San Francisco Court Clerks Go on Strike

The strike by approximately 200 San Francisco Superior Court clerks is centered on demands for increased staffing and better training to cope with a rising caseload. The union representing the clerks, SEIU Local 1021, argues that chronic understaffing is leading to errors and delays, impacting the justice system. This is not a new conflict; the same issues of staffing and training led to a one-day strike in October 2024. A subsequent agreement in January 2025 was intended to address these concerns, but the union maintains that the court's management failed to uphold its promises. Negotiations for a new three-year contract have been ongoing since September, with over 28 bargaining sessions and two mediation sessions failing to produce a resolution. The court's management, led by CEO Brandon Riley, stated it offered a fair contract reflecting the "economic realities of state funding," while the union filed unfair labor practice complaints. In response to the strike, the San Francisco Superior Court has paused trials and dismissed juries until at least Monday. While the court aims to continue mandated and emergency services by using management staff, the strike has already caused "chaos" and turned the civil courthouse into a "ghost town." The union has not set an end date for the indefinite strike, indicating clerks will remain on the picket line until their demands regarding workload and training are addressed. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has expressed support for the clerks, emphasizing that a well-supported staff is essential for justice. This labor dispute highlights the operational pressures on the city's legal system, which is already dealing with a significant pileup of cases. The union claims the staffing crisis has even led to delays in processing releases for inmates, a charge that underscores the gravity of the situation.