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Law Gives California Court Interpreters Job Rights, Protections
California’s court interpreters are celebrating victory in their long struggle for a law giving them employee status, including collective bargaining rights, cost-of-living raises and health benefits.
The interpreters waited anxiously for weeks after the California Assembly passed the bill to see if Gov. Gray Davis would sign it. He did, but just one day before his deadline.
A major lobbying effort by CWA District 9 was key to the victory, said Mary Lou Aranguren, legislative director for the Bay Area Court Interpreters and the California Federation of Interpreters, both units of The Newspaper Guild-CWA 39521.
The law will affect about 1,000 interpreters statewide, who are collectively fluent in dozens of languages. During a transition period over the next two years, workers will vote on union representation and prepare to bargain a contract.
The bill recognizes that interpreters’ workload has changed dramatically. Years ago, courts needed only sporadic help with languages. “Now court interpretation is such a regular matter of business that interpreters become de facto employees because they’re working all the time,” TNG-CWA President Linda Foley said.
The Guild represents court interpreters in New Jersey and Cook County, Ill., as well as hospital interpreters in Hennepin County, Minn. Those groups now have employee status, and Foley said the new law may help other interpreters get similar recognition.
“It’s picking up some steam,” she said. “The California victory will inspire other court interpreters to look at this as a way to resolve some concerns about their working conditions.”
Foley said it’s also good public policy. By recognizing interpreters as employees, “it boosts the standards and that’s good for society as a whole. It ensures the quality of interpretation in court,” she said.
Though classified as independent contractors, Aranguren described interpreters in California as “day laborers.” While treated as employees when it comes to scheduling and work rules, no such status has applied to raises, benefits and job protections. In fact, she said interpreters have had no cost-of-living increase for 10 years.
“Many interpreters have worked day in and day out in the same courthouse, even in the same courtroom, for years,” she said. “For us, this bill rights a wrong.”
The interpreters waited anxiously for weeks after the California Assembly passed the bill to see if Gov. Gray Davis would sign it. He did, but just one day before his deadline.
A major lobbying effort by CWA District 9 was key to the victory, said Mary Lou Aranguren, legislative director for the Bay Area Court Interpreters and the California Federation of Interpreters, both units of The Newspaper Guild-CWA 39521.
The law will affect about 1,000 interpreters statewide, who are collectively fluent in dozens of languages. During a transition period over the next two years, workers will vote on union representation and prepare to bargain a contract.
The bill recognizes that interpreters’ workload has changed dramatically. Years ago, courts needed only sporadic help with languages. “Now court interpretation is such a regular matter of business that interpreters become de facto employees because they’re working all the time,” TNG-CWA President Linda Foley said.
The Guild represents court interpreters in New Jersey and Cook County, Ill., as well as hospital interpreters in Hennepin County, Minn. Those groups now have employee status, and Foley said the new law may help other interpreters get similar recognition.
“It’s picking up some steam,” she said. “The California victory will inspire other court interpreters to look at this as a way to resolve some concerns about their working conditions.”
Foley said it’s also good public policy. By recognizing interpreters as employees, “it boosts the standards and that’s good for society as a whole. It ensures the quality of interpretation in court,” she said.
Though classified as independent contractors, Aranguren described interpreters in California as “day laborers.” While treated as employees when it comes to scheduling and work rules, no such status has applied to raises, benefits and job protections. In fact, she said interpreters have had no cost-of-living increase for 10 years.
“Many interpreters have worked day in and day out in the same courthouse, even in the same courtroom, for years,” she said. “For us, this bill rights a wrong.”