.

“Everybody has families. Everybody’s got to work, but they also have to be able to provide because the whole idea is you work to pay for life, to be able to go and do what you want to do in life. But I believe in my bargaining unit, and I believe what they’re telling me."

District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder also joined picketing workers and spoke to the crowd about the rising cost of living in the city and the effort it takes to get to the point of striking.

“Our justice system is obviously crucial to a functioning city. These clerks are being pushed to the brink of the cost of living here in San Francisco, and that is why they are striking. It’s an incredibly big move to make. It’s not easy to be on strike. This is all about the clerks who make this justice system run, getting what they deserve,” she said after her speech.

The clerks plan to picket outside the Hall of Justice and the Civic Center Courthouse until management makes an effort to address the union’s demands, Borders said. There is currently no end date for the strike.

“We need to see movement; they need to say, ‘Yes, we will be held accountable. We will actually make things happen,’ and not just, ‘We’ll talk about it later,’” he said.

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