Chris Flink, flink [at ]seiu1021.org, 510.701.9637

 Oakland, CA – After months of bargaining and the expiration of their contract on December 31, 2024 Alameda County Superior Court workers are going on an unfair labor practice strike on Wednesday, February 19. At issue are a pervasive understaffing problem with nearly one in five positions unfilled, workers being pressed to perform tasks they aren’t trained to do, degrading the quality of service and impeding the work of the County’s justice system, and pervasive bad faith at the bargaining table.

The workers recently voted 98.7% to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike. This strike will include criminal, civil, and juvenile courts across Alameda County, which could halt trials and delay hearings throughout the justice system, impacting everything from felony cases to divorces, custody cases, and traffic proceedings. According to the workers, justice is being delayed on a daily basis already, with a lack of staffing forcing untrained Legal Processing Assistants into fulfilling the duties of trained Courtroom Clerks, a practice that raises the possibility of errors allowing the guilty to go free, the innocent to have their rights violated, and wait times growing for everyone.

Kasha Clarke is a Courtroom Clerk II for the Superior Court of  Alameda County, working out of the Hayward Hall of Justice. She said, “We are here to serve the public, and we’re concerned that the Court’s actions are harming us, and harming the public. 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.”

What: Superior Court of Alameda County workers on strike
When: Wednesday, February 19 during court hours
Media availabilities 6:30 a.m. and noon at Hayward Hall of Justice (24405 Amador St, Hayward, CA 94544) 
Who: Courtroom clerks across criminal, civil and juvenile justice divisions
Visuals: Workers marching and chanting with picket signs

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SEIU Local 1021 represents nearly 60,000 employees in local governments, nonprofit agencies, health care programs, courts, and schools throughout Northern California, including seven private colleges and numerous community colleges. SEIU Local 1021 is a diverse, member-driven organization with members who work to make our cities, schools, colleges, counties, and special districts safe and healthy places to live and raise our families.