FRESNO (KMJ) — A Fresno attorney has warned that a planned strike by staff at Fresno County Superior Court could cause operations there to grind to a halt.
According to Fresno County Superior Court, the dispute between it and SEIU Local 521 has been ongoing since July 2018. The potential for a strike was announced Thursday and includes Court Reporters, Court Office Assistants, Judicial Assistants, Account Clerks, and Child Custody Recommending Counselors.
The strike date has been set for Tuesday January 15th.
The deal offered by Fresno County Superior Court included increasing Court Reporters’ hours from 35 per week to 37.5 per week, a 3% raise for all other staff, increasing health insurance contributions, a one-time $200 cash payment per employee, and four hours of personal time off.
SEIU Local 521’s demands have not been explicitly detailed. Representatives declined an interview with KMJ News but did send out a statement explaining its position. It detailed “unfair labor practices committed by managers” and that justice for Fresno County residents has been denied due to delays stemming from a lack of funding.
“The whole court cannot run without these very very key necessary people,” explained Fresno area attorney Marc Kapetan.
“It would completely shut down the court system. They run the court system, they know all the ins and out, and they are just invaluable to the judges and the community.”
Kapetan warned that court operations would be forced to continue due to the defendants’ constitutional rights.
“Somehow there would have to be some sort of shell operations of the court system, but obviously these people are key.”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
