Service Employees International Union v. Superior Court

The basic issue presented by this appeal is whether employees who serve the superior court in Santa Clara County are employees of the court or of the county.

The Service Employees International Union, Local 715, AFL-CIO (union or petitioner) petitions this court for a writ of mandate requiring the Superior Court for the County of Santa Clara and its clerk, John Kazubowski (respondents) “to comply with the memorandum of understanding negotiated between the County of Santa Clara and the Petitioner Service Employees International Union, Local 715, and to refrain from exercising authority vested by the Charter of the County of Santa Clara and the Personnel Board of the County of Santa Clara, and to refrain from exercising or attempting to exercise the authority of the Personnel Director and employer/employee relations representatives of the County of Santa Clara in dealings with Service Employees International Union, Local 715 AFL-CIO.”

The petition is filed in this court in the first instance as the lowest level court having jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter. No objection is made to this court’s jurisdiction. On May 25, 1982, the alternative writ…