Sign Language Interpreter wins $11,000 back pay decision

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John Hendricks had over fifteen years of experience as a Sign Language Interpreter at the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) when he got a job at the Deuel Vocational Institution in Stockton. His experience and certifications should have put him at the top of the three available pay ranges but, due to outdated certification criteria, Hendricks was put in the lowest.

Bargaining Unit 20 Chair Rionna Jones and Local 1000 staff worked to resolve the issue, first with informal discussions with CDCR, then by building a case that Hendricks’ certifications fit the criteria for the higher range.

Local 1000’s case convinced CDCR, which granted the grievance and placed Hendricks in the higher range retroactive to his April 2015 start date. He will receive $11,000 in back pay.

“Local 1000 had the resources to help me prove I was qualified for the higher pay range,” Hendricks says.