San Mateo County Superior Court workers represented by SEIU Local 521 say they will begin an unfair-labor-practice strike on Monday, Nov. 16, the union announced after a rainy rally outside the County Center in Redwood City. The Mercury News reported the same Monday start date. The union has not announced an end date and says the walkout is still preventable if the court returns to bargaining.
The Superior Court said in a Nov. 12 statement that it has been notified of the planned strike and that all court locations will remain open. Essential and emergency services will continue, including emergency domestic violence restraining orders, criminal and custody arraignments and other proceedings with statutory deadlines, unlawful detainer stays, and civil harassment cases. Document drop boxes will be available in Redwood City, South San Francisco, and at the juvenile branch in San Mateo, the court said. Some non-emergency matters may be continued or delayed.
SEIU 521 says court reporters, clerks, accountants and other staff voted 99% in favor of authorizing the strike. Chapter president Stacy Gaskill, a court reporter, said vacancies have climbed to 17% and that "in one of the wealthiest counties in America, justice should never depend on how much money you have." The union said court filings rose 20.4% between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 fiscal years, while the case clearance rate fell 12.3%, and that vacancies rose from 10% in 2022-23 to 17% in 2025-26. Families are facing delays in family law hearings into spring 2027, the union said.
Court reporter Erica Boffi said members "do not want to strike" and would rather be inside the courthouse serving the public. "The Presiding Judge and Court Executive Officer still have an opportunity to do what is right: end the unfair labor practices, bargain in good faith, and reach an agreement that avoids this strike," she said in the union release.
Court Executive Officer Jeniffer B. Alcantara said employees "are the foundation of the Court's ability to serve the public" and that leadership remains committed to negotiating in good faith. She also said the court must operate within state funding. For fiscal year 2026-27, the court expects about $53.5 million in base allocations against an estimated operational need of about $67.3 million under the Judicial Council's workload formula, or roughly 80% of projected need. About $3.75 of every $5 the court receives goes to personnel costs, the statement said. A 2026 salary study by CPS HR Consulting concluded that wages and benefits for represented positions are at or above market rate compared with neighboring Bay Area courts, according to the court, which said its proposal tries to balance employee compensation with long-term stability.
If the strike begins Monday, the court said managers and unrepresented employees will carry out contingency plans. The public was told to check sanmateo.courts.ca.gov on the day of any labor action for service updates.