Stronger Together: CALI Launches Its First Member Event with Training and Community
CALI held its first members-and-guests meeting on November 11, 2025, offering a free/low-cost CIMCE course as a gesture of support for interpreters across Region 2. The training was presented by CALI founding member and treasurer, Lorena Pike, who led a dynamic, hands-on session on computer-assisted translation tools—especially the use of AI and automation to streamline terminology extraction and preparation workflows for both legal translators and interpreters. Participants left the session energized, better equipped, and feeling that their professional development truly matters to their union.
After the course, CALI chair, Daniel Navarro, provided an update on CALI’s Region 2 Member Survey results and the status of nominations for the bargaining committee to be elected immediately following the election. The ongoing efforts of the Bargaining Working Group (BWG) were also highlighted by BWG members Mary Lou Aranguren, MarĂa del Carmen Muñoz, and Naomi Adelson.
This presentation emphasized what it really means to organize: building collective clarity, developing a united strategy, and ensuring that Region 2 interpreters walk into upcoming negotiations with one strong voice. The discussion reflected exactly what many of us have been yearning for—a union that listens to its members, prepares alongside them, and stands with them.
The gathering ended the way good union meetings should: with shared food, conversation, and even a little music. In that space, the meaning of “union” came alive—not just in name, but in spirit. Interpreters from different courts and counties connected as colleagues, collaborators, and compañeras/os, strengthening the bonds that will carry us through the hard work of bargaining.
This event was more than a meeting; it was a reminder that Region 2 has been longing for this kind of community, solidarity, and mutual support. And it’s only the beginning.
Stay tuned for our next member gathering and for more educational opportunities offered by CALI—created by interpreters, for interpreters.