Court Recording Monitors Ratify Agreement with Judicial Branch

Court Recording Monitors of AFSCME Local 749 voted on May 19th to ratify a tentative contract agreement with the Judicial Branch.

Members approved the agreement by a margin of 91%. The agreement, which secures transcript work for court recording monitors and protects the integrity of the record for the public, will be sent to the Branch for implementation. 

"Reaching this agreement was a very strenuous process, but well worth it," said Sabrina Agbede, member of the negotiations committee. "I believe it is a necessary step to preserving the work we do as well as opening the doors for opportunities of advancement right in our own department." 

Just a few years ago, court recording monitors were fighting off efforts by the Judicial Branch to outsource their work to private companies. This tentative contract agreement not only protects against privatization of court transcripts, but also provides growth for their job classification such as training, additional hours, and transfer opportunities. In addition, it also gives all court recording monitors transparency on assignments.

Council 4 Staff Representative Tricia Johnson served as the Local Union’s spokesperson throughout negotiations. Negotiations committee members included Local 749 President Ron Nelson, and court recording monitors: Sabrina Agbede, Colleen Birney, Lisa Franchina, Maggie White, Lisa Feiler and Sotonye Otunba-Payne.

"This agreement has been an ongoing issue for over a decade," said Local 749 President, Ron Nelson. "Both the Union and the Branch worked hard and came to a resolution that benefits our members for years to come."

AFSCME Local 749 represents approximately 200 court recording monitors in the Judicial Branch. The local union also represents other Judicial Branch Employees in Administrative Services, Court Support Services, External Affairs, Information Technology, and Superior Court Operations Divisions in addition to employees at Division of Criminal Justice and Division of Public Defender Services and the Commission on Child Protection.

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