Bargaining FAQ
Updated On: Jun 20, 2012

Get answers to common questions about bargaining.


What's the timeline for bargaining our union contract?

Like state employees, Medical and Social Service interpreters bargain a two year union contract with the State.  Our current union contract started July 1, 2011 and runs through June 30, 2013.  We must submit our proposed second union contract to the State Legislature by October 2012 so the Legislature can approve the agreement during the legislative session beginning in January 2013. Our next contract would begin July 1, 2013.


How can I help win a great union contract?

  • Share your ideas about what improvements are needed in our next union contract.

  • Attend a union meeting to give feedback to our bargaining team and discuss important issues with your fellow interpreters.

  • When you have a problem, contact us right away so we can help you stand up for your rights.  Only by documenting where there are problems in the current contract can we fix the problems at the bargaining table!


Do I need to pay dues to particiapte in bargaining?

Yes.  Only union members can participate in democratic union actions such as electing our interpreter bargaining team and taking bargaining surveys.

You can sign up for our Union by downloading and printing a membership card here and mailing to us at
WFSE/AFSCME Council 28
1212 Jefferson St., Suite 300
Olympia WA 98501
or faxing it to 360.352.7608.  You can also sign up in person at any of our union meetings.

Union dues are 1.5%, of your gross pay earned as an interpreter at DSHS and Medicaid enrollee appointments, up to a maximum of $76.50 and will be deducted automatically from your paycheck by the new coordinating entity replacing the brokers/agencies.


What will our interpreter bargaining team do?

Our bargaining team is elected to help negotiate the best possible union contract with the state for interpreters.
WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 will provide professional assistance from trained negotiators.  The bargaining team will develop proposals to improve working conditions for interpreters and will participate in the actual negotiations with the state.   

The bargaining team approves final contract language before sending it to the full membership for a vote. The bargaining team has the power to alter, modify, change, or concede on all issues to obtain the best possible union contract for interpreters. They are your voice at the bargaining table! The bargaining team has 11 members elected from across the state. See our interpreter bargaining team structure document for more details.


What is collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is the process by which interpreters negotiate a contract with the State that determines many of the terms of our service.  We gained the right to form a union and bargain a contract in 2010 after we passed a law and then 95% voted UNION YES in an historic election.  In 2011 our elected interpreter bargaining team reached a historic agreement on the state for a first-ever contract for independent contractor medical interpreters.

Before we had a union contract, the State, brokers and agencies decided how much to pay interpreters (average was ~$21 / hr) and what the rules were on the job. Many of the rules were set behind closed doors.  The State, brokers, and agencies could change the rules and our pay whenever they wished to do so.  Through our union, we are able to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement directly with the state that sets minimum standards, including wages.

Unlike “contracts” that Interpreters sign with agencies, a collective bargaining agreement contract can’t change without Interpreters first agreeing to those changes through the bargaining process.  Together, we can ensure that our interests and our clients’ interests are heard.


-
  • Interpreters United

    Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.

    Powered By UnionActive


  • Top of Page image