Bargaining Team Met. The CAPS Bargaining Team (CAPS Team) met again last week with the State’s Team to continue negotiating a successor MOU. In these meetings, the CAPS Team gave another presentation relating to the “Avoiding Collapse” presentation from several weeks ago; passed a member letter and a copy of California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) “Stay Survey”; exchanged several proposals; and tentatively agreed to five contract sections.
Shared Member Letter. As has become standard practice for your CAPS Team, a new letter from a member was shared with the State’s Team. The letter, from a State Scientist at CDPH, analyzed some of the data in CDPH’s “Stay Survey,” calling particular attention to the results of a question that pondered CDPH’s staff’s reasoning for their consideration of leaving the Department. The CAPS Team also shared the actual results of the Stay Survey with the State’s Team. Unfortunately, the results of CDPH’s survey are not hosted in a way that is shareable to members who do not have access to CDPH’s intranet, but it is worth noting that among the answers to the question why someone would consider leaving, the lack of a competitive salary and benefits package was the top response.
Presentation on Climate Change and Water. The CAPS Team also delivered a presentation related to our overall message that State Scientists’ salaries must be fixed to ensure the state is able to attract and retain skilled State Scientists to deal with the imminent public health and environmental crises that all Californians face. This week’s message centered around the work that many State Scientists perform for the Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and many other conservancy, river, and flood boards battling against the growing water crisis in California. The message was simple: With more frequent and more intense drought cycles already happening in California and around the world, the work of Unit 10 State Scientists will continue to be essential to navigate the looming peril that may befall our state if State Scientists are not actively and competitively retained. You can see the presentation on the CAPS website here.
Exchanged Several Proposals. The CAPS Team and the State’s Team exchanged several proposals this week. The CAPS Team passed proposals for Sections 3.23 – Personal Leave Program 2020; 6.3 – Business Equipment, Materials, and Supplies; and 10.10 – Employee-Union Orientation. The State’s Team also passed several proposals to the CAPS Team, including sections: 6.3 – Business Equipment, Materials, and Supplies; 7.10 – Telecommute Telework Program; 10.6 – Representative Time Off; 10.10 – Employee-Union Orientation; and how to incorporate the newly agreed to Side Letter Agreements on the Telework Stipend and the Joint Labor Management Committee on Telework. You can view CAPS’ proposals on the website here.
Tentatively Agreed to Five Sections. Both Teams managed to reach agreement on five sections. They included the following: Preamble; 7.11 – On-Call Assignments – Public Health; 7.12 – Telework Joint Labor Management Committee; 10.6 – Representative Time Off; 10.10 – Employee-Union Orientation. You can view these TA’d sections on the CAPS website here.
Looking Forward. The CAPS Team thanks you for your continued support as we move forward with negotiations for a successor MOU. The Teams are scheduled to meet two more times in February. Stay tuned.
In Solidarity,
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David Rist, Chair |
Margarita Gordus |
Justin D. Garcia |
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Jacqueline Tkac |
Itzia Rivera |
Maureen Lee-Dutra |