By admin 
A sea of green gathered midday Wednesday outside the California Department of Human Resources headquarters as about 250 scientists, dressed in matching t-shirts, picketed for raises and an end the governor’s return-to-office mandate.
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California Association Professional Scientists, UAW Local 1115, organized the picket after the legislature did not include raises for the scientists in this year’s budget — something union president Jacqueline Tkac said is outlined in their contract.
In CAPS-UAW’s contract, which expires next summer, state scientists were scheduled to receive special salary adjustments ranging from 3% to 5% on July 1, according to previous Bee reporting, but the Governor’s Office said those raises were contingent on the legislature setting aside funding.
California lawmakers did not appropriate the funding, so employees did not receive a raise. The wage increase would have totaled roughly $25 million.
“The legislature ratified” the contract,” Tkac said. “The governor himself signed it … and I think it’s pretty ridiculous that we’re even in this situation to begin with.”
Raises were expected on July 1, the same day that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office mandate went into effect, requiring many state workers be in office four days a week. Union members say commuting costs add to the pain of not getting the expected raises, ultimately taking away from their discretionary income.
“We have to pay for parking, we have to pay for gas, we have to pay for more car repairs,” said Anne Hilborn, a scientist who works on endangered species for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “It’s money that we can’t spend on other things.”
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Hilborn also said increased emissions from commutes generally harm the environment, going against what many state scientists are working toward. These RTO frustrations led the union to file with the Public Employment Relations Board earlier this summer. The case is in progress.
Telework is also top of mind for Sarah Proteau, an analyst for the California Department of Health Care Services who attended the picket despite belonging to a different union. Proteau was one of several SEIU Local 1000 members, including Chief Negotiator Bobby Roy, who supported their “sister union” Wednesday.
“If they can treat (one union) this way, they can treat (another) this way,” Proteau said.
Wednesday’s picket comes as legislators returned to session earlier this week. Hilborn said she’s watching to see if lawmakers will fund scientist wages through alternative methods, like a trailer bill. Many union members are also watching AB 1729, a bill that would encourage state agencies to allow their employees to work remotely.
The telework bill, spearheaded by Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-San Jose, could save upwards of $225 million, according to an auditor report, which a Senate Committee on Appropriations analysis says is more than the roughly $10 million in annual implementation costs. The bill is will be heard by that same committee Aug. 13.
Even with the potential savings, the bill would require Newsom to sign it, which is largely considered unlikely.
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This story was originally published August 5, 2026 at 4:15 PM.