California Federation of Interpreters

Update on Region 1 Bargaining Session

August 23, 2017, Airport Courthouse

Your Region 1 Bargaining Committee met with Management from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Courts and reached Tentative Agreements on two proposed minor corrections to Articles 25 and 4.  We’re on our way! 

We received substantive proposals from the Region on several articles including, Seniority, Employee Benefits, Employment Status, Grievance Procedure, and Leaves of Absence.  Several requests for information (RFIs) were made on our part to further understand the proposals and to more effectively respond to them. 

In addition to the Bargaining Committee Members and attorneys, we had an observer present. Thank you Claudia Pettit (F Status) for your participation and support!

We encourage and invite all of our colleagues (A, C, F, and OTS) to participate in future sessions.  Our next session will take place at the Airport Courthouse on Tuesday, August 29th.

Your CFI bargaining team,

Doris Vick
Pedro Ramirez
Daniel Kaufman
Roberto Guerrero
Michael Ferreira
Kathleen Sinclair Alternate
Caren Senser from the law firm of Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld.
 

Local 39000 Update

August 21, 2017

Annual Conference
 
Please continue to sign-up to attend the Annual Conference – the link is here: CFI Conference 2017

 
Request for Strike Authorization
 
Staff Representatives Mary Lou Aranguan and Anabelle Garay have asked that the Local seek Strike Authorization for both Regions 2 and 3.  Our paperwork is wending its way to TNG and then to CWA President Chris Shelton.
 
Stand with your Region 1 Bargaining Committee:
 
Our unity is our strength. By presenting a united front before the administration, we show our power and resolve. If you're concerned about the current state of our profession, and you want to see advances that are long-overdue: WE NEED YOU! F-status, OTS, A-floaters, everyone! Yes, that means you.

It was great to see several of our colleagues present in solidarity at our first bargaining session. We're looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at future sessions, the locations of which we'll pass along as soon as they're confirmed by administration.

The following dates have been confirmed for bargaining at the LAX Airport courthouse:

• 8/23: Wednesday | 10:00am | 2nd floor conference room, next to Sheriff's Dept offices

• 8/29: Tuesday | 10:00am | 2nd floor conference room, next to Sheriff's Dept offices

Even if you suspect your RTOs might be rejected, please submit them! It'll send a strong message if large numbers of our ranks are requesting these days off in advance to support our Bargaining Committee.

If you have any questions, and to confirm your participation, please contact Diana Pasillas at:
[email protected]

We’ll see you at the negotiating table! :)  Submitted by Daniel Kaufman for the R1 Bargaining Committee.
 
CWA STRONG Training
 
Please save the date(s):
Southern California September 23rd & October 21st (added date)
Northern California September 30th


Sincerely,
 
Carrie Biggs-Adams
Temporary Administrator
 

Updated Update– August 15

CWA Convention Report:

After our weekly Update had gone to be processed for distribution on Monday, we got Delegate Juan Ramirez’ report. You can read his impressions of the gatherings, and hear how he stepped up to interpret for the delegates from UPAGRA in Puerto Rico – when interpretation was not scheduled.

It is now posted on the website at these links:

Delegate’s Report 

Resolution on Certified Interpreters

Appeal Recommendation

CWA Convention Photo 1

CWA Convention Photo 2

CWA STRONG Training:

With the passage of new legislation in California (it was attached to the State Budget), all public sector unions are entitled to have a representative present at new employee orientation.  Combined with CWA Strong (which has one aspect focusing on getting non-members to join the union) it is a great time to have a training and plan how we are going to do the work.

All stewards must attend one of these sessions.  All members who are interested in participating – helping build up membership and stronger bargaining by building better communication among members of the bargaining unit – are very much welcome to join us.

SAVE The Dates: 

Saturday September 23rd  - Southern California – District 9 10 am – 4pm (lunch included)
12215 N. Telegraph Road Suite 210 Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

Saturday September 30th – Northern California – 10a – 4pm Location to be Announced

Sincerely,

Carrie Biggs-Adams
Temporary Administrator
 

Local 39000 Update

August 14, 2017

TNG Conference and CWA Convention

We had expected a report from Local 39000 Delegate Juan Ramirez and have not yet received one.  So here is what I have heard: 

  1. Mr. Ramirez did attend both the meetings in Pittsburgh. 
  2. At the TNG Conference his resolution urging the use of certified interpreters was passed by the Conference.
  3. At the CWA Convention, Mr. Ramirez initially brought forward an appeal of the decision by CWA to place the Local in Temporary Administration, he later withdrew that appeal and the issue is now closed.
  4. Neither Mr. Ramirez or anyone else brought forward an appeal of issue of then Local President Torrone going to Paris and the expenses for that trip.  That matter is now closed and the Local will move forward on restitution.
  5. Mr. Ramirez initially raised appeal of the recent National Trial Body decision about the expulsion from membership, as well as the order to pay restitution.   Since he was not a party to the case, and did not represent the individuals who were tried, he could not represent their interests and that case will remain pending until the CWA Presidents’ Meeting in June of 2018.
  6. CWA delegates passed the CWA Strong resolution – focusing on strengthening the membership of the Union especially in open shops.  We have been advised that we will be able to get some funding to assist us in outreach to non-members and new hires.

