Immediate Support for Health Care Interpreters

Our union has secured half a million dollars to be distributed as bonuses to qualified/certified health care interpreters in our bargaining unit!  This $500,000 is a HUGE win that comes as a direct result of our collective actions and advocacy. Together, we successfully pushed the state to recognize the importance of the services we provide to thousands of Oregonians.

Thanks to our partners at Oregon Worker Relief, 363 certified HCIs applied for and received the one-time $1,200 bonus payment. This is just the beginning of what we can win together! OIA members like you are advocating for better pay and a state-based scheduling and billing system for Medicare and Medicaid appointments.

How did we get here?

The State of Oregon rejected our pay proposals for months during contract negotiations; we were told repeatedly that there weren’t funds or an administrative system to pay interpreters. As a union, we strategically came up with a plan to address both issues. We wrote proposals and talked to legislators to request these emergency funds from the legislature and partnered with a coalition of community organizations for distribution.

And because of the strength of our union, we were successful.

Long Term Solutions

After months of contract negotiations, our bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement on our very first union contract! As you may know, we have been fighting since 2021 for a fair contract that includes a path to fair and transparent wages and consistent schedules for all. Thanks to your efforts in the 2024 legislative session, we were able to pass SB 1578, and we now have that path.

A Letter of Agreement (LOA) has been reached with the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to create a committee of OHA representatives and members of Oregon Interpreters in Action (OIA), which will provide guidance on the creation and implementation of our state-based scheduling and payment processing system. Your bargaining team wanted to make sure that interpreters have a seat at the table during every step of this process!

The bargaining team was also able to secure an LOA for Professional Development, which will give us the opportunity to get more affordable and accessible training and CEUs.

You can read more about the LOAs here!