MaineHealth reinstates merit pay for medical interpreters in settlement of National Labor Relations Board charge

Maine workers show their solidarity with the Maine Health interpreters on Sept. 2, 2024, by holding up solidarity signs in multiple languages during the Southern Maine Labor Council’s Labor Day Breakfast in Portland.

The medical interpreters employed by MaineHealth, the largest conglomerate of hospitals in Maine, have secured what they are calling a “major victory” in their fight for respect at work.

Six months after the interpreters filed a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) charge over MaineHealth’s cancellation of their merit pay increases, MaineHealth has agreed to a settlement in which it will reinstate their merit pay retroactively to Jan. 7, 2024.

The interpreters, who provide interpretation and translation services for MaineHealth, voted in 2023 to form a union with the Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union. The two sides have been in negotiations for a first contract for over a year.

At issue in the settlement agreement is merit pay. Employees at MaineHealth, except for those who have bargained for separate programs, are part of a merit-pay program.

“Employees are eligible for the program if hired before December 31 and if they have successfully completed their six-month review,” the interpreters’ labor charge states. “Merit raises are typically paid in January of the following year.”

According to their labor charge, which was filed on March 7, 2024, medical interpreters “have always received merit increases according to the merit program during their employment with MaineHealth. Eligible workers received their annual reviews in 2023.”

However, “On December 20, 2023, MaineHealth informed MSEA’s bargaining team that they would not be receiving a merit increase for 2023/2024. Despite MSEA informing MaineHealth that that is in violation of status quo, MaineHealth failed to pay MSEA bargaining unit employees the merit increases in January 2024,” the workers’ labor charge states.

In the settlement reached earlier this month, MaineHealth agreed to pay the medical interpreters the merit-pay increases they were due retroactive to Jan. 7, 2024, the date that other employees received their 2024 merit-pay increases. In addition, the settlement agreement also includes a requirement that, in the event that MaineHealth has not negotiated wage increases by January 2025, the medical interpreters also will receive merit increases in 2025.

The medical interpreters said they are continuing to bargain for their first contract to advocate for their patients, their community and their coworkers. Mohamed Kebdani, who serves on the bargaining team for the interpreters, said the team is committed to securing a fair contract.

Kebdani called the settlement “a major victory for interpreters, as MaineHealth is now required to pay our 2024 merit increases after they were unfairly withheld earlier this year. This settlement acknowledges the dedication of interpreters, but we remain focused on securing a fair contract that addresses broader needs.”

Among those broader needs, the interpreters are bargaining for a fair wage proposal that will help recruit and retain qualified staff, job security and consistent and fair scheduling.  They also are seeking to address a commitment from management to prioritize in-person services.

Walid Hamzi, another member of the interpreters’ bargaining team, said MaineHealth has been bypassing in-person interpretation services. He said his bargaining team believes MaineHealth should prioritize in-person interpretation, which also will “support the local Maine economy through supporting local interpreters instead of funneling money out of state.”

Interpreters at MaineHealth are critical in providing equitable healthcare by serving as cultural brokers, health system navigators and advocates, the workers said, adding that MaineHealth management has so far failed to offer fair wage proposals that reflect the essential need and the growing demand for interpreters. For comparison, interpreters who provide services for the Judicial Branch of Maine State Government recently secured a 30% increase in pay.

While the interpreters at Maine Health are negotiating for fair wages, scheduling and job security, they said their concerns go far beyond wages. Hamzi said their contract campaign is about creating a “healthy work environment, and the main goal (is to establish) an equitable access to healthcare for our non-English speaking communities.”

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The Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union, represents over 13,000 Maine workers, including the medical interpreters at MaineHealth.