UAW Affiliation Vote

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.

UAW Affiliation Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Affiliation Resources for Supervisors and Managers
CAPS-UAW Affiliation Agreement
2/24/2024 Board Motions
Nonmembers: join your union by March 17, 2024 to vote!
Members: provide your ballot contact information

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. 

Provide the contact information for your ballot here!

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. 

Joining CAPS by March 17th secures your eligibility to vote to ratify this affiliation agreement and exercise the power of your voice as a member of our union. There are many benefits to being a part of CAPS, and securing an affiliation with the UAW adds to that.

Become a member of your union, today!

Completion of the Vote

Balloting will close on March 31, 2024 at 11:30 p.m., and results will be released as soon as practicable once the election ends. Following an affirmative vote of CAPS members to affiliate with the UAW and certification by CAPS Secretary that a quorum was present for the vote, the UAW will immediately charter CAPS as a local union.
SIGN THE CAPS-UAW PHOTO PETITION!

You and your fellow scientists have a chance to speak directly to this administration. Your Bargaining Committee goes back to the table, where our goal is to share the photo petition! 

You can show this administration that you and your colleagues are united in our demand for equitable pay, and a fair contract that ends the gender pay gap for Bargaining Unit 10 by signing this photo petition. It takes about 30 seconds to sign! 

With over 1,500 fellow scientists signing the photo petition already, your participation matters in conveying our message.

Once a majority of state scientists sign, we, the Bargaining Committee, will work with the Contract Action Team (CAT) to present the petition as a photo collage to this administration to demonstrate our collective power. This action is for your salaries and your future. 

Already signed? Get two of your colleagues to sign the petition as well.  

Participation makes us strong, so take action now!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PHOTO PETITION!

Check out this link to see how a photo collage from a successful organizing campaign looks. Join your colleagues in making yourself heard as we demand fair pay.