INTERPRETERS UNITED

a union run by interpreters for interpreters

We are the labor union for freelance spoken language interpreters contracted by Washington State to render services for HCA-Medicaid enrollees, DSHS and DCYF clients pursuant to RCW 41.56.030(10).  We are all small business owners working for Washington State as independent contractors.  Through our union's advocacy, we have worked together with our state to save millions of taxpayers' dollars previously wasted on excessive administrative costs.

We promote lean government principles. Streamlining the procurement of language interpretation services  directs limited public funds to the people actually providing the services, instead of intermediaries. This in turn raises the quality of interpreter services rendered to Limited English Proficient (LEP) Washingtonians.  We support a ONE STOP SHOPPING SOLUTION for rendering services in all three delivery modalities: in-person, over-the-phone and video remote interpretation (VRI). We embrace cloud technology advances in communications and Software as a Service (SaaS) business models.

Appointments covered under our union contract (HCA-Medicaid, DSHS, and DCYF) are currently coordinated by the state's vendor Universal Language Services at hcauniversal.com. You can check the contract performance here.

THOUGH DIVERSE WE ARE ...

UNITED WE STAND AND UNITED WE CAN!

Our members are a group of dedicated interpreters who work for the greater good. Every odd year, its membership elects its interpreter leaders who, for a 2-year term, volunteer their time and share their knowledge freely with their colleagues.

Interpreters United is Local 1671 of the Washington Federation of State Employees a.k.a. AFSCME Council 28. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees represents 1.6 million public service workers and is affiliated to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Contact Us:

Interpreters United: Local1671[at]gmail.com

Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/InterpretersUnited

ARE THE INTERPRETING NEEDS OF WASHINGTON STATE'S 

LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT POPULATION BEING MET? 

Fill rates, per language and per county, for appointments covered under our union contract are now viewable by the public through an interactive dashboard (page #3) hosted on the HCA Interpreter Services website.

Read our Review of the Washington State Medicaid Interpreter Services Program, May 2017.

Read our Suggestions for an Online Interpreter Scheduling System, May 2019.

Read our Report on the Implementation of 2018 Senate Bill 6245 Concerning Spoken Language Interpreter Services, September 2019.