Court reporters union and San Francisco Superior Court executive committee reach deal
A contract dispute between the San Francisco Superior Court's executive committee and and a number of unions has been resolved, a problem that has been ongoing since July, reports the Bay City News.
The court's executive committee was at war against court employee organizations, such as the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, Municipal Executives Association, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21 and the San Francisco Court Reporters Association.
One of the agreements that was made was that the executive committee would repeal a 5 percent pay cut, which inspired court clerks to post a one-day strike on July 16, according to the source.
A critical part of the deal is that employees agree toward a one-time payment this year and 3 percent wage increases in exchange for reductions in the court's contributions toward employee healthcare and pension costs, which can prove to be costly over time.
Officials estimate that the deal will save the court system roughly $4 million, which will help offset recent budget cuts that have plagued the court in the past year.
"That's a big reason why these labor agreements make sense, reducing long-term pension costs," T. Michael Yuen, court executive officer, told the source.
As San Francisco's court system has been able to reach an agreement with its employees, many court reporters may be back to work as critical members of the legal process.
For lawyers in the Midwest, partnering with realtime court reporters can ensure they acquire accurate deposition transcripts. Furthermore, some Milwaukee court reporters are also capable of offering video deposition services, which can help cut costs and also provide effective deposition materials.
