“The Gloves Are Off” Says SEIU 721 President David Green Vowing That “Ventura County’s Entire Judicial System Will Be Shut Down, from Ventura to Oxnard to Simi Valley” as Court Workers Demand a Stop to Widespread Court Mismanagement & Repeated Labor Law Violations
VENTURA COUNTY – Ventura Superior Court employees are expected to announce overwhelming support for an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike authorization vote as they descend on the Government Center in a strong show of union power starting today at 11:30 AM.
“The Court’s law-breaking and the CEO’s mismanagement have got to stop and we’re ready to strike,” said David Green, SEIU 721 President and Executive Director. “The gloves are off. Our union members are the backbone of our judicial system — serving as interpreters, administering jury duty, helping manage our Courts as judicial clerks and so much more. When we go on a ULP Strike and our members stop work, that means Ventura County’s entire judicial system will be shut down, from Ventura to Oxnard to Simi Valley.”
Ventura Superior Court workers have never gone on strike. All of the represented Court workforce would be included and impact almost all judicial services in the County’s 2,208 square mile service area.
WHO: Ventura County Superior Court Workers Who Are Members of SEIU 721 and SEIU 721 President David Green, Community and Labor Union Allies
WHAT: Ventura Superior Court Workers to Announce Overwhelming “YES” Vote for ULP Strike in Massive Show of Force
WHEN: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 11:30 AM
WHERE: Ventura County Government Center Hall of Justice, Courtyard between Hall of Administration and Hall of Justice, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009
VISUALS: Ventura County Superior Court workers will gather outside the Court with noisemakers and colorful signs and banners that include signs that read “ULP Strike Ready” and “Stop Breaking the Law”.
PARKING: Media may park TV trucks in the three-hour parking lot closest to the Hall of Administration.
BACKGROUND:
SEIU 721 is demanding that LA County management honor all aspects of their union contract. The union has already filed several ULP charges against Ventura Superior Court for serious union-busting issues including:
- Unilateral change to dress code policy (members can no longer wear union lanyards, badge reels, badge holders)
- Refusal to release the bargaining team despite past practice
- Imposing remote work policy with waiver on union rights
Ventura County Court management is continually demonstrating a nonchalant attitude toward their professional mission – which is to preserve our Court system, not preside over its deterioration. While cutting staffing drastically, management also has eroded working conditions to the point where what little recruitment does take place ends up failing.
SEIU 721 members from the Ventura County Superior Court descended on the Government Center on September 22 for an informational picket to sound the alarm on gross mismanagement by new Court CEO Kathryn “Kate” Bieker. Since she assumed the role in April 2025, working conditions for SEIU 721 members at the Court have taken a sharp nosedive. On the heels of a member worksite survey showing that 97% of workers think that things have worsened over the past year and that 78% of respondents have considered quitting, the union sent an open letter to Court leadership citing CEO Bieker’s poor performance leading up to her renewal at the end of the year.
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Contact: Roxane Marquez, roxane.marquez@seiu721.org, (213) 705-1078
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