SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento County attorneys find fulfillment in their work bringing justice to the community they represent, but hundreds of them went on strike Monday to demand justice for themselves by way of fair and competitive wages.
"Our experts are leaving to jobs that have better pay and less work," said Matt Chisholm, the president of the Sacramento County Attorneys' Association.
The attorneys on strike represent the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's Office and the Department of Child Support Services.
"The county has been misleading the public that we already received a raise. That so-called raise was only a cost of living adjustment," said Quoc To, a senior attorney with the Public Defender's Office.
The union wants to be clear, they're not looking to get rich.
"We chose this path despite the heavy burden of law school debt and avoiding more lucrative careers because we believe in justice, fairness, dignity for every person, regardless of their means," said To.
District Attorney Thien Ho showed up to a court hearing Monday as the strike was ongoing. He says his attorneys deserve these raises as he's having difficulty retaining and recruiting experienced attorneys.
"I believe and support my attorneys getting the proper benefits and fair wages benefits," said Ho.
A county spokesperson sent ABC10 this statement:
“With top-step annual salaries for our attorneys reaching $247,000 for Principal Attorneys, $225,000 for Level V, and $204,000 for Level IV—well above market averages, even when considering higher-cost areas—our compensation packages, including pensions and benefits, are competitive and generous.
A 19.5–20.5% compensation increase, as opposed to the 14-15% provided as part of the current extension, for one of the County’s highest-paid staff, who also have the lowest vacancy rate, appears counterintuitive given that market data does not support such a raise.”
The union says the county's response is jeopardizing the quality of work they're able to produce.
"The entire criminal justice system is connected, it's all one part. And when you underfund parts, it causes defects elsewhere. It's like a ship with multiple holes. You can plug one hole, but if you don't bring the whole ship up, it's going to sink, and that's what's going on in this county," said John Stoller, a supervising assistant public defender.
The union is asking for at least 5.5% more than what's being offered.
"I'm having issues recruiting and retaining attorneys and we're asking for fair benefits. I'm asking the County CEO to really step up and to sit down and to help resolve this conflict," said Ho.
The Sacramento County Attorneys' Association wants to reiterate they are not short-staffed, but they're lacking seasoned attorneys. As far as how the strike will impact court proceedings, the union says it's still dedicated to its work as public servants.
"We will show up for every trial that's already in progress. We will show up for last day trials, meaning that the accused has a constitutional right to have it within a statutory period, we will show up for the end of that statutory period. We will show up for our last day preliminary hearings," said TeriAnn Grimes, a homicide/cold case prosecutor.
Union representatives say they'll continue to strike until the county comes up with a better offer.
"The union notified the county that its strike starts today, August 26, 2024. The duration of the strike is at the discretion of the union and its leadership. However, County labor staff have offered to meet with SCAA before and during their strike. The County continues to be open to positive dialogue surrounding labor negotiations. In the meantime, the County has contingency plans to assign a limited number of cases to private attorneys on the indigent defense panel. All in-custody arrests will be timely reviewed, and there should be no interruptions to arraignments.
A limited number of attorneys will be working during the strike to ensure the County meets its legal obligations. However, it is also the responsibility of the attorneys to meet their ethical duties to their clients and their commitment to public safety," said a county spokesperson.
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