CAPS UPDATE 9/19
Highlights in this update:
Your CAPS Bargaining Team has Filed an Impasse Determination Worksite Meetings Scheduled Join the Conversation: CAPS Bargaining Forum Keep your membership records updated! Join the Contract Action Team (CAT) Past Bargaining Updates and Proposal Status always available
Your CAPS Bargaining Team Filed a Request for an Impasse Determination. On Wednesday, September 6 your CAPS Bargaining Team (CAPS Team) unanimously voted to file unilaterally for an impasse determination from the Public Employees Relations Board (PERB). CAPS legal counsel submitted the filing to PERB on September 19, 2023. IMPORTANT: CAPS and the State will not be at formal impasse unless and until PERB formally decides on the matter. PERB has 5 business days to provide a determination.
Prior to our filing, your CAPS Team informed the State of CAPS’ intent to request an impasse determination and invited the State to join us in a mutual filing. The State refused to do so, yet still made no additional efforts to reach a tentative agreement.
Your CAPS Team believes we are at impasse with the State and no more progress toward a tentative agreement can be reached without the help of a meditator.
Should PERB agree with your CAPS Team and determine we’re at an impasse, the Team will select a mediator from a list provided by PERB to assist in continued discussions with the State. Should PERB disagree, your CAPS Team will return to the table and continue discussions with the State.
Details about what impasse means and procedures that follow are available here: Bargaining Procedures.
At this time, the Evergreen Clause remains in place for CAPS’ 2018-2020 MOU. Should PERB determine impasse exists, your CAPS Team has the ability to call for a strike based on the 93.51% approval vote of the Strike Authorization from the membership on September 1, 2023, but those circumstances have not currently been met.
Worksite Meetings Scheduled. Your CAPS Team understands we are entering into time that will bring many questions and will be providing more detailed information at worksite meetings scheduled for this week. There are still two worksite meetings available on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, for members to attend. Be sure to attend with your colleagues! See the schedule, and register to attend here. Only members can attend these worksite meetings. Encourage your Scientist colleagues who haven’t joined our union yet, to become CAPS members TODAY. Our power to achieve your demands depends on the strength, power, and participation of our union membership.
If you are unable to attend the worksite meetings, please email the CAPS general inbox ([email protected]) with questions.
Stay Involved! Keep up the pressure by continuing to attend your Tuesday Solidarity Breaks! Being connected to your colleagues while showing the Administration that you stand behind your Bargaining Team is more important now than ever. Learn more about solidarity breaks on the Union Action page on the CAPS Website here. More actions are being planned, too, so stay tuned!
Keep your Information Up to Date! Make sure your records are up to date, including your PERSONAL email address and phone number. In the future there may be a need to send some communications to personal email instead of members work email. Update your records here: https://capsscientists.org/members/update/.
Join the Contract Action Team! The Contract Action Team (CAT) is a statewide network of CAPS leaders dedicated to organizing State Scientists to win a fair contract. CAT is an extension of the CAPS Member Action Committee (MAC). If you want to get more involved with organizing union actions or want to be a contact for your particular worksite, please apply to join the CAT here.
Join the Conversation. Want to talk to your fellow members about bargaining? Have questions about the current status of Bargaining? Join the CAPS Bargaining Forum and chat with each other scientist to scientist.
Bargaining Updates Archive and Proposal Status. You can see what proposals were passed and tentatively agreed to here. You can always access past and current Bargaining Updates here.