CFI:: Region 2 Bargaining Update-Sep 25, 2005

September 25, 2005

Many of you have been asking what is new with our contract negotiations. The short answer is nothing. The mediator said she sees no point in reconvening until one of the parties has a new proposal that will move us toward settlement, so we will have another session when either party has a new proposal to make. As reported in our last update three weeks ago, at our last mediation session of August 30, your bargaining team made a good faith settlement proposal to the Region 2 Courts. It was a rock bottom proposal that stripped away every non-essential item in our contract, and then some. We demonstrated we are ready to reach an agreement, but an acceptable agreement must address interpreters' legitimate needs and interests- and the benefits that will come with a contract are not the only need interpreters have. The Region needs to come to terms with that fact. If they would think about it for a minute they might even realize that addressing our needs and interests is also beneficial to the Courts. Fair treatment and reasonable working conditions will bring them a stable and available pool of professional interpreters- and provide accurate interpreting and true access to the courts. Hmmm... interesting concept.

Based on information received this week, it seems the Region continues to prefer non-certified interpreters and price gauging contractors to the hard working employees who serve them day in and day out around the Bay Area. Despite the lack of progress in mediation, there are a few things we would like you to know about.

1) We are waiting for lists to be produced by the Region regarding the full and part time offers to be made in each court. They told the mediator they would be providing that info and this week we reminded them.

2) In the last two weeks the press covered the serious shortage of certified interpreters available to meet the courts' growing needs. A blue ribbon state commission on access to justice issued a report called "Language Barriers to Justice." The reports finding and recommendations, including increasing compensation, were covered in the San Jose Mercury News, the Sacramento Bee and the National Law Journal, among others, and several mentioned our unresolved negotiations.

3) The public employment relations board issued two more complaints against Region 2 for more unfair labor practices: 1) 33 separate violations of union rights and retaliation against interpreters in Marin for exercising those rights; and 2) violating certification and good cause rules by using an unregistered language line interpreter in a criminal proceeding when a qualified employee was available (Alameda County charge filed by the Union in June). We have filed several more unfair labor practice charges and expect complaints to be issued soon on those. We are also preparing to file several additional charges.

4) We have just received information from the courts documenting serious mismanagement of public funds in Santa Clara and more statutory violations surrounding the contracting of interpreters at inflated rates (up to $1000/day) for a long, multi-defendant preliminary hearing in Santa Cruz. The case, known as the "Honda Express," is the result of a lengthy investigation and mass arrest related to a stolen car chop shop.

5) Last week the presiding judge of each Region 2 court received the attached information packet regarding team interpreting, with a cover letter from CFI president Silvia Barden. This packet will be available at our conference in SF, Oct. 8 & 9. They will also be hearing from experts in the field of interpreting on this issue.

6) The bargaining committee will be calling interpreters over the next ten days to discuss the status of our negotiations with each of you individually. Please be expecting their call. We will also be holding meetings around the Region and at our conference October 8 and 9, 2005.