SEIU moves forward with strike plans at Fresno courthouse; 200-250 workers to take part

The planned strike at the Fresno County Superior Court is still scheduled to begin Tuesday morning, with hundreds of workers picketing at two separate locations, according to the SEIU Local 521.

SEIU Local 521 Chapter President Denise Dedmon said anywhere between 200 to 250 employees are planning to strike beginning at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The strike will take place at two locations – at the courtyard in front of the Fresno County Superior Court’s main building on Van Ness Avenue and at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse, located at 1130 O Street.

“We are still willing to negotiate,” Dedmon said. “We are still willing to mediate.”

SEIU first put the Fresno courthouse on notice of its planned strike over “unfair labor practices” on Thursday. The labor negotiations pertain to court office assistants, judicial assistants, account clerks, court reporters and child custody recommending counselors.

The labor negotiations have been ongoing since July 18.

Court officials didn’t respond to a call seeking comment on Monday.

In a letter dated Thursday, the court said it had limited funding to make an offer to the various employee classifications. The court said the offer it has already made on increases and benefits is all it can afford within its budget.

For example, the court offered to increase the work hours of court reporters up to 37.5 hours per week from 35 hours. It also offered a 3 percent cost-of-living increase for all classifications except court reporters for an average annual pay increase of $1, 698.66 per employee, among other benefit increases and incentives.

But Dedmon said what SEIU hopes to see as part of the negotiations is for the whole working hours for employees to be restored. For example, she said court reporters used to work 40 hours per week, but they lost five hours about six years ago due to budget challenges.

The court said the increase in hours for court reporters would result in an average annual increase of $9,117.05 per employee. Dedmon said that average increase it not just based on salary, but benefits as well.

“We are focusing on making everyone whole,” she said.

There was a mediation meeting in November during which the court made the offer, Dedmon said. There was another mediation meeting on Thursday, but the court only emphasized its offer made in November, Dedmon said.

Dedmon said the union is still open to hearing from the court to reach a solution.

“The strike is going to happen at 7:30 a.m., but even when we are on the line, we are still open to any discussion,” she said.

Elsa Mejia, in charge of communications for SEIU Local 521, said there hasn’t been a strike at the Fresno courthouse before.

This story was originally published January 14, 2019 at 4:46 PM.