On November 30, 2023, UPE met with the Sacramento Superior Court regarding their plan to convert Deputy Clerks (DCs) at the Business Services Center and Records Retention to a new classification, “Distribution and Retention Clerk.” This new classification would only apply to the DCs working at these locations. The Court does not intend to reclassify the DC IVs at these locations. After questioning by UPE, the Court explained the change was needed because the DC class specifications do not accurately reflect the duties of workers at these locations. These members work in a much more physically demanding job than DCs who work inside Courthouses. They deal with large files, heavy boxes, and specialized equipment. As a result, the Court experiences difficulty when trying to fill vacancies at these locations. As they explained, when prospective hires learn about the nature of the job, they often withdraw themselves from the hiring process.
UPE looked deeply at the new class specifications and raised questions about some of the proposed duties. In particular, the new class specifications appear to add new requirements and new equipment for members to use. For instance, the class specifications referred to the use of a forklift and a flatbed truck. Neither of these are currently used by members in these jobs. The Court clarified that this was an error and agreed to remove them. UPE’s goal was to ensure that the new class specifications accurately reflected the duties these members performed. UPE also made it clear that we believe the lead classification should also be changed.
The Court’s justification for reclassifying the DCs is that the DC specifications do not fit what the workers actually do. The same thing can be said about the DC IV class specifications. DC IVs at RRC and BSC do not do the same job as a DC IV working at FRC or any other courthouse.
UPE asked for another meeting to research the new job specifications further and ensure our members in these positions are properly classed. The parties will meet again on December 15, 2023.
UPE would like to thank our Court Office Technical governing board members, Alison Saltonstall, Christina Arcuri, Nancy Wallace, Julie Valdivia, Liz Teklinsky and Paul McGee, and UPE members Desmond Henderson and Tracey Ward for their participation and advocacy.
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