In the spring of 2023, interpreters at Maine Med and MaineHealth facilities statewide voted unanimously to unionize as United MaineHealth Interpreters with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Over a year and a half after being recognized, negotiations still have not produced a contract the interpreters consider a fair deal. This delay is unacceptable. As the old saying goes, justice delayed is justice denied.

As elected leaders in Portland, we believe in the rights of workers to bargain collectively for fair wages and working conditions. Strong labor rights are not just beneficial for those at the bargaining table — they uplift entire communities, creating better working conditions, healthier economies and greater democracy. What’s good for workers is good for everyone.

As city councilors, we understand the urgency of addressing inequities like these before they ripple out to affect the entire Portland community. In this spirit, we lend our voices in support of United MaineHealth Interpreters as they fight for a first contract.

Research consistently shows that fair wages and working conditions directly affect public health. MaineHealth, as the state’s largest employer, has the opportunity to uplift workers and the community by fostering a collaborative bargaining process and offering competitive wages that reflect the cost of living. We urge management to embrace this moment as a chance to lead by example, to not repeat mistakes of the past, and to show how respecting and empowering frontline workers can strengthen the health care system and enhance community well-being.

Interpreters play a unique and critical role in our health care system. They serve as cultural and linguistic bridges, ensuring that every patient, regardless of language, can navigate our often overwhelming and impersonal health care system. For many in our immigrant and refugee communities, interpreters also provide dignity, trust and advocacy during some of the most vulnerable moments in life.

These workers are asking for for basic, reasonable improvements: wages that reflect their skills and allow them to live in the community they serve, fair scheduling practices that provide stability and to be able to perform interpreting services face-to-face, which is crucial to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care, rather than remotely, where the nuances of meaning and cultural context can be missed.

The challenges these workers face mirror broader systemic inequities in health care. While executive compensation in the health care sector soars, frontline workers — those who heal, comfort, and ensure access to care — often find their wages stagnant and their work undervalued. Interpreters are no exception. MaineHealth’s mission to provide quality care is only possible because of the dedication of workers like these interpreters.

Many of the interpreters live and work in our community, contributing not only through their professional roles but also as neighbors, parents and engaged citizens. Their struggle is Portland’s struggle — one that includes a housing affordability crisis for essential workers and a commitment to ensure equitable access to services for people whose first language is not English. Supporting these workers aligns directly with our responsibility to foster a fairer, more inclusive city. As elected leaders and members of the community, we have their backs.

We call on MaineHealth management to demonstrate its commitment to its workers and patients alike by coming to the table prepared to bridge the remaining gaps so that the parties can sign a fair contract that addresses wage equity, job security, scheduling fairness and a prioritization of in-person services.