MARTINEZ — Contra Costa Superior Court interpreters walked off the job Thursday to protest alleged unfair labor practices related to increased pension costs.
California Federation of Interpreters Local 39000 represents 139 certified court interpreters working in a region that stretches along the coast from Monterey county north to the Oregon border, including the nine Bay Area counties. Over the past two weeks, interpreters have staged similar one-day strikes in San Francisco, Alameda and San Mateo counties.
Although it is unclear how the absence of the 13 interpreters who work in Contra Costa affected court operations Thursday, a regional strike could cripple the courts. The union expects to conclude voting Friday on whether to call a strike in all 13 counties that employ court interpreters.
The union and the courts have been engaged in contract negotiations since last summer, unable to agree on salary increases. Currently, state superior court interpreters are paid about $36 per hour, but their benefits vary depending upon the court where they work. By comparison, federal court interpreters make about $52 per hour, according to the union.
To compensate for an increase in the employees’ pension contribution, the union is asking for a 25 percent raise over three years. Other superior court employees — including court reporters and clerks — have received raises that offset their additional pension costs, according to Mary Lou Aranguren, an Alameda County Superior Court interpreter and statewide union bargaining coordinator.
The union also wants a pay scale that reflects experience in the field and years of service with the state courts.
“The real issue here is that the courts have consistently treated interpreters differently and ‘less than’ other court employees, and we’re also grossly underpaid for our skills,” Aranguren said. “We’re just not recognized as a professional group that warrants professional pay and we’ve been marginalized for years.”
Under the court’s last offer, interpreters would receive a 15 percent raise over three years. The court also has proposed replacing the flat pay rate with a progressive salary structure that would pay interpreters based upon seniority and tenure, according to Michael Yuen, chairman of region two of the California Superior Courts.
Both sides acknowledge that the courts often rely on contractors due to a shortage of certified interpreters on staff. Contract interpreters can earn from $600 to $800 per day, Yuen said, while employees typically make about $300. The union contends that the court’s contract offer will make it more difficult to retain current employees and recruit new interpreters.
Court interpreters are an integral part of the judicial system, particularly in the ethnically diverse Bay Area where many people speak a foreign language and are not proficient in English.
“Those are the folks that are hurt the most by an interpreters’ strike,” Yuen said.
“The fact that they cannot have their matter heard when they’re scheduled to is a real inconvenience and a real disservice to them,” he added.
Aranguren said she and her colleagues regret any inconvenience the walkouts have caused.
“We care a lot about the services we provide to the public,” she said. “This is hard on our people financially and we would much rather be in court working.”