Update: A previous version of this story was published with the headline: Strike imminent for San Francisco Superior Court clerks. It has been updated with the latest news.
The clerks say that there have been longstanding staffing and training issues, which have led to backlogs, delays, and mistakes in the court. Rob Borders is a criminal courtroom clerk and a member of the bargaining team.
"We carry a lot of responsibility as court clerks because we're basically the mechanism in which a judge makes an order," says Borders.
Borders says that the delays and backlogs caused by the lack of training and staffing can really affect the public.
"The last thing we want to do is waste people's time. We don't want to ever be responsible for something that causes somebody to stay in custody longer than they're supposed to, just because a form wasn't filled out correctly," Borders continues.
The union is asking for comprehensive training, a reduced workload, and more hiring.
These are the same demands that the union made when clerks went on strike for one day in October 2024. They say court management failed to implement the agreed upon changes.
San Francisco Superior Court issued a statement Tuesday saying that it will remain open for mandated and emergency services at the Civic Center Courthouse, the Hall of Justice, and the Juvenile Justice Center, if the strike takes place.
