Purple Video Relay Interpreters Have Historic Meeting With The FCC

From left to right- Judith Kroeger, Naomi Sheneman, Mary Jane Moore, Norma Villegas

On July 17, Norma Villegas and Mary Jane Moore, Purple video relay interpreters [members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA)], Judith Kroeger, a member of the National Interpreter Action Network, Naomi Sheneman, a Deaf consumer, PiaBasudev, CWA Special Assignment Organizer and Debbie Goldman, CWA Telecommunications Policy Director met with FCC officialsKaren Peltz Strauss, CGB Deputy Bureau Chief, Greg Hlibok, Chief, Disability Rights Division, Robert Aldrich, CGB legal advisor, Elaine Gardner, legal advisor, Helen Chang, CGB Section 504 Officer, and Traci Randolph, Telecommunications Accessibility Specialist, Enforcement Bureau at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C. CWA arranged the meeting with the FCC in response to their Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released June 10, 2013. This was the first time that VIs haveever met with officials from the FCC.

The meeting lasted just over an hour, and the FCC officials listened with great interest to the testimony of the VRS Video Interpreters who talked about the impact of increased performance requirements and their impact on consumers. Ms. Sheneman, a doctoral student at Gallaudet University,shared the results of a recent survey conducted by fellow student Kathryn Bower on “Stress and Burnout in Video Relay Service (VRS) Interpreting.” The study confirmed the testimony of the VIs about burnout, injuries, lack of time to debrief and the mental fatigue that VIs are experiencing as a result of providers’ increase in login and billable rates.  These increases have been established by the various VRS companies as a result of the FCC cut in reimbursement rates in an effort to bring reimbursements in line with actual costs. The FCC estimated that providers are making $2.00 profit per billable minute.

The FCC asked many detailed questions, and, as a result, there were some issues that the VIs were not able to cover in the limited time.  One topic that couldn’t be addressed was non-compete clauses.  However, working with the Union, the VIs who participated will be reaching out to their colleagues at Purple and other VRS providers to ensure that all issues are covered in the written comments that will be due later this summer.

If you would like to participate in discussions about the FCC’s Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0610/FCC-13-82A1.pdf or about working conditions at your ASL video relay call center, please contact us at info@interpreteraction.org.