CFI :: Region 2 Bargaining Update

We¹re not sure, exactly, why Region negotiators were a bit grumpy on Thursday, but they were.

The first bargaining session after our strike included: An agreement on a key provision that gives protections concerning the assignment of interpreter work to bargaining unit employees; accord on an article calling for at least one day of training with an experienced interpreter before a new employee is thrown into a courtroom situation; a concession by the court that will provide interpreters with equal work or pay if the home court denies a full- or partial-day cross assignment opportunity; and one gigantic blowup. But more on that later.

First, we want to congratulate and thank each and every one of you for our very successful unfair labor practice strike. There can be no doubt in anyone¹s mind that we are united in our willingness to make personal sacrifices in the pursuit of fair treatment and a contract we can live with. Whether it was enough to finish the deal remains to be seen. If it wasn¹t, we know we can count on you to do what¹s necessary to motivate the courts to bargain in good faith - like they apparently are in other regions. In Southland Regions 1 and 4, interpreters are very close to a full contract. In those places, only wages and part-timer benefits separate the two sides. In those places, meaningful dialogue continues in an effort to break the logjam.

So, what¹s so wrong in Region 2? Management.

Region 2 presents a unique set of circumstances because of the number of counties in the region and because interpreters are assigned and cross assigned differently than they are in the other regions. In this region, we have more part-time and as-needed employees; many more cross assignments; and a more pronounced shortage of certified interpreters. In fact, an analysis of data provided by the region revealed that of the nearly 18,000 assignments given to contractors over the past two years, over 80% went to non-certified and non-registered interpreters. Management here has consistently refused to acknowledge those differences. Instead, they want us to jump into a one-size-fits-all suit that may feel okay in the south, but pinches in a lot of the wrong places here.

If all that weren¹t bad enough, Region 2 management has apparently decided that the best way to bargain over the major issues is to just say no and then refuse to listen to union negotiators when they try to explain the reasons it won¹t work here.

Which brings us back to the blowup: To set the stage, please picture a long day in which Court negotiator Joe Wiley never missed an opportunity to expound at length on the superiority of the court¹s positions or to lecture the Union team on how to do their job. It was against that backdrop that, late in the day, Union chief negotiator Mary Lou Aranguren spent some time articulating the Union¹s position on portions of the cross-assignment article. Instead of listening to Aranguren, Wiley spent the time nurturing his exasperation at the fact that he was being forced to sit quietly while someone else spoke. When Aranguren finished, a visibly agitated Wiley launched a tirade during which he informed her that she needs to ³speak faster² and ³use less words.² That was enough for our Mary Lou, who, until then, had spoken to Court negotiators in quiet and respectful tones. She announced her return volley by slamming her pen on the table, after which she opened up with all guns blazing. When the fireworks died down, it was the unanimous decision of the Union negotiating team (And, we suspect, the court team, too.) that our side had won the engagement both in terms of intensity and in being right.

After an Aranguren-ordered time out, the sides got back together for one last proposal from the Union before breaking for the day.

The bad news is that even though we¹ve offered to bargain every single day, including weekends, we have no more bargaining sessions scheduled until next Thursday. The good news is that we are also scheduled for Friday. We can only hope that there is a change of attitude on the Court side by then so we can do some real negotiating instead of adding more fuel to an already volatile situation.

Hang in there. We¹re doing our very best to get us there, and with your continued strong support we are confident that we can reach an agreement.