After all the talk about judicial pay raises, Court-o-Rama brings us a post about the bottom of the court system food chain, the court employees.  Before anyone complains about this characterization, the system functions because court officers and clerks exist to do the work that allows judges and lawyers to stroll in and do their job.  Rarely do they receive the appreciation and respect they deserve, and are too often treated like the servants of the system rather than equal cogs in the wheels of justice.  Piss off a court clerk and you will learn how important their role is, as you sit and wait for your case to be called for the next 7 hours.

But if respect is shown in a “material” way, New York court staff just got dissed big time.

Their union just negotiated a 4-year agreement, retroactive to April 2007. The deal increases salaries, improves pay in some areas, enhances longevity bonuses (we don’t quite know what these are, but it sounds like a euphemism for gray hairs — “this light really brings out my longevity bonuses!”), improves payments to the Employee Benefit Fund and Labor-Management programs (?), and increases funding for body armor.

So, they may not be able to afford college for their kids, but at least they’ll be bullet-proof!

The raise amounts to 3% per year (starting in 2007), with 4% in 2010. Basically, this equals a cost of living allowance (or COLA).

If my calculations are right, this means four years will pass during which the staff will essentially tread water.  At least the cost of gasoline isn’t going up, right?

One might wonder what the union has to say about this?  Hard bargaining year in light of the pressures on the system for judicial pay?  Bad economy?  Lousy timing?  Do they apologize to their 6000 union member for having let them down?

“CSEA and the Unified Court System have reached a fair and responsible agreement that recognizes the value and importance of the court employees who make the system work every day,” said CSEA President Danny Donohue. “These were challenging negotiations and I am extremely proud of the focus and commitment of the CSEA bargaining team.”

Extremely proud of what, not having given back salary increases since 1967 or cut staffing by 32%?  With a union negotiation like this, the court staff are lucky they aren’t required to carry the judge into the courtroom on a gilded divan. 

And what is it about bullet-proof vests that cause negotiators to seek constant upgrades?  They’re hot, bulky and uncomfortable, and they cost a lot of money.  Sure, they tend to be an easy “get” since the other side would hate to argue against them and then have someone killed for lack of a vest.  But do the officers really want to latest fashion in vests as opposed to a salary increase?  Maybe they do, but I somehow suspect that last year’s vest would have been just fine in exchange for a little more cash.

While some might be inclined to say that if judges get no raise, and indigent counsel get no increase, and legal fees for criminal defense lawyers remain flat, why should court employees do better.  I don’t.  Each of these things are entirely independent, and I take no pleasure in seeing the staff barely keep apace of the cost of living.

In other words, what a lousy deal.  You guys need a better union.