Union Action

Sign the Photo Petition

Let the Governor and his Administration know that our membership stands united in demanding a fair contract that ends the gender pay gap NOW! Take 30 seconds to add yourself to our photo petition! Hundreds of your fellow State Scientists have already signed on! Once a majority of rank-and-file scientists sign on to the photo petition, your Contract Action Team (CAT) will publish it and show this administration what collective power looks like! Our power is in our participation, so please take action today!  

Practice Picketing is an action which allows you and your colleagues to give the State a taste of what could come if negotiations don’t improve! Neither the State, nor the landlords  managing State Department buildings, want bad press that would come from State Scientists picketing their buildings. Let’s put the pressure on the Administration to come to an agreement with CAPS that values State Scientists! Please review the Practice Picketing Toolkit here to learn more about Practice Picketing!

When: During your lunch break or other scheduled break time, starting Tuesday, October 24, 2023! 

Where: A worksite near you! Check the Practice Picketing Captain List for updated locations. If your worksite is not on the list, consider volunteering as the Practice Picketing Captain at your worksite here.

How to participate: 

• See if your worksite is on the Practice Picketing Captain List! If not, consider volunteering as the Practice Picketing Captain at your worksite here. 
• Review the Practice Picketing Toolkit here.
• Make a plan with your colleagues to show up, wear CAPS Green, grab a sign, and get to practice picketing so the State knows what they could be in for, should the CAPS Bargaining Team call for an official strike. 

The Goal: 

You and your colleagues will continue to put pressure on this Administration! They have heard loud and clear from your CAPS Bargaining Team that their offers at the Bargaining Table are not enough, and that they need to #ValueScientists! Now, you and your colleagues can continue to turn up the heat by practice picketing at your State office building! 

NOTE: You can download the Practice Picketing Social Media Posts here. 

Participate in CAPS Solidarity Breaks! Pursuant to California Labor Law, you are entitled to regular break periods every shift. The CAPS Solidarity Breaks Action is for you to take your regular break period with other State Scientist colleagues on TUESDAYS. These breaks are meant to be taken in solidarity with the CAPS Bargaining Team who are meeting with the State on Tuesdays to help us win a better contract. 

Coordination of CAPS Solidarity Breaks can be easy. See the materials CAPS has produced to help you get a group together to stand together!

• CAPS Solidarity Breaks are the next step in  actions to win a fair contract. Ready to participate? See Best Practices and Talking points here to encourage your colleagues and organize your worksite! 
• Still have some questions about what, when, and how? See the Frequently Asked Questions here.

CAPS Solidarity Breaks are meant to be a VISUAL Action! Take to social media to be sure that your breaks are making the noise CAPS needs. Take a picture of yourself and your colleagues rocking your CAPS green! (Still need a shirt? Order one here!) Tag CAPS on social media: @capsscientists (Instagram and Twitter), and use the hashtag #ValueScientists. Email your photos to caps@capsscientists.org to be featured on CAPS’ social media.

The Goal: 

Solidarity Breaks will bring a visual aspect to worksites of the important work that scientists do day in and day out. Additionally, the visual impact makes noise all on its own to management and the Administration. Take a CAPS Solidarity Break to show that YOU support YOUR Bargaining Team and are participating in actions to illustrate to the Administration that CAPS Scientists need to be VALUED via compensation that recognizes the important work that we do. 

Not in the office on Tuesdays? See here for more information on how YOU can participate in this action. 

Update your email signature block to contain one of the following approved-by-CAPS statements:

• Value Science. Value Scientists! 
• Value (Insert your area of work)? Value Scientists. 

We are calling upon the State to VALUE Science and VALUE Scientists, who work tirelessly to ensure that Californians are protected from life-threatening diseases, safeguard our wildlife and abundant natural resources, ensure the safety of our food, and protect our air and water from toxic waste and pollution. 

IMPORTANT! Be Advised. Make sure you can participate! Please be sure to review the convenient Departmental Chart here to see if you can participate. Should you choose to participate in this Member Action while working for a department whose policy does not allow it, you may be subject to disciplinary action. CAPS may be unable to rectify such disciplinary action for members who choose to participate regardless of the policy. So, be sure that you can participate without disciplinary action before you do! 

The Goal: 

This action is another way to visibly show your support for your CAPS Bargaining Team and educate others about our issues. Take action to illustrate to the State that YOU and YOUR COLLEAGUES are engaged, unified and deserve to be VALUED via compensation that recognizes the important work that you do.