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Q&A
Compensation for multilingual staff at CCHR
0:36:58
ยท
129 sec
Council Member Williams inquires about compensation adjustments for multilingual staff at CCHR. CCHR staff explain their current practices and limitations regarding additional pay for language skills.
- No salary adjustments or incentives for staff who speak additional languages
- Multilingual skills are encouraged in job postings but are optional for staff to use
- Translation vendors are available for official translation needs
- Staff positions are union positions, subject to collective bargaining agreements
- Council Member Williams suggests considering language skills in future contract negotiations
Nantasha Williams
0:36:58
Do the staff members that speak different languages, like is their salaries adjusted for the additional languages they speak and that is a question that I've heard from some advocates and some folks that work for your agency that have mentioned that they essentially sometimes are like doing dual services like they might be doing one particular job but because they speak a particular language now then tap to like do translation.
0:37:27
So is there any type incentives or again adjustments to their salary based off of the fact that they're multilingual?
Mariela Salazar
0:37:39
In the majority and I would like to say probably all of our job postings, we we do encourage folks or applicants that are multilingual that speak any other language other than English.
0:37:51
It is optional for our staff to help us part translate because like I said we have vendors that provide translation services but no there is not an additional you know increase in salary if you if you promote.
Annabel Palma
0:38:07
Madam Chair these are also union positions and so it goes back to the bargaining agreement right.
0:38:15
That's an issue that will have to be discussed during budget bargaining negotiations.
Nantasha Williams
0:38:21
Yes.
0:38:21
I've heard from former staffers of that agency about you know, again like doing dual work.
0:38:28
You know, you get hired to be like a program manager but now you're like translating documents.
0:38:33
I mean like people should be compensated if you're not necessarily hired to be a translator and you're actually doing translation work like you should be compensated for that.
0:38:44
So hopefully when you guys renegotiate contracts that language access and folks being able to speak different languages is something that gets considered.
0:38:57
Okay.
0:38:58
So turning to staffing issues and I just want to acknowledge that my colleague Rita Joseph has joined us.
0:39:04
Do you have any questions?
0:39:05
Okay.
0:39:06
Wanna ask you questions?
0:39:07
Can ask questions.