CFI’s mission is to bring together interpreters of all languages to speak
with one voice: the voice of unity.
CFI Local 39000 TNG-CWA is a labor union advocating for the interests of the
legal interpreting profession.
CFI membership is open to certified and registered court interpreters working
in the California trial courts as employees and independent contractors.
CFI engages in advocacy on a broad range of issues including professional best
practices, training programs, and certification standards.
CFI’s professional division provides educational activities for professional
interpreters, students, and the bench and bar. CFI’s annual conference and
other seminars offer required continuing education credits and networking opportunities
to professional and aspiring court interpreters.
CFI provides collective bargaining, representation and other advocacy services
to union members as the exclusive representative of more than 900 interpreters
employed in the state trial courts in four regional bargaining units. As a
union, CFI Local 39000 affiliation receives political, financial and legal
support from The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America, an international
labor union with more than 750,000 members nationally.
CFI became an organizing local in 2014 and in 2015 became CFI Local 39000,
an autonomous local run by interpreters for interpreters. Read the Bylaws of
CFI Local 39000.
555 East Ocean Blvd Suite 460
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-436-5400
info@local39000.org
Office Manager/ Administrative Assistant: Montserrat Sanchez, staff1@local39000.org
List of Stewards by County. Please contact a representative if there is no steward in your county. Click here to see list.
Election Committee
Budget Committee
The California Federation of Interpreters, formerly known as GLAC, was created in 1982 by a group of interpreters working for the Federal and the Los Angeles Superior Courts. Many of these same interpreters were and continue to be involved in the development and administration of the California and Federal court interpreter certification examinations. Shortly after its inception, GLAC affiliated with CCIA as one of its chapters. For a decade, GLAC successfully represented interpreters’ interests in the Los Angeles Superior Court with respect to compensation and grievances. In January 1994 GLAC became an independent organization, free to pursue the goals and objectives of its membership, and later changed its name to the California Federation of Interpreters. In the late 1990’s, CFI joined with the Bay Area Court Interpreters Association (BACI) in organizing statewide actions and advocacy that resulted in increased compensation for court interpreters statewide. CFI and BACI merged to form a statewide organization and affiliated with TNG-CWA, Local 39521 in order to pursue employment status, collective bargaining rights and full benefits for those interpreters interested in employment with the state courts. CFI became an organizing local in April 2014 and in 2015 became CFI Local 39000, an autonomous local run by interpreters for interpreters.
555 East Ocean Blvd., Suite 460 Long Beach, CA 90802
562/436-5400