UPDATE: The CAPS Board has now created an official strike hardship fund. Please donate there instead: https://givebutter.com/StateScience

The Purpose of This Fund

California state scientists have been fighting for pay equity and a fair contract* with the state for over three years. In August 2023, rank and file members of California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS) voted overwhelmingly to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike if a fair deal can not be reached at the table.

In light of the recent Strike Authorization Vote, rank and file members have identified the need for a safety net to support already struggling coworkers if a strike is called. This fund is a grassroots effort by a group of rank and file CAPS members to meet that need.

In the event of a strike, the funds will be:

Used to support striking CAPS members experiencing hardship
Used for picket materials including food and beverages for striking workers
Donated to the official CAPS strike fund (if it is created)

If no strike is called, the funds will be donated to the official CAPS strike fund to save for the future. If an official CAPS strike fund is not created, then funds can be used to support new members for whom membership fees at the start of their employment is a hardship, or donated to another union's strike fund.

Click here to see how funds are being spent.

*Background on State Scientists' Fight for Pay Equity

What do State Scientists Do?

State Scientists perform a broad range of critical functions for the state including:

safety inspections for food and agricultural facilities
protecting public health
responding to toxic chemical and oil spills
managing natural lands to be more resilient to climate change and wildfire
protecting fish and wildlife, including endangered species
protecting and overseeing the state’s natural resources, and the economies they support
keeping air and water clean

What does CAPS mean by pay equity?

State scientists are at the bargaining table asking for their labor, education and expertise to be valued by the state of California.

Despite performing similar and sometimes identical job duties to environmental engineers, state scientists are paid 40-60% less. From 1984 to the early 2000’s, scientists and engineers were compensated comparably as a result of comparable duties. However, wages began to drift as engineers and scientists were split into two bargaining units.

The pay gap between rank-and-file scientists and their managers also grew. After a like pay for like work lawsuit against the state, the historical pay equity between scientist and engineer supervisors was restored. However, this was not extended to rank-and-file scientists. A typical pay difference between the staff and the supervisors used to be 15%. Now, it’s closer to 60%. This is among the highest, if not the highest, gap in state service.

More Information

See this opinion piece by the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board for a good summary of the current situation.

For the full bargaining platform and updates visit capscontract2023.org

CA State Scientists Strike Support and Hardship Fund

By Rank and File CAPS

CA State Scientists Strike Support and Hardship Fund

Rank-and-File-Organized Fund to Support State Scientists