On June 26, 2024, UPE and Sacramento Superior Court continued their meet and confer over the planned reorganization of the Family Law Legal Process Unit (FLLP). As a reminder, the Court plans to split FLLP into two units under separate supervisors. One unit will be dedicated to front-office duties involving the public, and the other will focus on back-office duties that do not require interaction with the public in the lobbies. As a part of this reorganization, the Court is reducing the number of people allowed off in the back-office unit from 1.5 to 1 and in the FCS clerical unit from 1.5 to 1.
The Court claims the reductions are needed to help cover the workload and allow FCS to catch up on a backlog of notices for mediation. However, the Court did not know what the FCS backlog was, nor did they present any evidence that FLLP work was not being done. In addition, the Court will still have 34 staff between FCS and FLLP. All FLLP staff are or will be cross-trained to cover for each other, and all the FLLP back office will be cross-trained to cover FCS. There is more than ample coverage to allow a half-day off for the back-office staff and a half-day off for the FCS staff. In addition, the need in FCS is so critical, why doesn’t the Court hire more clerks for FCS or offer more overtime? Their solution will hurt the workers in FCS and FLLP significantly more than it would ever help with the supposed backlog.
The only logical conclusion is that the Court simply wants to reduce the availability of vacation slots. Not for work-related reasons but because they can. Because they want to remind staff that they are in control. UPE did not agree to these changes at the meet and confer and declared an impasse in the negotiations. UPE will continue to fight for our members over these issues.