From: 0005075968@mcimail.com (Jeff Garber)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Contel and Spanish
Date: 10 Sep 92 03:56:00 GMT
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 700, Message 1 of 11

I saw the following article in the LANTRA list, where topics relating
to natural language translation are discussed, and I thought the
article would be of interest to TELECOM Digest readers.

   Begin posted article:

 From UPI:

Contel Agrees to Change Spanish Language Requirement
 By WILLIAM D. MURRAY

     SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) _ Contel of California Inc., which provides
phone service to the Central Valley, agreed Monday to change its
practice of forcing Hispanic workers to use their Spanish language
skills on the job.

     The announcement ended years of litigation over the policy that
forced Hispanic customer service representatives to speak Spanish,
despite the fact that many were American-born and had limited
bilingual skills.

    "This settlement takes a major step towards ending discrimination
against Hispanic workers," said Morton Bahr, president of the
Communications Workers of America, the union that pressed the suit.
"By forcing Hispanic employees to use Spanish, Contel got many
benefits while subjecting the workers to discriminatory burdens on the
job."

     Anna Esqueda, one of the five women named as plaintiffs in the
suit, said she felt embarassed when explaining services because of her
limited Spanish skills.

    "I knew that I couldn't adequately explain the service choices and
so did Contel," the American-born Esqueda said.  "I tried my best, but
if it had not been for the mandatory language policy and my being
Mexican, I would never have been placed in this embarassing position."

     Esqueda said when she took the job with Contel, she was not
informed that she would have to speak Spanish.

    "I wasn't ever told when I was applying for the job that I would
have to speak Spanish," she said.  "And even though we were told to
speak Spanish on the phone, the company did not allow us to speak
Spanish to each other."

    The latter was the focal point of the CWA lawsuit, which was filed
in September, 1990.

    "Without being told when hired that they had to provide
translation, without receiving any training, our members would be
pulled away from their work to assist customers who did not speak
English," said CWA District 9 Vice President Janice Wood.  "To add
insult to injury, Contel not only didn't pay them for doing special
work, they penalized them for making fewer calls."

    The consent decree signed by U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte also
listed a set of standards that Contel had agreed to follow under the
direction of the court for the next three years, including the posting
of jobs that are specifically designated for Spanish-speaking customer
service representatives and training classes in bilingual skills.

    However, the decree did not list monetary compensation for the five
women plantiffs. When asked, attornies for the women said they could not
comment on that aspect of the case.

    The CWA said compensation for future use of Spanish on the job
would likely be written into any new collective bargainning agreement.

    Esteban Lizardo, the Director of Language Rights for the Mexican-
American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the decree could set a
precedent within the state.

    "This happens over and over in a number of companies in
California," Lizardo said.  "Hispanic workers are forced to speak
Spanish simply because of their nationality and are not compensated
for it. This could set a precedent within this state and end this
practice."
 
   Contel could not be reached for comment.

End posted article.

Perhaps Contel will do what Pacific Bell has done and start a
translation center. If a business office representative or operator
gets a non-English speaking customer on the line, they conference in
the translation center where representatives are specifically hired to
interpret (it's ALL they do ALL day long).


Jeff Garber <MrFone@mcimail.com>   My opinions are just that.