ASL Interpreters Union
ASL Interpreters UNION
About Us
ASL Interpreters Union is a group of ASL interpreters who are coming together to fight for justice on the job for everyone who works as an ASL interpreter for a major agency. We are organizing to build solidarity, support each other, and win justice for ourselves and the individuals we serve. ASL Interpreters Union is a project of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, with more than 90,000 members across the United States and Canada.
We are organizing to build solidarity, support each other, and win justice for ourselves and the individuals we serve.
Below: Deaf interpreter Dr. Shae O’Riordan shares the ASL Interpreters Union mission statement in American Sign Language.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to build an inclusive and strong union, by and for interpreters, that supports us in our work and improves the sustainability of our workplaces. This effort aims to bring humanity back into the essential services we provide and increase the longevity of careers in VRS, leading to further skill development and the retention of seasoned interpreters. Upon winning our union and beginning contract negotiations, we commit to bargaining for the common good: securing a collective bargaining agreement that benefits us as interpreters and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community that we serve. We commit to having representation from Deaf users working closely with our bargaining team and will seek to bargain requirements in our contract mandating how companies can improve service quality.
Latest News
ASL Interpreters Union Organizing Wins Wage Increase At Sorenson
Just a month after launching our union, and after launching a petition calling for increased wages for VRS interpreters, Video Relay Service sign language interpreters at Sorenson Communications have won an across the board wage increase between 2 and 3 percent. ...
Have you noticed a decline in service quality at ZP or Sorenson?
By Emma Sills, Z/P VRS Interpreter One critical aspect of the interpreting field involves the training of future interpreters. This is integral and is even noted in our NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct. When a student graduates from their Interpreter Training...
Have You Received A 65 Percent Wage Increase?
In the September 2023 FCC rulemaking on VRS rates, the FCC estimated that interpreter wages would need to go up by 65 percent. As the FCC noted, “we estimate that each provider’s reported historical costs… will increase by a uniform factor: 75% for engineering and...
We need your feedback
ASL interpreters know what our community needs; the corporate managers running these companies do not. Our opinions need to be heard. That’s why we’re asking all interpreters to take this short survey to share their thoughts.
NOTE: Survey responses are confidential. Your names will not be shared.
ASL Interpreters Union
Your Rights on The Job: