S.F. court clerks union accused of breaking law with 1-day strike

A state labor board says the union representing San Francisco Superior Court clerks must answer charges that it violated state law in last week’s one-day strike that disrupted court operations.

Service Employees International Union Local 1021 walked out Oct. 14 in protest of court officials’ refusal to agree to a pay raise. The court’s executive officer, T. Michael Yuen, called the strike illegal and said it violated a no-strike provision in the union’s contract.

The court filed a complaint with the state Public Employment Relations Board, whose general counsel on Tuesday issued allegations against the union.

By calling the strike without advance notice, and by disregarding the no-strike pledge, the union “failed and refused to meet and confer in good faith” with court officials, in violation of state law, the board’s attorney said.

The board’s lawyer also said the strike “included employees whose absence created a substantial and imminent threat to public health or safety.” The complaint did not identify the employees, but said the union had acted illegally by authorizing or encouraging essential employees to withdraw their services.

The board, without comment Wednesday, denied court officials’ request for an injunction against future strikes.

In calling the strike, which had been approved by more than 90 percent of union members in a vote last month, the union said the court has $16 million in its reserve fund but refuses to offer a raise. The court says its clerks are paid more than their counterparts elsewhere and got a 3 percent raise last year.

Steve Stallone, a spokesman for the union, accused Superior Court officials Thursday of “intentional misrepresentation.” The court’s news release, he noted, said the labor board itself had issued the complaint — implying that the board agreed the charges were true — when in fact the board has not yet reviewed the allegations, which come from its general counsel’s office.

Court spokeswoman Ann Donlan denied misrepresenting the labor board’s action.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: begelko@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @egelko