GET THE INFORMATON STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
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READ THESE MESSAGES FROM L&I
Interpreters are highly educated professionals with excellent language skills. They don't need anyone to "explain" L&I's messages to them. They can read them themselves and come to their own conclusions.
- 2019-03-21 L&I announces its decision to distribute interpreting appointments through an online scheduling system.
- 2019-04-05 L&I hosts meetings with interpreters to gather feedback about online scheduling.
- 2019-05-29 L&I launches a survey about a future scheduling system.
- 2019-06-21 L&I confirms the existence of a dual system (online scheduling + direct billing) in accordance with Senate Bill 6245.
- 2019-07-24 L&I issues a Request For Proposal (RFP) to find a company for an online scheduling system.
- 2020-03-04 HB 2691 amends RCW 41.56.510 to require all state agencies to report to the legislature about their progress with the procurement reform required by 2018 SB 6245 by December 1, 2020. WA Interpreters, a non-profit corporation, tried but failed to restrict health benefits to a small number of interpreters by asking a legislator to amend the bill. Read page 1, 2, 3 and 4 of WA Interpreters' failed amendement that was never even recorded by the legislature.
- 2020-03-23 My Language Link from Connecticut is announced as the apparent successful bidder. Its scheduling software system is called InterpretingWorks. Read the contract here. Don't confuse it with CTS Language Link, a company headquartered in Vancouver, WA, which is one of the two remote interpreting vendors (Lionbridge is the other one) for L&I under the DES contract #02819.
- 2020-03-25 L&I reminds interpreters of its remote interpreting policy.
- 2020-03-26 HCA agrees to pay in-person rates for remote interpreting during pandemic.
- 2020-04-03 L&I announces its interpreter payment policies during the pandemic. Read the temporary COVID remote interpreting policy here.
- 2020-04-03 PNW Language Services protests L&I’s decision to award the contract to My Language Link.
- 2020-06-11 L&I dismisses PNW Language Services’ protest. 1Lingua did not bid for the L&I contract.
- 2020-06-11 House Bill 2691 becomes effective. By December 1, 2020, L&I must report to the legislature on its process to procure interpreter services.
- 2020-06-23 L&I extends pandemic interpreter payment policies until June 30, 2021.
- 2020-07-22 L&I announces the implementation of the scheduling software system InterpretingWorks.
- 2020-07-22 L&I releases FAQs about InterpretingWorks.
- 2020-09-01 L&I announces changes to its interpreter pay schedule with an effective date of October 1, 2020.
- 2020-09-03 L&I hosts webinars for interpreters and providers to familiarize them with InterpretingWorks.
- 2020-10-15 L&I announces that it will discontinue using Lionbridge as its remote interpreting vendor.
- 2020-10-30 L&I finalizing implementation of new scheduling system.
- 2020-11-19 L&I unveils new ISAR (Interpreters Services Appointment Record).
- 2020-12 L&I sends its report to the legislature pursuant to 2020 HB2691 stating that the new scheduling system will roll out in Spring 2021.
- 2021-01-05 L&I unveils new Frequently Asked Questions for Interpreters and Providers.
- 2021-01-07 L&I gives updates about the implementation of the new scheduling system.
- 2021-03-12 L&I anounces that the new scheduling system will go live on April 12, 2021.
- 2021-03-25 L&I anounces webinars for interpreters and providers.
- 2021-04-14 L&I anounces the deactivation of Language Agency accounts.
- 2021-06-01 L&I announces the new pay schedule with an effective date of July 1, 2021.
- 2021-07-12 L&I alerts about delay in payments to interpreters.
- 2022-06-01 L&I announces its payment policy and fees starting July 1, 2022. Rates for spoken language interpretation services will remain at the current level until further notice. There is action pending before the Public Employees Relations Committee (PERC) to represent language access providers as defined in RCW 41.56.030(11)(a)(ii). Until this action is resolved, WAC 391-25-140(2) prohibits changes of the status quo concerning wages.
- 2022-12-13 L&I reminder regarding on demand interpreting services.
- 2023-06-01 L&I announces its payment policy and fees starting July 1, 2023. Rates remain unchanged due to PERC action still unresolved.
- 2023-06-13 L&I's review of spoken language interpretation services.
- 2023-08-02 L&I issues a Request for Qualifications and Quotes for a vendor to provide on-demand and scheduled in-person, video, and phone interpretation services as well as a scheduling system.
- 2024-02-12 L&I informs potential bidders that it had amended its RFQQ for the scheduling system because PERC had certified WFSE as the interpreters' union. The future contractor may collaborate with L&I in identifying provisions in the collective bargaining agreement which L&I may discuss with WFSE.
- 2024-02-12 L&I anounces that SOSi will be its new vendor for in-person and remote interpreting services.
- 2024-04-19 L&I announces SOSi's live date and pre-registration.
- 2024-05-30 WFSE files a class action lawsuit against L&I et al. for not paying interpreters who rendered services to injured workers of self-insured employers.
- 2024-05-31 L&I announces its payment policy and fees starting July 1, 2024. Rates remain unchanged pending negotiations with WFSE's bargaining team. The team began meeting with L&I back in April.
- 2024-06-04 L&I announces SOSi's soft launch for providers.
- 2024-06-14 L&I gives instructions about the transition from InterpretingWorks to SOSi.
- 2024-08-01 L&I excercises its statutory prerogrative to consolidate all requests for both in-person and remote interpreting services under a single coordinating entity (SOSi) by eliminating direct billers on June 17, terminating the contract with InterpretingWorks on June 14 and with CTS on July 31.
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