GILROY
– At least some of the nearly 600 Santa Clara County court
workers who returned to work Thursday morning in San Martin are not
entirely happy to be back.
Staff Report
GILROY – At least some of the nearly 600 Santa Clara County court workers who returned to work Thursday morning in San Martin are not entirely happy to be back.
County workers ratified a two-year contract Thursday with the court that reportedly calls for 1 to 7.4 percent pay raises. According to reports, lower-wage employees, who will earn the lower end of those raises, are questioning whether their three-day strike was worth the effort.
A union representative was not available for comment before press time.
Of the county’s dozen courthouses, San Martin was one of the hardest hit by the strike. More than 90 percent of its 30 state-paid employees striking, including all of its pivotal courtroom reporters.
After word was given to the 650 members of the Local 715 Service Employees International Union that a vote would take place Thursday night, hundreds of court employees began work to unclog the backed up justice system.
This was the court’s first strike in 27 years.
Although not every worker is pleased with the new deal, the union said Thursday the contract is significantly better than one offered in late October. That deal was rejected by the union, setting the stage for Monday’s strike that lasted through Wednesday.
