S.F. court interpreters walk out today over ‘unfair labor practices’ – Mission Local

S.F. court interpreters walk out today over ‘unfair labor practices’  Mission Local

Northern California court interpreters complain of wages far lower than federal counterparts, increased use of remote interpretation Interpreters at San Francisco’s superior courts are staging a half-day walkout Friday morning amid stalled union negotiations, leaving some clients without translation in court. The California Alliance of Legal Interpreters, the union representing staff interpreters in state courts across coastal Northern California, began negotiations with the courts in February 2026, after its last contract expired in December 2025. But Daniel Navarro, an interpreter who works in San Francisco, said the negotiations have “hit a wall.” “The courts have been giving lip service to language access for decades now, and we’re calling them out on it,” he said.

While the walkout is only happening in San Francisco, the union is demanding increased salaries and limitations on the use of remote interpretation across all 12 counties. According to Mary Lou Aranguren, lead negotiator for the union, state court interpreters earn 35-47% less than interpreters employed by federal courts. All other state court employees — including clerks, officers, and court reporters — are paid on par with their counterparts in federal court, she said. The number of full-time interpreters represented by the union has shrunk by 42% in the last nine years, Aranguren said, which she attributes to the low wages. There are a total of