**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, FEB. 26**

Contact: Jennie Smith-Camejo, (510) 710-0201, jennie.smith-camejo@seiu1021.org

The San Francisco Superior Court clerks’ contract negotiations team was hopeful Tuesday that the package of common-sense proposals they had put together over the weekend, which made significant movement in an effort to strike a compromise with court management, would get the two sides to an agreement that would put the brakes on a strike. However, the court management team under the direction of CEO Brandon Riley simply refused to negotiate over the clerks’ new proposals at all, all but guaranteeing that the open-ended unfair labor practice strike announced on Monday would go forward on Thursday.

The union bargaining team remains ready and willing to go back to the negotiations table if management changes their mind and decides they are ready to work with the clerks to resolve their issues. Otherwise, the strike will begin before normal opening hours tomorrow.

What: SF Superior Court clerks on strike
When: Starting Thursday, Feb. 28. First media availability at 6:30 a.m. at Hall of Justice (850 Bryant St.) Rally at 12 p.m. at Hall of Justice
Where: Picketing at Hall of Justice (850 Bryant St.) and Civic Center (400 McAllister). Media availabilities all at Hall of Justice
Visuals: Court workers & supporters marching, chanting, in union colors with picket signs

“It is disappointing and, frankly, insulting that CEO Brandon Riley and his team would rather allow hearings to be delayed and backlogs to grow even longer rather than make a good-faith effort to reach an agreement that would help us do our jobs delivering justice for the San Francisco public,” said Rob Borders, who is a clerk at the Hall of Justice and a member of the union bargaining team. “It’s inconceivable that they are fine with the status quo, which is huge backlogs, major delays, and mistakes that cause people to stay in jail longer than they should or be released too soon. These are miscarriages of justice that the court cannot afford not to address. It’s not about money; our proposals are only $300,000 apart, well within the court’s established budget. It seems to be about power. They simply do not want to listen when we are telling them we need support for the court to run the way the public deserves for it to be run. And they don’t seem to care that it’s the public paying the price.”

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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.