Nearly a dozen Manteca courthouse staff members walked off their jobs for a brief time Friday morning to demonstrate their discontent with county government and proposed furlough days.

The court workers had opted earlier to take Wednesdays as furlough days to help with the budget until their union contract expired on Oct. 31.  Talks were underway in Stockton Friday between a Service Employees International Union team and county negotiators, according to union business representative Pat Jackson.

Jackson, who was in front of the courthouse during the brief walkout Friday, said the staffers are being asked to take the 24 furlough days during the coming year and 16 unpaid holidays.

She added that the group’s cost of living adjustment had already been deferred from 2009 to 2010.  

The women, who had walked out of the building for just 15 minutes, voiced objections to the county using retired judges on the bench saying there was not enough work to keep the assigned judges busy.  They claimed those who had retired are working three weeks out of the month and being paid $750 a day.

The retired judges still on the bench are Steven Demetras, Ed Lacy, Jim Cadle, James Hammerstone, Michael Garrigan and Duane Martin.

The group chided county plans to have them take the 24 days of furlough time when the judges are exempt in addition to wanting to build two new buildings.They said a judge will often leave the court at 2:30 in the afternoon with nothing more to do on site.