Washington interpreters demand state address more than 280K in missed payments

Washington state interpreters are pursuing a lawsuit against the Department of Labor and Industries for over $280,000 in unpaid wages, claiming more than 3,500 missed payments since 2021. These interpreters serve injured workers from self-insured companies, including major corporations like Walmart and Costco, which are responsible for covering interpretation services. Despite filing the lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court, interpreters report that payment issues remain unresolved, prompting some to stop working for the agency altogether. The union Interpreters United is advocating for the state to enforce payment obligations on self-insured employers. Labor and Industries spokesperson Matt Ross emphasized the agency's commitment to resolving the payment issues.

The agency switched vendors from InterpretingWorks to SOS International, which is also under scrutiny for past labor practices. Barbara Robertson, a Swahili interpreter, expressed frustration over the irony of the agency's wage theft investigations while interpreters go unpaid. The interpreters recently secured their first contract with the state, which includes a 5% pay increase, but unresolved payment issues continue to hinder their work.