Interpreter services bill saves money, members tell Senate budget committee
The AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)’s priority bill to expand the successful interpreter services program came before the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday night (Feb. 1) where WFSE/AFSCME Interpreters United Local 1671 President Leroy Mould said the 7-year-old program won for medical interpreters has streamlined scheduling and services and been cost-effective.
“These savings are the consequence of using our web-based scheduling system,” Local 1671 Secretary Milena Waldron added.
“The result has been that we have significant reductions in administrative costs and that’s enabled the interpreters to gain higher pay,” the AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE)’s Dennis Eagle told the committee.
The bill they testified on, SSB 6245, would expand that successful model to interpreters tied to other agencies, like Labor and Industries. SSB 6245 must clear the Senate Ways and Means Committee by Tuesday (Feb. 6).
