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Updates
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The Updates page is your homebase for keeping informed about various activites, news and events that affect the CFI organization and its members.
Region 2 Bargaining Unit now negotiating contract. Read the updates....
Region 1 Bargaining Unit first at bat negotiating contract that expires June 30, 2008. Read the updates....
What's the Buzz - Issue 3, Feb '08 - Statewide Union Newsletter
Region 1 Update - Romero Meets With Chief Justice On October 30th Senator Romero had a preliminary meeting with Chief Justice Ronald George and other representatives from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)...All four regions will be bargaining new contracts in 2008, and we must establish and strengthen existing relationships with community groups, political leaders and other unions early on to help us build support well before we enter negotiations...Union prevails in two discipline cases, and court withdraws ULP. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Region 2 Bargaining - Tentative 3.5% Wage Increase Your Region 2 Bargaining committee reached a tentative agreement for a wage increase of 3.5% across the board effective October 1, 2007. Our proposal for step increases that would reward experience and service was rejected by the courts. The Region said steps may be considered next year, as our contract is open on all subjects. The Region dropped its proposal to expand our duties requiring that interpreters assist the public outside the courtrooms in locations where we do not normally work. Read more online...
Region 1 Strike Update - Return to Work While full time employees returned to work without incident and were welcomed back by a court system that had sorely missed them, things did not go so smoothly for as-needed interpreters (called F status in LA)... Senator Romero is meeting this week with Chief Justice Ronald M. George and Senator Corbett, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to discuss the strike and the information that came out at the hearings. Read more online...
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #19 - From an Observer in San Fernando Now desperation was in the air, and nearly everywhere. The misdemeanor/arraignment courts were much more packed than yesterday, and apparently had no interpreters- helpless expressions permeated the environment. Read more online...
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin - Senate Hearing In preparation for Monday's Senate Hearing, many of the interpreters you do not see on the picket line are going into various courthouses throughout the county in order to personally observe how the court system is working in our absence. Many of the things our colleagues have observed are chilling. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #18 - Meetings with Attorney General & One Story from Metro In meetings with the Attorney General's office, we were able to provide Mr. Brown and his staff with specific examples of the miscarriages of justice that we have witnessed in courtrooms on cases where the court is using non-certified interpreters or where interpreters are not provided at all. Mr. Brown has agreed to contact the Court to urge a speedy resolution so that interpreters may be back where they belong. Read more online...
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #17 - City Council Passes Resolution This Friday, October 5, 2007, the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution in support of striking court interpreters. Link to watch the video of the support statements, and an excerpt from Tony Cardenas. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #16b - Meeting with Court, Romero Schedules Hearings On Thursday CFI representatives met with Court representatives for the first time since our August mediation. The meeting was arranged by Senator Gloria Romero, head of the Senate Public Safety Committee, who has taken a strong interest in our cause and in resolving the strike. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #16a - Welcome Back Clarke, Road Rage, Price of Respect With our usual banging of drums and other very loud instruments, interpreters staged a percussive opera to welcome back the right hand man of the courts. Coordinators make desperation calls. Although she admits that she wasn't completely in favor of the strike when it began, for Maria Kott—an interpreter with more than 13 years working for the courts—our strike is all about respect. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #15 - Personal Message from Mary Lou Aranguren I started interpreting 16 years ago. I came in as a new interpreter with great expectations and found that my "profession" was a mess. Much like the people we interpret for, we were not respected or valued and that there was no opportunity for advancement. A lot has happened over the past nine years. I would never claim that our efforts have be wholly successful or that we have not made mistakes. I respect my critics and the need to keep evolving and improving. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #14 - CWA Leaders Join Picket Line, Benvenuto Giovanni CWA President Larry Cohen and District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler visited our Pomona picket line on Friday. We're going to welcome our prodigal administrator, John Clarke, back from his vacation in Italy. The Court shorted strikers a day's holiday pay in the checks issued on Friday. Bar hopping & thanks to contributors. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #13 - News Flash from Santa Cruz, La Opinion Hot on the Trail Court employees in Santa Cruz just concluded a contract after a one-day strike, and court reporters were given three pay steps, with employees being slotted in to the grid according to existing seniority. And at least someone in the press is paying attention. On Tuesday, La Opinion ran another story about the effects our strike is having on the system. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #12 - On the Inside, Assembly Speaker Steps Up Read an excerpt from the article in Tuesday's La Opinion, which ran under the headline "Criminal Defendants Set Free." This is the first press report we've seen about the effects of the strike on the courts. A representative of Speaker Nuñez called indicating that the Speaker is prepared to do everything in his power to support us and help resolve this labor dispute, starting with a personal call to Presiding Judge Czuleger. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Region 2 Bargaining - Not Now, Not Next Week, Not Ever! The union and management met for round two of negotiations on Tuesday, September 25th at the AOC offices in San Francisco. From the very beginning it was obvious that the situation in Los Angeles was very much present in the room. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #11 - Donations Pile Up, Portrait of a Striker With 17 years experience working in the court system, Dennis McKenna feels our efforts to secure a salary step system are completely justified. "It's worth it to stick it out, otherwise we have no possibilities," he says. Peeking Inside: This week we're getting more than second-hand reports about what's happening inside. Read more online...