When we hear more from Mr. Ramirez about the Conference and Convention we will pass it along to you.

 CFI Conference – Registration is OPEN

2017 is Northern California’s year to host the annual CFI Conference and it has been booked for Oakland Airport Hilton from Friday October 6th through October 8th. 

Great speakers have been lined up including: Jeff Adachi, Virginia Valencia, Holly Mikkelson, Athena Matilsky, Agustin de la Mora, Daniel Tamayo, and more.

 You can register here.

Rates have been held at the 2014 level. Rates include all meals, and there will be no late fees.

The leadership of TNG made a commitment to the former local officers to hold the event this fall and we are following through with that.  You have a great opportunity to see old friends, get CIMCE credits, and enjoy some time away from work with other interpreters.

 

 
 

Update - Regions 2 and 3

 

Santa Cruz and Mendocino Work Actions

COASTAL NORTHERN CA (Aug 1, 2017)_ Your staff interpreter colleagues in Santa Cruz and Mendocino were walked out on both ends of Region 2 yesterday to protest unilateral changes in pension contributions and the Region's refusal to bargain over the increases.

The Santa Cruz one-day, unfair labor practice (ULP) protest was called to highlight the Court's recent decision  to unilaterally impose changes in benefits that will mean a 3.7% cut in take home pay for Santa Cruz interpreters.  Mendocino cut the staff interpreter's paycheck by 7.8% in October by unilaterally implementing the pension changes.  

Other court employees in the majority of Region 2 courts received wage increases to offset increased benefit costs, but the Region 2 courts refuse to do the same for interpreters.

The Union filed a ULP charge and the Public Employment Relations Board issued a complaint against the Region for refusing to bargain over similar changes in Santa Clara, Marin, Contra Costa and San Mateo. The charge was amended to include the Santa Cruz changes.

This unequal treatment is the reason our wage growth has lagged so far behind other court workers. This affects all of us because staff interpreter pay and the official Judicial Council per diem affect the entire market for our services. The official contractor pay rate has not gone up since 2007. We are all being undervalued by the California trial courts and we will all benefit from uniting in support for fair compensation.

 

Sacramento and San Joaquin Interpreters Picket
Defend Language Access; Protest Pay Inequities

SACRAMENTO, CA (July 30, 2017)_ After a year of negotiations and three-months of delay since the last bargaining session, a mediation session this Wednesday in Sacramento provides one more chance for Region 3 and CFI to reach a settlement that your bargaining team can recommend for ratification. 

Interpreters rejected a Last Best and Final Offer presented by the Region last March and the Courts' negotiator refused to consider a counter proposal from the Union in May. Interpreters met to discuss the issues in June and voted to authorize a strike with participating interpreters voting 100% in favor.

At issue are wages and proposals by the Region to deteriorate employee rights. The proposals would allow courts to waive the use of staff interpreters, and make it harder to protect our work. Several  proposals would make it easier for Courts to use unqualified interpreters by eliminating members' rights to challenge bad practices that are contrary to the Judicial Council's statewide Language Access Plan. 

Court Interpreters Walk Out in 4 Counties
Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa and Marin

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 30, 2017) _ Region 2 court interpreters walked off the job mid-morning Friday to rally in San Francisco at Judicial Council headquarters. Dozens of interpreters joined the protest, chanting, “1-2-3-4 we won’t take it anymore, 5-6-7-8 JCC Discriminates!” 
 
After nearly a year without a contract, the protest was held to bring attention to the Region's unfair labor practices and demand that the Judicial Council address unequal pay and the compensation system that results in disparate impacts on court interpreters, and undermines justice for the immigrant communities that rely on language access daly in our courts.

Colleagues who work for the courts as independent contractors joined the protest to show unity in our common cause for pay and compensation that matches our professional skills.

San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi came out to march in solidarity with interpreters.

Adachi said his office now sends lawyers to immigration court where interpretation standards are much lower, and clients don't receive simultaneous interpretation of the entire proceeding. He pledged his support in our struggle for fair wages and in the fight against what he called "cheap justice."

We know we can count on Adachi as an ally in our efforts to defend high standards for language access in California's trial court

 

R2: Unexpected Return to Bargaining Table

In a positive development, the Region asked CFI’s bargaining committee to return to the table after last week’s mediation failed to yield an agreement, and on Thursday the parties confirmed a meeting for Friday afternoon. 

Both sides came back to the table motivated to reach a settlement on outstanding issues. Several non-controversial, non-economic issues were cleared up, and both sides offered compromise positions on other issues, including a conceptual agreement to resolve the two step advancement issues. 
 
While these developments are encouraging, a number of sticking points remain, significantly that the Region wants a longer agreement and the Union is unwilling to extend the term with interpreters getting zero in wage relief for the past year. The Region is also holding up an agreement, inexplicably, over a proposal to deteriorate current terms for night court pay that the Region had not previously made clear, as would be expected, by showing strike through of existing language in a written proposal. 
 
The Region did not make a written proposal Friday, did not come to the table with authority to fully resolve outstanding issues, and was not able to offer bargaining dates this week. As a result the Union said it will forge ahead with plans for work actions while strike plans are finalized.  
 
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