LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of interpreters polished their skills, connected with other professionals and re-energized during the 2012 California Federation of Interpreters conference this past weekend. Some 350 attended the workshops, including interpreters from Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota and North Carolina. The 3-day conference in Los Angeles allows interpreters from California and several other states […]
Read MoreCFI President urges interpreters keep informed; give courts a message of unity
California Federation of Interpreters President Michael Ferreira urged interpreters to actively support their bargaining teams and remain informed about what is going on in the profession statewide during Saturday’s membership meeting. One of the best ways to get involved, Ferreira explained, is by joining a Watch and Support Committee in your region to observe negotiations. […]
Read MoreGuild proposes to make employees whole after years of concessions
Bargaining Bulletin #10 San Francisco Chronicle Unit In light of the Hearst Corp.’s continued stalling and inadequate offers, the Guild bargaining committee expanded its list of demands Monday during the latest round of contract talks. The Guild had hoped to reach a quick settlement on a short list of economic proposals focusing on a need […]
Read MoreLocked out Castlewood workers will return to work in October
After two years of stalling and dirty tricks by management, Castlewood Country Club has been advised to end its lockout – and quickly. An administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Aug. 17 that the lockout was illegal. The judge told the company to reinstate the workers by Oct. 16 and pay […]
Read MoreSeth Rosenfeld discusses criticism of his book over Aoki revelation
Investigative journalist Seth Rosenfeld never imagined his new book would attract so much criticism after it named 1960s Bay Area activist Richard Aoki an undercover FBI informant. “Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals and Reagan’s Rise to Power,” is a nonfiction book that details the history of the FBI’s secret activities surrounding the University […]
Read MoreReport language access barriers in California courts
Members of the California Federation of Interpreters want to bolster equal access to justice in California by documenting language services problems in the courts. CFI, part of Local 39521, needs your help collecting incident reports which detail instances of barriers to justice. These barriers include, but are not limited to events like the following: Hearings or attorney-client interviews wherein no interpreter was provided to a […]
Read MoreInterpreter and advocate Essam Elmahgoop dies
July 30, 2012 Essam Elmahgoop, a tireless activist who worked to secure bargaining rights for interpreters and advocate for immigrants and asylum seekers, passed away suddenly from a heart attack on Sunday, July 29 in San Francisco. He was 65. Elmahgoop was a dear colleague and friend to many interpreters and members of the […]
Read MoreCFI defends interpreter funds during Judicial Council meeting
By Anabelle Garay July 27, 2012 Judicial Council members deferred action Friday on a recommendation to take up to $6.5 million from the designated interpreter budget for other court costs. CFI officials told Judicial Council members that shifting the funds would deprive a significant number of people from access to justice while violating the federal civil […]
Read MoreCourts propose wage cuts, added duties for interpreters
July 25, 2012 Region 2 court administrators proposed adding to the daily duties of interpreters while cutting wages by 10 percent and reducing guaranteed work hours. The measures presented by the courts during Monday’s opening bargaining session closely mirror those previously proposed in Region 3. The most significant proposals made by Region 2 to the […]
Read MoreSan Francisco Chronicle Bulletin #2
Health care funding discussed in second round of Chronicle negotiations Negotiations on a new Guild contract at The Chronicle continued Tuesday with a discussion of health care issues for more than an hour in The Guild conference room. Executive Officer Carl Hall re-established Guild concerns with new legal representation present for Hearst. Efforts are under […]
Read MoreWelcome back to the Web
Welcome to the new Pacific Media Workers Guild site. We’ve changed software, updated our look and continue to update our content to deliver timely, high-quality labor information for our members. The change was unplanned — a hacker crippled the old site a few weeks ago, rendering it useless. We’ve been scampering to rebuild since, and […]
Read MoreGuild to grow membership in open newspaper shops
Trainers refreshed Guild activists on organizing basics at a day-long training Thursday in Sacramento, in preparation for a summer-long push to grow membership at open newspaper shops across California. Mobilizers and staff from the International shared ideas and plans for approaching more than 300 non-union newsroom employees working for Hearst, MediaNews and McClatchy papers represented […]
Read MoreNurses Strike Sutter Health Over Demands for Worker Concessions
For the fourth time since September, nurses across nine Sutter Health hospitals went on strike Wednesday in response to management demands for worker concessions that include reductions in healthcare coverage, increased pension contributions and changes to workplace rights and conditions. The nurses are also protesting widespread cuts by Sutter to in-patient care services. According to […]
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