In two days of tough bargaining last Thursday and Friday, Union and Court negotiators finally reached agreement on an article covering interpreter assignments and on a recognition and jurisdiction clause. The two key agreements clear the way for the two sides to concentrate entirely on economics in the final two days of negotiations. 

Under the new language, employees can expect to remain in pretty much the same position they currently hold. Management has assured the union that the transition will be as “seamless” as possible. If you are assigned a regular position in a courthouse, you won’t be bumped as a result of the contract. The same applies for floaters, both full-time and part-time. New openings in courthouses will be filled by seniority among then-current employees. While still dependent on where the work is, floaters and as-needed employees will be able to exercise more preference over their day-to-day assignments.  

The recognition and jurisdiction clause identifies the union as the exclusive representative of court interpreters in Region 1 and preserves the status of employees by describing the type of work that must be assigned to employees represented by the contract.  

During the meeting, and in what union negotiators hope may have been a bit of divine help in shaking the money tree, the CWA offices in Santa Fe Springs trembled when Thursday’s earthquake struck east of L.A. With your continued support and energy, we will be doing our best to keep that tree shaking in next week’s meetings, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in a downtown location. If we’re successful, our next update will be to announce the place and time for a ratification meeting. 

Cool, huh? 

(Remember, you must be a member in good standing of CFI to vote on a contract offer. Become a member online at www.CFINEWS.org)

Region 1 Bargaining team: