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.
One of our Sorenson ASLIU members, Megan McGeary, had this to say:
“Organizing gets results. While we’re still organizing to win our union, this blanket increase announced by Sorenson is proof that the company knows we deserve better. Small cost of living adjustments are a welcome first step, but we’ve got to keep organizing. The FCC has acknowledged that we deserve a bigger increase and has already dedicated funds to make it happen. And, if we are honest, a $1-$2 raise is not an adequate response to the working conditions that have led so many VRS interpreters to burnout. We must act now to ensure that no more qualified interpreters leave VRS due to situations that are completely preventable.”
Meg Huseman, also an ASLIU member at Sorenson, argues that the cost of living adjustment was an important first step, but much more needs to be done.
“We are pleased that Sorenson has listened to our collective voice and is giving us a cost of living adjustment. VRS interpreters are unfortunately still waiting for a substantial raise that was promised to us when the FCC agreement with Sorenson went into effect in 2023,” added Meg Huseman, a Sorenson interpreter with 10 years of VRS experience. “On top of ensuring that wages retain and recruit qualified interpreters,, we need to see real action, like Sorenson publicly committing to neutrality after meeting with our union, as well as hiring Deaf Interpreters and leaders, more flexibility on workload, better resources for vicarious trauma, and increased training. We will keep organizing to win our union and negotiate a strong contract with Sorenson that benefits all parties, especially the Deaf consumers we serve.”
Our union, the ASL Interpreters Union, is part of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, which has over 90,000 members across the US and Canada. In August, the Private Equity Stakeholder Project released a report highlighting that a recent 30 to 49 rate increase by the FCC was based in part on a 65 percent wage increase to interpreters that would be necessitated to recruit and retain qualified interpreters. This wage increase by Sorenson is still well below the ~26 percent wage increase that interpreters would receive by January 2025 had Sorenson been following the FCC’s proposal.