Board of Directors’ Meeting. The next Board of Directors’ meeting (the inaugural meeting of the 2019-2021 Board of Directors) is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, 2019, at the Holiday Inn Sacramento, Downtown-Arena (300 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814), commencing at 9 a.m.
All members are welcome to attend; parking will be validated. The Draft Agenda and Draft Proposed Motions can be found on the CAPS website in the Members Only section.
Know Your Rights. Overtime/CTO. For Scientists in Work Week Group 2, (i.e. those who do qualify for Overtime), CAPS MOU, Section 7.7, states, “Employees in Work Week Group 2 required to work in excess of forty (40) hours per week shall be compensated for such ordered overtime either by cash payment or compensating time off in the following manner:
- Cash compensation shall be at one and one-half (1 1/2) times the hourly rate.
- Compensating time off for Work Week Group 2 employees shall be given at one and one-half (1 1/2) hours for each overtime hour worked.”
Overtime is defined in the MOU as “all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a period of 168 hours, or seven consecutive 24-hour periods.” If you encounter issues with Overtime or CTO, contact CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org).
Know Your Rights. Professional Society Dues. CAPS MOU, Section 15.8 provides for a reimbursement for all State Scientists up to $100 per year “for membership dues in one or more job-related professional societies or associations of the employee’s choice.” Questions about whether a Professional Society is job-related should be directed to your Supervisor. Issues with securing this reimbursement? Contact CAPS (caps@capsscientists.org).
News Briefs
Nearly 600 ex-EPA officials want Congress to investigate agency over ‘inappropriate threat of use’ of authority – CNN
Nearly 600 former Environmental Protection Agency officials are calling on Congress to investigate the Trump administration’s “inappropriate threat of use of EPA authority” against the state of California over recent environmental policies.
Fired EPA scientists to release air pollution report they say agency unqualified to issue – NBC
Nearly one year ago, the Trump administration fired a panel of more than two dozen scientific experts who assisted the Environmental Protection Agency in its review of air quality standards for particulate matter. Now, as the EPA prepares its report on those standards later this month, 20 of those scientists met independently to prepare the release of their own assessment of current air pollution levels, with a focus on the particles from fossil fuels that can make people sick.