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #10 - President's Message I have never been more proud to be a certified court interpreter and CFI leader than in the last three weeks. The level of unity and camaraderie interpreters have demonstrated every day on the picket line is nothing short of inspiring. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #9 - Clinton at El Monte [He was] visiting an elementary school around the corner from the El Monte Court House. Clinton comes out. He starts walking in our direction. There are secret service men everywhere. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #8 - Clinton at El Monte [He was] visiting an elementary school around the corner from the El Monte Court House. Clinton comes out. He starts walking in our direction. There are secret service men everywhere. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #7 - CFI Lines Hold, and We're not Alone It's scary and it's hard work being on strike, but CFI members and their supporters are proving themselves to be up to the challenge. Support from other unions keeps growing. Los Angeles City Attorney Rockard J. Delgadillo and California Legislators from across the state are urging the LA Courts to return to the bargaining table and give their interpreters a fair contract. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #6 - Breaking News from the Inside In case you are tempted to believe the court's spokesperson about the impact we are having with the strike, take a look at this excerpt from an internal memo we have acquired. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #5 - What's at Stake As we enter the 9th day on the picket lines, let’s be very clear to ourselves and to each other about the stakes in this struggle. And those stakes are high. Our demand is a simple one: Respect. Respect for us, for our union, and for our profession. We are in a historic struggle that will set the tone for our negotiations for years, and perhaps for decades to come. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Region 2 Bargaining - Back at the Table The first session of the final re-opener in our current contract was held Monday September 10th, in Martinez. In addition to wages, each side had the opportunity to propose one economic and one non-economic issue for negotiations. At this first meeting, there was little discussion. Each side exchanged proposals, and some technical points were clarified. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #4 - Who's in Charge? Clarke Heads for the Hills Attorneys continue to tell us that the court system is in chaos. Even some judges are complaining that the Courts have been handling the strike horribly and they are angry that no one prepared them for our action. Speaking of leadership – or the lack thereof – we're told that John Clarke, the Court's head administrator is on vacation in Italy. Fiddling while the courts burn? Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #3 - Legislator Support, Inside the Pressure Cooker Two letters to John Clarke were presented by Assembly Member Mike Eng and Senator Gil Cedillo on the Assembly and Senate floors and signed by many concerned legislators this week. One attorney coming out of the Criminal Courts Building told us “the place is like a funeral home inside; the judges don’t know what to do with the backlog of cases building up.” More support from other unions, and courts make illegal threats. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #2 - Strikers Hang Tough as Union Changes Tactics Make no mistake about it, this is war we are proving ourselves to be formidable foes. RALLY!! Everyone expected: CCB this Friday, 11 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. With 94% of our members holding strong and still honoring the strike, the Courts are scrambling to fill their needs, putting over most cases and even dismissing some. Honorable agencies are refusing to send interpreters across the picket line. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Say What? Region 1 Strike Bulletin #1 - Strikers Strong, Rally Illustrates Support Ours is a righteous cause—and fortunately many other people are starting to see it that way. From politicians, to brother union members, and even to scabs, we have received unexpected and welcome support. On Friday, about 150 interpreters from all the courthouses in Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara met in front of the Criminal Courts Building for a rally and march to Stanley Mosk Plaza by the Civil Court House. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Statewide Update: A lot is happening fast. Here's the latest news on the state budget the JC meeting on a contractors raise, and the coming Strike in LA. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
When the employer unilaterally imposes terms and conditions- we have a parallel right to respond by withdrawing our services. Read the union’s response to LA CEO John Clarke’s announcement of unilateral imposition in Region 1. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - in pdf format.
Region 1 Bargaining Update #8 - 90% Say Strike, Mediation Fruitless
It is no longer a question of “if”, it's now a matter of “when”.
Region 1 Bargaining Update #7 - Of Internal Inequities and Other Falsehoods Court management continues to reject the union proposal to include interpreters in the salary step system that all other employees have. A general meeting to take a strike authorization vote is scheduled for July 28, 2007. Read more online... or download and print the announcement - pdf format.
Region 1 Bargaining Update #6 - No Steps, No Good Reason, No Deal At last week's bargaining session the court made an offer of a 4% wage increase and indicated that was the extent of their economic "authority." Joe Wiley, the Court's negotiator, indicated that this was not the
Region 1 Bargaining Update #5 - Region Not Persuaded and Not Interested In bargaining today the Union made a counter proposal on wages that modified our initial proposal for steps. Our initial proposal included steps that would have brought us to federal parity this year- a 37% increase. Our current proposal bases steps for interpreters on the salary schedules and steps applied to other represented employees. We’ve also proposed a 5% salary increase, or COLA, effective July 1, 2007. Read more...
Memorandum from CFI to region 1 court bargaining committee - in pdf format For old updates from 2006 back to 2002, see the Archive. |
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Region 2 Bargaining Updates 2008
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All Contents Copyright © 2007 California Federation of Interpreters
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