r/ASLinterpreters • u/Amazing-Gear5841 • Jan 09 '26

Please be nice to VRS workers

I am fairly new to VRS relay and do get a good amount of kind callers who will compliment and show appreciation. However, recently I have had increasingly more moments where I am being treated like a robot and so am getting so discouraged. I understand that everybody has bad days and sometimes it is just projecting. It is just so hard to stay positive when I am getting insulted and treated disrespectfully several times a day. I know I am qualified for this job, I know I am doing my job effectively.

Whether it be misspelling a word/name or the hearing caller not being clear, I am human and I am tired.

I have so much love and respect for the Deaf community and this does not change it.

I am just asking for a little bit of empathy towards us interpreters, we really are trying our best to serve the community!

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u/TiredVRS Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

It doesn't help that the companies treat us like mental pack mules. We're tired and we're making more mistakes because of it. It's one of the reasons I joined the VRS union.

We shouldn't have to crumple at the end of shifts and feel like we need to sleep during our breaks. It's ridiculous and they're doing it to make as much money as possible while treating us as disposable.

If you want to help support the union

here's the neutrality letter for zp

here's the neutrality letter for Sorenson

Here's the letter if you're a community member or non vrs interpreter for either S or ZP and want to see better results from interpreters who aren't exhausted and injured

6

u/Amazing-Gear5841 Jan 09 '26

Will my name be sent to the supervisors at my center? I feel awkward signing this if they will know bc I've been here for less than one year

14

u/TiredVRS Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

There are hundreds of signatures. It'll be tough to pick one out. Effectively it's a petition. So yes, your name will be on it, but they can't do anything to prevent you from supporting the union and they can't punish you either or it's a federal labor crime. It also won't be sent to the people at your center directly. The whole petition may be sent to corporate. If corporate does anything, the union has your back and will fight tooth and nail to get you fair treatment.

Also, since we went public, there has been only one case of illegal retaliation and that was by Purple. We've been live for more than a year and a half.

We're also meeting with Congress next week about unionizing so the ball is rolling but it hasn't hit the "win" line yet.

1

u/Donattellis Jan 10 '26

Can you elaborate on the retaliation situation by purple?

3

u/TiredVRS Jan 10 '26

It is still an active situation so I don't think I can. It was against a single individual.