Your CAPS, UAW Local 1115, Bargaining Team (CAPS-UAW Team) met with the state yesterday afternoon.  The members of your CAPS-UAW Team are Jacqueline Tkac, Monty Larson, Anita Carraher, Steve Sander, Itzia Rivera, and Tiffany Kocis Richardson. Our UAW Representatives at the table with us are Anke Schennick and Kavitha Iyengar. 

For the first time, we had member observers from CAPS-UAW attend a bargaining session with the State. Your CAPS-UAW Team originally requested the attendance of 13 observers. A few hours before the meeting was supposed to start, the state denied our  request and let us know that they would only agree to three observers. To show our dedication to bargaining in good faith and to making progress on our contract without delay, your CAPS-UAW Team agreed to bring only three observers. The three observers were Bill Christner, Justin Garcia, and Mike Thomas from the Contract Action Team (CAT). We believe our request was unreasonably denied and that we went above and beyond with the notice we provided the State. We will be following up with the State, accordingly. 

We started by introducing our respective teams – there were new members on both sides of the table. The State did not have any proposals or materials prepared to present to or discuss with your CAPS-UAW Team. 

During the bargaining session, your CAPS-UAW Team submitted a proposal package of six parts related to the priority sections for bargaining (outstanding items during negotiations in 2023):

• 2.1 Salaries: proposes to re-establish pay equity across our unit by concretely connecting related classifications, the proposal includes retroactivity back to July 1, 2023
• 2.18 Geographic Pay Differential: proposes a geographic pay differential for employees working in specific counties
• 2.19 Longevity Pay Differential: proposes a progressive salary increase for employees with 15 years+ of State service 
• 2.25 Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention: One-Time Benefit – provides a one-time benefit of $1,250 to some CAL FIRE and CDPH State Scientists in recognition of their emergency response services and their work protecting the public health of California
• 3.25 Employee Donated Release Time Bank: establishes a bank to which employees can donate leave to the Union that can then be used at the discretion of the Union for union activities
• 5.1 Health, Dental, Vision: proposes an increase from 80% to 85% in the State contribution towards our health benefit premiums

You can see exactly what was proposed by your CAPS-UAW Team here.

Finally, there was discussion about the starting point of bargaining, and whether or not bargaining now starts completely fresh with all sections needing to be reviewed or if previously TA’d sections could remain as such. Your CAPS-UAW team will continue to discuss this topic with the State over the next week.The next bargaining session with the State is scheduled for May 14, 2024.

Stay tuned for more updates on bargaining. You can provide feedback to your CAPS-UAW Team at any time by filling out the form here.

UPDATE: The UAW International Executive Board has passed our Local 1115 charter application! Our UAW Local number is now OFFICIALLY Local 1115, in honor of the first day of our historic Defiance for Science strike on 11/15!