The California Alliance of Legal Interpreters began negotiating with the courts in February, after its previous contract expired in December 2025. Daniel Navarro, a San Francisco interpreter, said the talks had “hit a wall.”

The union is seeking higher salaries and restrictions on remote interpretation. Mary Lou Aranguren, the union’s lead negotiator, said state court interpreters earn 35% to 47% less than their federal counterparts. She also said the number of full-time interpreters represented by the union has fallen 42% in nine years, which she attributed to low pay.

The union represents 91 full-time interpreters across the 12 counties. San Francisco criminal court has 21, including 16 certified in Spanish and others certified in Hindi, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean and Russian.

Courts have increasingly held proceedings online since the pandemic. Aranguren said remote interpretation has been implemented in an ad hoc way, using platforms not designed for the work. She said remote proceedings can also prevent clients from speaking privately with their attorneys or getting legal paperwork reviewed.

The union wants remote interpretation limited to non-complex hearings that do not involve evidence, and wants interpreters in court whenever clients appear in person. Alice Vojnik, a spokesperson for the courts involved in negotiations, said the courts proposed mediation.

The planned walkout raises the prospect of delays for people who need language assistance. Jennie Stepanian, a private defense attorney, said trained interpreters are essential to ensuring Spanish-speaking clients receive fair trials. With interpreters leaving full-time jobs, the courts have relied more on contracted interpreters, who are often paid twice as much as staff interpreters but do not receive benefits, according to the union negotiator.

The walkout follows a February strike by San Francisco court clerks during their own contract negotiations, which disrupted court operations for two days.