This page is updated by CAPS Leadership as questions and feedback come in. Last updated: 03/15/2024.
On Saturday, February 24, 2024 your CAPS Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve an affiliation agreement between CAPS and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), and to bring the agreement to the membership for a ratification vote. Notice of the vote was provided to members on February 24, 2024, pursuant to Article III of the CAPS Bylaws.
CAPS members will decide whether we affiliate as a local of the UAW. Should the membership vote to affiliate, the affiliation agreement shall become effective and the UAW will immediately charter CAPS as a local union. Should the membership decline to affiliate, CAPS will continue as an independent union with no change.
The Vote
The ratification vote shall begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 18, 2024 and conclude at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
The vote shall occur via an electronic voting system using ElectionBuddy, an independent third-party vendor. ElectionBuddy will administer the balloting and tabulate the results of the Affiliation Agreement vote.
The secret ballot shall include the question, “Ratify the “Affiliation Agreement: California Association of Professional Scientists and International Union, UAW” approved by the CAPS Board of Directors on February 24, 2024?”
Voting Options
The voting options on the secret ballot for the Affiliation Agreement are: APPROVE, REJECT, or ABSTAIN.
Vote YES to APPROVE the Affiliation Agreement to charter CAPS as a local union of the UAW. Vote NO to REJECT the Affiliation Agreement and keep CAPS as an independent union with no change. Provided that quorum requirements are met (quorum = majority of members), a majority approval of members returning valid ballots is required to ratify the affiliation agreement.
Ballots returned with a vote to ABSTAIN will only count towards the quorum required in Article III Section 4(b) of the CAPS Bylaws, and will NOT be counted towards the majority vote required to ratify the affiliation agreement pursuant to Article III Section 5 of the CAPS Bylaws.
Ballot Distribution
Members will receive a link to their individual secret ballot from ElectionBuddy at their personal email address and cell phone number on file with CAPS on Monday, March 18, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. Members will also be sent a postcard to their home address currently on file with CAPS with an individualized QR code that can be scanned to access their personal secret ballot. ElectionBuddy’s software only allows each person to vote once, so members can choose to use their ballot sent via email or text message, or scan their postcard with a QR code.
CAPS members, provide your preferred contact information HERE to ensure you receive your ballot. Your voice is your vote! Make sure you get your ballot by providing your preferred contact information here, even if you have provided it to CAPS before. We have heard of issues in past elections with ballots not being delivered, and this form addresses this. The information provided in the form will be cross-referenced with what is currently on file to ensure we provide your correct information to our third-party election vendor. It will ensure your voice is heard through your vote!
You will need to know your membership identification number to fill out the contact form. If you have not received your CAPS Membership ID# before at either your personal or work email address, please fill out this form. Please be sure to check all of your email accounts (including spam folders) before contacting CAPS Leadership using the aforementioned form.
Eligible Voters
Only dues-paying members on the day the vote begins are eligible to submit a ballot for the ratification vote of the CAPS-UAW Affiliation Agreement.