In This Issue:
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Use Your Power: VOTE!
November 5 is the last day to vote in local, state, and national elections. This important right is another way to use our collective power to support ballot measures and elect authorities to advance State Scientists’ and all UAW workers’ values and interests.
That’s why CAPS-UAW Local 1115 has endorsed a total of 83 candidates for seats in the State Legislature and local government races in California. You’ll find those lists here. More broadly, UAW has endorsed candidates for California’s seats in Congress, city races, and ballot measures. You’ll find those lists here.
Two endorsed candidates are your fellow state scientists!
City of Sacramento
RAE VANDER WERF, running for the American River Flood Control Board is an ES who works for the Water Board and is your CAPS-UAW Vice President
City of Eureka
SCOTT BAUER, running for the City Council is an ES Supervisor with Fish and Wildlife
Remember at the ballot to vote pro-labor, vote-pro science!
Please consider this information when you vote.
We Don’t Just Endorse. We Work to Support Our Candidates!
Your CAPS-UAW leaders and members recently knocked on doors to get out the vote for two candidates who believe in civil service, who believe strong unions are key to a strong middle class, and who believe in science driven policy. Their success on Election Day is a success for state scientists.
Our efforts supported California Assembly District 7 candidate Porsche Middleton and California Congressional District 3 candidate Jessica Morse. Their opponents are not on the side of working people. Both races present an opportunity to flip seats that anti-labor politicians have held.
Assembly District 7 straddles highways 80 and 50 in Sacramento County. California Congressional District 3 runs along the California-Nevada border and includes portions of Yuba, El Dorado, and Sacramento counties.
Here are some photos from our October canvassing work, which was part of a coordinated, larger effort by UAW to get out the vote for candidates who value organized labor and our agenda for California State Scientists and all working people.
CalHR Releases Order to Process Our Pay Raises
Our hard-won pay raises will begin showing up soon, since CalHR issued an October 16 Pay Letter instructing the State Controller’s Office (SCO) to issue the higher salaries and, separately, back pay.
The Sacramento Bee recently reported that the SCO said rank-and-file Bargaining Unit 10 scientists should expect to see our salary adjustments reflected beginning October 30. CalHR recently confirmed to CAPS-UAW that separate checks reflecting pay increases retroactive to July 1, 2024, and through September 30, 2024, should be issued in October.
Occasionally, the SCO experiences challenges with applying payroll changes. Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee is in contact with CalHR and the SCO to monitor progress in processing the increases to our compensation.
The pay letter covers the Special Salary Adjustments (SSAs) we won through negotiations (effective 07/01/2024), along with the following pay differentials:
- Longevity Pay (new, effective retroactive to 07/01/2024)
- Geographic Pay (new, effective retroactive to 07/01/2024)
- Fire Mission Pay (new, effective 10/01/2024)
- Certification Credential Pay for Industrial Hygienists at DIR (new, effective 10/01/2024)
- Bilingual Pay (increases effective 07/01/2024)
- Educational Pay differential (improvements effective 10/01/2024).
You can read a copy of Pay Letter 24-31 here. The pay scales found on CalHR’s website should be updated in November. The full CAPS-UAW contract is available here. The agreement’s summary is here.
CAPS-UAW Catalyst Committee Shaping Our Union’s Future
Our union made a lot of progress in the last four years. It’s truly because of you – the members – that we have progressed so far. Now, it’s time for us to shift focus.
The next milestone for CAPS-UAW Local 1115 is to reimagine the structure of our union from top to bottom and to draft our local union bylaws to conform with the UAW Constitution by March 31, 2025.
That’s why your Board of Directors has named 20 members – rank-and-file, supervisory, and managerial – to research and rethink how to accomplish our unending mission to build our collective power. They are:
- JaShawn Combs – Environmental Scientist (Caltrans)
- Cory Copeland – Senior Environmental Scientist, Supervisor (Bay Conservation Development Commission)
- Danielle Cucchiara (Dani) – Associate Toxicologist (Dept. of Toxic Substances Control)
- Cyndi Dawson – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
- Alyssa De La Rosa – Senior Environmental Scientist, Supervisor (Dept. of Cannabis Control)
- John Downs – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
- Justin Garcia – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
- Carina Grove – Environmental Scientist (State Water Resource Control Board)
- Robert Haerr – Environmental Scientist (Dept. of Public Health)
- Ashley Harley – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (CalRecycle)
- Shaun Philippart – Environmental Program Manager I (Dept. of Water Resources)
- Itzia Rivera – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (Dept. of Water Resources)
- Mia Roberts – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
- Anthony Rosas – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (Dept. of Toxic Substances Control)
- Steven Sander – Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist (CalRecycle)
- Julea Shaw – Environmental Scientist (Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
- Laurie Stephey – Environmental Scientist (Dept. of Toxic Substances Control)
- Zach Teachout – Environmental Scientist (Dept of Cannabis Control)
- Chun-Sheng Wang – Senior Environmental Scientist, Supervisor (Caltrans)
- Alex Wyckoff – Energy Analyst (California Energy Commission)
The Committee has specific critical tasks to perform that include:
- Researching other union locals with multiple and/or amalgamated units to see their leadership structure, with an emphasis on statewide and amalgamated units
- Collecting robust and representative feedback from members
- Developing and presenting options for leadership structures
- Presenting the scope of potential changes that need further investigation
The Board has also asked the Committee to present a report with its findings at the CAPS-UAW Board of Directors Meeting on Saturday, December 14.
Stay tuned for an exciting opportunity to provide feedback as, together, we build our union and our collective power!
CAPS-UAW Accepting Applications for $500 Professional Development Grants
The CAPS-UAW Member Benefits Committee is accepting applications for one of four Professional Development Grants of $500 available for the last quarter of 2024.
The grants provide support for scientific research and professional development not fully funded by the state. Previous winners have used the funds, for example, to pay registration for work-related conferences, the travel cost to make a presentation, and academic coursework.
The next application deadline for consideration by the Member Benefits Committee is December 31. Once submitted, applications remain eligible for consideration for two quarters. For more details about Professional Development Grants and how to apply for this members-only benefit, go to capsscientists.org/application/benefits/grant.
Membership Percentages
Help build our power as CAPS-UAW and welcome new state scientists to our union! Sign up here for training as a Rank-and-File New Employee Orientations facilitator. This link opens the sign-up form to receive training as a Supervisor/Manager New Employee Orientations facilitator. These opportunities are open to all CAPS-UAW members.
As of October 22, 67% of Unit 10 State Scientists were CAPS-UAW members, including rank-and-file, supervisors, and manager membership.