Thread: Court interpreters walk out over wages in 3 California Co's

Why should we be in need of all these interpreters in the first place????? Geeez!!!!!!!

Court interpreters walk out over wages in 3 California counties
09/05/07 09:37:17
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More than 400 court interpreters walked off their jobs Wednesday at courthouses in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

The walkout began at 8 a.m. with striking interpreters, picketing five Los Angeles County courthouses, blowing whistles and chanting "No equal treatment."

Some of the estimated 75 striking interpreters at the downtown criminal courthouse hoisted signs reading "Interpret this."

County court spokeswoman Patricia Kelly said the walkout wasn't disrupting court business.

"All of our courtrooms are operating normally today and we don't anticipate anything other than that," she said.

The California Federation of Interpreters, representing the striking workers, said low wages and poor working conditions have led to a shortage of courtroom interpreters.

The federation said there is a shortage of 20 to 40 interpreters each day in Los Angeles. Additionally, according to the union, wages are a third to half what interpreters are paid by other employers.

"Interpreters have only had two cost-of-living increases in eight years," federation chief Silvia Barden said in a statement. "We're excluded from the salary step system other employees have that provides regular increases based on years of service."

Salary proposals wouldn't impact the county budget because significant increases for interpreters have already been allocated, the union said.

The interpreters, who want a step salary system giving them a 5 percent raise each year for seven years, have been negotiating over pay since May.

http://www.fresnobee.com/384/story/129877.html

cvangel...you can thank Bill Clinton for all of this. He stayed up all night on his last day in the WH and this is one of his legacies to us...the Tower of Babel Executive Order. If he gets another 4 or eight years, I wonder what else he has in store for us!