CFI :: Region 1 Strike Bulletin #10

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. Being on strike together for thirteen days has changed the nature of our relationships forever. For many years we have been co-workers, colleagues and, often, friends. Now we are also comrades in battle, bound together in this struggle that will change the course of our profession.

When we made the decision to go out on strike to demand a salary that reflects the respect we deserve as professionals and recognizes the invaluable public service we provide, we knew it would be a hard fight. We fully expected management's entrenched mentality and lack of appreciation for the job we do. But we didn't anticipate that the judges would allow the non-English speaking public to suffer needlessly, and for so long, just so they can keep interpreter wages down. That is just incomprehensible.

Despite the court's rhetoric and assurances that all is well, we know otherwise. We know that every day we are out on the picket line instead of in court, the cases are piling up and that justice is not being served, either for the public or for us. And while we are hearing of a few interpreters buckling under the strain of being out on strike, the vast majority of us are holding the line. The court's attitude has served only to galvanize us and strengthen our resolve. Very, very few have weakened and gone back to work. Interpreters everywhere, employees and independent contractors alike, understand that we are engaged in an epic battle over the direction our profession will take and that this strike is about much more than wages.

Interpreters can take immense pride in the fact that we have already proven the courts wrong on almost every preconceived notion they had about us. In many ways we have already won. We have demonstrated that we are strong, we are united, and we are committed. We are out picketing every day without fail and each one of us will carry within ourselves our own perspective and memory of our time on the picket line: The first time we turned away a UPS truck; the bright umbrellas that say "ON STRIKE;" the masses of the color orange at the Friday rallies; the sound of the whistles, chants and our very own drum line keeping the beat of the strike going...as Gershwin once said; "They can't take that away from me."

Even with all this solidarity there is no denying that this is where it gets tough. We must each ask ourselves how we want to look back on this extraordinary time in our lives. Do we want to be able to look back with pride and say; "I was part of something bigger than myself and I am proud to have stuck it out and made a difference in so many peoples' lives?" Or will we look back and say; "If I had stayed out and supported my interpreter brothers and sisters just a little longer, how much more could we have accomplished?"

It is only fair to acknowledge that it is tempting and easy to give in to fear and uncertainty, but even those among us who thought they would only be able to stay out a few days are telling us: "The stakes are too high, we have too much invested and we must see this through." In an email circulated by some of our colleagues, the refrain "The time is now" was especially resonant. And they are right. The time is now for us to support each other and find ways to keep those who are struggling afloat until we reach solid ground. The time is now to go the distance and make our sacrifice meaningful.

When we all decide that we have accomplished what we set out to do and that the time has come for us to go back to work, we will go into the courtroom holding our heads up high knowing that the judges and administration will finally understand that we are not so easily replaced after all. And that, my friends, is no small feat.

President's Message