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Employees at the Superior Court of Alameda County will go on strike on Wednesday, after negotiations on a new contract failed to achieve a deal.
The strike could affect services at criminal, civil and juvenile courts, according to representatives of Service International Employees Union Local 1021. The union plans to demonstrate at the Hayward Hall of Justice on Wednesday.
Employees including clerks and legal processing assistants have been working without a contract since their previous one expired on Dec. 31.
The union said in a press release that about 20% of positions in the court are vacant, leaving employees doing jobs for which they are not qualified, which union representatives said degrades service for the public and can potentially impact trial outcomes because of possible clerical errors.
A spokesperson for the Alameda County Superior Court did not immediately return a request for comment late Tuesday.
The unfair labor practices strike was authorized with nearly 99% of voting members in support.
“We are here to serve the public, and we’re concerned that the court’s actions are harming us, and harming the public,” SEIU 1021 member and court clerk Kasha Clarke said in a statement provided by the union.
“Forcing someone into a position they’re not qualified for could lead to errors, and justice not being served. As the ones who keep the wheels of justice turning, we need to be prioritized by the Court and the state so we can do our jobs and prioritize the public,” Clarke said.
The post Alameda County court clerks plan strike amid contract dispute, potentially impacting service appeared first on Local News Matters.
