Equal Pay CA – CAPS Contract

CAPS-UAW

Equal Pay California

Equal Value. Equal Pay.

Gavin Newsom’s failure to recognize the comparability of the value of work for jobs that employ a higher proportion of females than males undermines the work of women. To address this, 4,400 rank-and-file CAPS-UAW represented California State Scientists are demanding:

Gavin Newsom acknowledge that our female-dominated bargaining unit has done and continues to do substantially similar work to a male-dominated bargaining unit of engineers and compensate us accordingly by restoring our historical equitable salary relationships.

In January 2022, when the State of California, as an employer, signed its own Equal Pay Pledge, the First Partner stated: “As the state’s largest employer, California is leading by example. I call on other employers to join us as we work to create a California where all women are valued, respected, and paid equitably.”

For California to be an employer of choice for State Scientists and reflect this Administration’s commitment to pay equity and leading with science, the severe pay inequities State Scientists face need to be fixed.

There is a pay gap that exists between State scientists and State engineers.
- It’s directly correlated with state scientists being predominantly female and state engineers being predominantly male.
- Same “horizontal pay gap,” with different framing.
- They’re being paid more because they are predominantly male.
This administration claims to support ending gender pay gap–this should resonate.

Unit	Female	Male	Average Annual Wages*
R10	54%	46%	$87,830
R09	25%	75%	$125,292

*2023

Some research suggests that fields with a greater proportion of women pay lower salaries, possibly because employers “ascribe a lower value for the work done in occupations with a high share of females and consequently set lower wage levels.”

– CalMatters: ‘Morale killer’: California scientists battle over pay disparities, 2022

I have worked at the Central Coast Water Board for 30 years, starting while in graduate school as a student intern in 1994. My counterparts across the state have been seniors, engineers, and geologists. I am doing the exact same work as my engineering colleagues, yet, I am valued over 40% less. California, as an employer, should be leading by example. Not having a cost of living raise in two years further widens the gap and impacts my security and savings.

The State of California is deeply self congratulatory about getting more women into STEM, however, once we are here there is little to no support for us. The work that I do as an Environmental Scientist is fundamental to a healthy future for the State of California and meets Governor Gavin Newsom’s major environmental agendas. However, working as a woman in a woman dominated field we have consistently been underpaid as compared to our male dominated engineer colleagues. The effect and intent of this is obvious: the State of California and Gavin Newsom believe that women’s work is optional and does not need to be compensated similarly to men’s work.

I have three degrees and a certification, and I take on a second job 12 times a month including every weekend and nights while caring for two kids. I can’t meet my basic bills and go without food frequently. I effectively make less now than when I started with the state three years ago. I’m currently job hunting and ready to leave the State.

My financial life has been consistently unstable and needed to file bankruptcy during the last furloughs because as a single mom, any reduction in pay is financial ruin. My career at DTSC for 22 years has not resulted in any growth to my financial outlook regardless of the professional contributions I make and performing the same degree of technical work as supervisors and engineers. I have experienced severe anxiety, depression and hopelessness from this classification path. I only hope for others that come on board this will finally change to ensure this vital work doesn't suffer any further damages. I have rejected offers to help at career fairs or recruit people to this classification out of dignity and respect for prospective candidates.

“There’s reason to be hopeful, as the Governor appears to have pay equity for state workers on his political radar. He convened a task force to develop, in part, recommendations on pay equity; signed the California Pay Equity Pledge, an initiative of the First Partner; and proposed a Key Data Initiative to gather more information to pinpoint pay inequities. But promises and plans don’t help state scientists pay their monthly bills, and they remain at the bargaining table, negotiating to bring their salaries and benefits to par with state engineers. The governor and state legislature need to bring these negotiations to a close – with a guarantee of pay equity for California’s citizen scientists.”

Kate Karpilow’s State scientists deserve pay equity, 2022