| Imagine a sleek yellow Lotus Sport Exige sports car | | | | special skill of each individual machine operator |
| (video relay); imagine yourself cruising along the | | | | (interpreter), who has now been deprived of all |
| highway at a comfortable sixty-five miles per hour. | | | | significance, vanishes as an infinitesimal quantity" |
| Where are you in this lean mean video relay | | | | (Marx 1976). The lean production model of the new |
| machine? You are the supercharged and intercooled | | | | economy says that skill levels do not in fact tend to |
| high revving engine producing over 15 million | | | | decline, the workforce is empowered and multiskilled. |
| horsepower (minutes). The driver is an empowered | | | | The lean production model tends to increase the |
| deaf citizen; his passenger is an equally empowered | | | | overall skill level of the labor force. Companies which |
| hearing citizen. The metallic painted body is the | | | | enhance the skill levels of the workforce increase |
| federal regulation administered by the Federal | | | | chances of surviving and flourishing in an increasingly |
| Communications Commission (FCC) holding it all | | | | competitive and changing economic environment. The |
| together. The five spoke forged alloy wheels are the | | | | advent of federal regulation, introduction of a new |
| power house telecommunications companies | | | | sector of companies (telecommunications companies) |
| (providers). The high octane premium $7.596 a gallon | | | | and increased barriers to entry (a provider must be a |
| (minute) gasoline is the public money paid from the | | | | common carrier, contracted to a common carrier, or |
| Interstate Relay Fund administered by the National | | | | part of a state relay program) make a strong case |
| Exchange Carriers Association. | | | | for the use of the lean production model. |
| The analogy gives insight into the changing dynamics | | | | Adopting the lean production model requires use of |
| of the profession of sign language interpreting. The | | | | Adam Smith's "invisible hand" philosophy. The market's |
| profession changed overnight when VRS became an | | | | (consumers/companies/labor) self-interests (profit) |
| enhanced form of telecommunications relay service | | | | further common interests among social agents (labor) |
| (TRS) and became a reimbursable service. There are | | | | favoring lean production companies that enhance the |
| distinct economic impacts affecting the labor force | | | | skill level of labor (interpreters). The leads the owners |
| (interpreters) the consumer (deaf, hard of hearing | | | | of companies to employ lean production methods and |
| and hearing citizens) and the businesses which | | | | since this is the interest of labor a win-win situation |
| represent the industry (telecommunications | | | | will occur. In order to increase the overall skill of a |
| companies and interpreting agencies). This is the first | | | | labor force companies must mobilize the intelligence |
| article in a series of articles to analyze the economic | | | | of the workforce, develop a variety of skills, sustain |
| impact of "lean production" first proposed by Karl | | | | worker curiosity, and not treat labor as isolated |
| Marx. Each article will offer a conceptual economic | | | | individuals (Tony Smith, 2000 Technology and Capital |
| analysis of the impact and offer suggestions meant | | | | in the Age of Lean Production). |
| to improve the overall outcome on the profession. | | | | VRS providers can adopt the lean production model |
| The labor force is the key to any industry; | | | | through guarantees of "employability". This differs |
| interpreters are the engine in the lean mean VRS | | | | from a guarantee of employment by building the |
| machine. Harry Braverman defined a skilled workforce | | | | inherent skills of an interpreter both in linguistics and |
| (Braverman, 1974, Labor and Monopoly Capital) as | | | | ethical analysis. The whole point of lean production is |
| "workers who become skilled (at a task(s)) through | | | | to produce more with less. When a company |
| years of experience, giving them a tacit knowledge | | | | employs the problem solving and critical thinking skills |
| of the production process (interpreting) lacking in | | | | of the workforce an interpreter's natural curiosity is |
| both managers and beginning workers. Such | | | | peaked. The pervasive use of temporary or |
| embodied knowledge grants them a form of power, | | | | independent contractors in the interpreting profession |
| a power manifested in the ability to control the | | | | provides a source of cheap submissive labor. When a |
| sequence of operations they perform and the pace | | | | company uses temporary contract workers beside |
| at which they work." Given this definition of skill, a | | | | long term employees the net effect is an easy |
| case can be made that increasing federal regulation | | | | replacement mentality driving down the motivation of |
| and widespread technologies intended to maintain | | | | the permanent workforce. This constant reminder |
| high levels of productivity, enhanced monitoring of | | | | that there is no shortage of people if they are |
| worker productivity and decision making removed | | | | unsatisfied with their working conditions is a |
| from the worker are "deskilling" the interpreter | | | | demotivator. |
| workforce. It is a common capitalistic desire to deskill | | | | The changing economics of sign language interpreting |
| the labor force. Braverman further described this | | | | require new models of workforce development. A |
| desire motivated by a reduction in labor costs | | | | sole profit oriented deskilling of the labor force will |
| allowing more profits to be retained by companies | | | | decrease motivation and drive up long term costs. |
| and managements increase in control over the labor | | | | The more reasonable invisible hand approach to lean |
| process when workers are deskilled and know they | | | | production economics create a workforce of |
| can be easily replaced. This goes against the interests | | | | intelligent, skilled, cohesive interpreters with long term |
| of the workforce. | | | | employability. |
| There is a positive side to capitalism, the "lean | | | | Imagine yourself driving the yellow supercharged |
| production" model. Marxian theory describes the lean | | | | Lotus, this time the engine has a fuel injection |
| production model as a counterexample to the | | | | smart-chip. Imagine yourself as the lean mean VRS |
| antagonistic situation described by Braverman. "The | | | | machine! |