San Francisco Court Clerks Go on Strike
San Francisco's court clerks have launched their second strike since 2024, disrupting court operations. The union is demanding better staffing and training, and claims court leadership has refused to negotiate in good faith.
The recent strike by around 200 San Francisco court clerks, represented by SEIU Local 1021, mirrors a similar one-day walkout in October 2024, with unresolved issues of chronic understaffing and inadequate training at its core. The union claims that despite a 2024 agreement to address these problems, the court has failed to adequately staff its operations to handle the workload. In the background of these labor disputes are tangible impacts on the justice system. In August 2024, for instance, 70 misdemeanor cases were dismissed due to trial delays linked to staffing shortages. The court's own 2023-2024 biennial report notes a significant increase in criminal proceedings, with the average monthly number of "held-to-answer" determinations rising from 96 in 2019 to 126 in 2023. This increased workload is set against a backdrop of tight budgets. The statewide budget for the judiciary saw a reduction from $5.2 billion to $5.1 billion for the 2024-25 fiscal year. San Francisco Superior Court's proposed operating budget for 2024-25 was approximately $60.4 million, with personnel expenses making up the largest portion of its expenditures. The 2024 strike resulted in a one-year contract that included mandates for management to provide ongoing training and to close loopholes that allowed positions to remain vacant. However, by October 2025, 98% of the union members voted to authorize another strike, indicating that the core issues remained unresolved in their view. A tentative agreement was reached just before a planned strike in late 2025 but was ultimately rejected by 62% of the union members. The most recent two-day strike in February 2026 concluded with a new tentative agreement. This deal reportedly includes compromises on cost-of-living adjustments, and a renewed, more "thorough, unit-by-unit" commitment from court management to finally address the persistent staffing and training issues. The agreement still requires ratification by the union membership. During the strike, court operations were significantly disrupted, with trials being paused and juries dismissed. While the court remained open for mandated and emergency services, the strike highlighted the critical role of clerks in the day-to-day functioning of the justice system. The union has emphasized that paperwork errors resulting from overwork can lead to serious consequences, including defendants being held in custody longer than necessary.
