Northern California Court Interpreters Reach Deal with Courts

Members of the California Federation of Interpreters union picketed in front of the Hall of Justice in San Francisco Nov. 18. Photo by David Bacon.

The California Federation of Interpreters Region 2 announced December 9 that the union, which represents courtroom interpreters in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, had reached an agreement with the courts that calls for raises and the ability to bargain over the impact of Video Remote Interpreting (VRI).

Court interpreters in California bargain regionally. CFI’s Region 2, which extends from the greater Bay Area up to the Oregon border, bargains with Superior Courts in 15 counties at a time. California Certified Court Interpreters provide in-person interpreting and translations in California trial courts.

The tentative agreement between the courts in Region 2 and the California Federation of Interpreters came after interpreters conducted mobilizing events throughout Northern California, including picketing, leafletting and outreach to attorneys, presiding judges and community organizations.

Interpreters and supporters from SEIU and other unions picketed Bay Area courthouses November 18 to raise objections to a proposal by the courts to allow translations through a remote video system. While the courts contend that VRI could cut travel costs for interpreters and increase access to translation services, the court interpreters have pointed out that in-person translation for clients is much more reliable and fair than through a remote video system. The union also expressed concern over the potential loss of jobs through the use of the VRI technology

CFI negotiators reported that, on the issue of Video Remote Interpreting, the courts agreed to a re-opener of the contract on assignment and cross assignment issues, and a delay in any implementation of VRI until after December 31, 2014 rather than a waiver of cross assignment rights. The right to bargain the impacts of VRI on working conditions remains part of the agreement.

The agreement includes a 2 percent wage increase effective October 1, 2014, another 2 percent increase to the base wage effective October 1, 2015; and a $2,500 signing bonus for every single employee—whether full time, part time or intermittent—to be distributed within 45 days of ratification.

The deal also includes a dual language pay differential for interpreters who work in more than one language pair, an increase in the education reimbursement, and the ability to use that reimbursement every two years rather than annually.

CFI represents more than 900 interpreters employed in the state trial courts in four regional bargaining units, and is a unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521, a local union within The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America.

CFI also engages in advocacy on a broad range of issues and has a professional division that provides educational activities for professional interpreters, students, and the bench and bar.