EVERETT – Snohomish County Superior Court operations were curbed Thursday as about 70 court clerks stayed home from work.
It was time to make a stand and pressure county officials for a new labor contract, Snohomish County Clerks Association President Michelle Strohrmann said.
Contract negotiations between the clerks union and the county have dragged on for more than a year, she said.
“We’re united in this,” Strohrmann said. “The employees are trying to send a message: This is important to us, and we’re going to stick it out.”
The protest left about a dozen managers and court clerks to do the work of 85.
That forced three family law trials to be postponed. The clerk’s office opened 90 minutes late and closed two hours early.
“We are just doing the best we can with the resources we have available,” said Thomas Wynne, the presiding Snohomish County Superior Court judge.
The union and county have been unable to agree on wages, benefits and other issues.
Deputy County Executive Mark Soine ridiculed the labor action.
“Where are their pickets?” he said. “I wonder, is this a labor action or are they starting their holiday two days early?”
The clerks plan to return to work today, said Heather Hottinger, court operations clerk and union negotiator.
“We didn’t want them to think it was an extra long holiday weekend,” she said.
The clerks union has about 80 members. The group broke away last year from the large county labor group, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
The clerks voted 56-1 on Monday to reject what was called the county’s best contract offer. It warned of Thursday’s work stoppage unless a better proposal was offered.
“We’re going to continue our efforts to seek a contract that’s fair and equitable,” Strohrmann said.
Don’t expect the county to blink first, Soine said.
“We’re not going to bargain under threat of an illegal strike,” Soine said. “We will not knuckle under.”
A group of county officials will review whether any disciplinary action is warranted for the clerks, Soine said.
The clerks have picketed outside of work hours, but didn’t picket Thursday. State law bars public employees from striking.
This type of work stoppage hasn’t been seen in 25 years, said state labor leader Chris Dugovich, AFSCME president and executive director.
“If you’re going to exercise your right to withhold labor, a long-standing right dating back eons, you do that up front,” Dugovich said. “If it’s a strike, it’s a strike.”
There was little obvious difference in the criminal courts Thursday. Judge Ellen Fair spent part of the afternoon taking guilty pleas from a parade of people charged with burglary, drug trafficking, theft and sex offenses.
County Clerk Pam Daniels said she kept her office open using an emergency staffing plan.
“We are taking this one step at a time and stand ready to be open to provide service to the public and court system to the best of our ability,” Daniels said.
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
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