New Calif. law encourages interpreters to become state employees

AP ^ | June 28, 2003 | JULIANA BARBASSA

[sarcasm]

When Turkish truck drivers get speeding tickets on Highway 99, Sarkis Vartanian translates their reasoning for Fresno court judges. When Italian delegations come to the Tulare ag fair, Vartanian helps them talk shop with the locals. French restaurateurs, Armenian workers and Arabic farmers in California's Central Valley also rely on Vartanian's language skills.

[upchuck]

Wow, Kalifornicitia must really be flush to afford hiring all these folks.

[sarcasm]

Just put it on the charge card.

[ErnBatavia]

"I speak Jive; I can interpret"

[Ciexyz]

This reminds me of the Interpreters for the Hearing Impaired. Federal and State agencies hire them on an as-needed basis thru a local agency. Why put them on as career employees? Then you're stuck with them. What if they can't do the job any longer for various health reasons? They earn plenty as independent contractors.

This is just another scam to get more union employees for the Demopukes.

[paolop]

... But many interpreters don't want to become state employees. They relish their independence, and believe the new law will strangle what used to be a flexible job with rigid rules that impinge on their ability to make a living ...

Amen! No interpreter worth his or her pay will join. The pay for a federally Certified Court interprter is good, and there is ample work (In NY's SDNY, for eg). There is already a lot of politics in the interpreting domain, let's not set many bad practices in cement.

Paolo,

Ex Chief Italian interprter, SDNY.

[Rodsomnia]

Most were illegal aliens at one time. I think immigrants should be barred from employment with the state just as a general defense from takeover by foreign hourdes. The growth rate for immigratns vs Californians is 98-2

[Joe Hadenuf]

America's immigration is completely out of control, legal and illegal, and pandering to these people is choking us all off......

[DonQ]

This reminds me of the Interpreters for the Hearing Impaired. Federal and State agencies hire them on an as-needed basis thru a local agency. Why put them on as career employees? Then you're stuck with them. What if they can't do the job any longer for various health reasons? They earn plenty as independent contractors.

I have dealt quite a bit with Sign Language interpreters. Inside DC a good many federal departments keep one or two interpreters as fulltime civil service staff ... and they definitely work fulltime because there are enough deaf employees/visitors to keep them busy.

But some other federal agencies hire on an as-needed basis. I happen to know of many instances in which the agency wanted an interpreter to show up immediately ... but then got Real Sluggish about paying the fee. It reached a point where an interpreting service I had some connection with took to calling the agency management and saying no more "terps" until you pay last year's bill.

As for making good money as private contractors, yes there is good money to be made as a Sign Language terp in the DC area. Funny thing, the various civil service interpreters (in govt offices, in public schools) get paid a Lot less than they would as freelancers (and usually their work is a lot more monotonous); quite a few left civil service for the bigger bucks (which they sometimes get from the same agencies they used to work for at a pittance). This

[boris]

When I was on Jury Duty, we had a deaf woman in the panel. She had two court-appointed sign-language interpreters.

One of the other jurors asked me why she needed two.

"Stereo," I replied.

--Boris

[sarcasm]

They actually let you on a jury?

[boris]

I cannot seem to get on a criminal case. Might have something to do with being a life member of NRA, owning 12 handguns, one shotgun and several rifles...I dunno.

But they let me on civil cases.

--Boris

[sarcasm]

I cannot seem to get on a criminal case. Might have something to do with being a life member of NRA, owning 12 handguns, one shotgun and several rifles...I dunno.

I can't imagine why they would hold that against you.