Frequently asked questions

  • Now that we have overwhelmingly won our union at the Academy, it is time to start the process of bargaining our first contract (or collective bargaining agreement)! Just as we needed to hear from as many CAS staff as possible during our organizing drive, it is crucial that all eligible employees participate in the bargaining process.

    Right now the next steps we need to take in order to best prepare for bargaining are:

    1. Filling out the Bargaining Survey to determine what priorities and changes we want to negotiate for our first contract.

    2. Nominating staff from across departments for our Bargaining Team. (There is a section in the survey to nominate yourself or eligible colleagues.)

    3. Filling out and submitting your Membership Form.

  • No. Even if you signed a union authorization card or voted in the election, you still need to fill out the membership form. Union membership is required to fully participate in our union, because only members can vote on our first contract, attend member meetings, and hold union leadership positions. You can sign up to be a member of CalAcademy Workers United by completing this form.

  • Strong membership sends a robust signal of solidarity to Academy leadership, which will help us in negotiations. Just as it was important for a supermajority of us to vote and vote yes in our union election so that management saw that we stand together in wanting a say in our wages, benefits, and working conditions, it is also very important to make sure all eligible staff fill out our union membership form. Becoming a union member today and getting involved in the bargaining process will help us win the best first contract we need and deserve.

  • No one pays dues until our first contract is ratified. Once the first contract is negotiated and then ratified (voted on) by all CalAcademy Workers United members, dues of 1.74% will be automatically deducted from paychecks.

  • Now that we have won our union, we can collectively bargain over our wages, benefits, and working conditions, including raises each year for the life of the contract (typically 3 years). Wages are often a top priority in bargaining, so it is likely that CalAcademy Workers United will aim to create equitable and fair wage increases annually. Whether this is a priority will depend on your feedback from the bargaining survey.

    Through our union’s collective bargaining process we are choosing to work together to improve issues for everyone so that individual staff do not need to constantly advocate alone with little impact. That said, our union will not stop the Academy from offering any pay raises intended for this year/before our first contract is ratified.

  • No. Now that we are unionized as CalAcademy Workers United with SEIU 1021, we need to bargain our first contract. In the meantime, any raises or promotions that were in the works before Academy staff voted to unionize should be implemented as planned.

    While management must notify us and our field rep of these changes, CalAcademy Workers United and SEIU 1021 do not benefit from delaying promotions or raises. We have communicated to management on multiple accounts that we hold no objections to any pending changes of this nature. Most likely, those who are telling staff that their raises or promotions are being delayed by the union are grossly misinformed.

    If you are told that your raise or promotion is delayed by the union, then please reach out to your Field Rep, Mac Stevenson, at mac.stevenson@seiu1021.org.

  • We have envisioned, campaigned, and voted in overwhelming numbers to transform the power structure of our workplace by forming a union. We hope that the bargaining process will give shape to this change in a contract as soon as possible. That being said, management opposed our union vision during our recognition campaign–we should be prepared for delays that could come from management opposing improvements for Academy staff in our contract proposals. The quality of the contract we are able to negotiate, and the time it takes, will be determined by what kind of power we are able to organize in the negotiation process.

  • Our bargaining survey includes a section to nominate yourself or a coworker to the Bargaining Team and to the Contract Action Team (CAT). If more people are nominated and accept their nomination than there are seats (about 8-10 for the Bargaining Team), then we will have a Bargaining Team election.

  • Please fill out our bargaining survey! Everyone in the bargaining unit is highly encouraged to complete surveys and to be honest and transparent in answering about their priorities. All members are encouraged to stay in touch with the organizing committee for now to ask questions and give feedback throughout the process. Members are also encouraged to attend info sessions, union meetings, and actions to stay informed. Just as the organizing committee kept everyone updated as our organizing campaign progressed, the Bargaining Team and Contract Action Team (CAT) will also send out emails, post on Instagram, host lunch gatherings and tablings, and create other opportunities for engagement as we move forward into contract negotiations.

  • The CalAcademy Workers United bargaining team will be an elected committee of union members from across multiple departments and job classifications. The role of the Bargaining Team is to engage and survey coworkers across departments to identify bargaining priorities and develop contract proposals. With support from SEIU 1021 staff, the bargaining team will meet with senior leadership to negotiate for improved wages, benefits, and working conditions.

  • The CAT meets throughout negotiations to facilitate communication between the bargaining team and the entire union membership. The CAT is also responsible for planning and organizing events and actions throughout negotiations to build power and pressure senior leadership to bargain in good faith. Anyone can volunteer for the CAT.

  • SEIU Member Benefits are available to full, dues-paying members of our Union. Since there will be no dues deductions enacted until our first contract is ratified, these benefits are not yet accessible to our bargaining unit.

  • A union is a group of coworkers who come together to collectively improve their work lives. Our union, CalAcademy Workers United, will give us a voice in important decisions that impact us. By forming our union, we can improve job security, transparency, promotional opportunities, communication across departments, and staffing and scheduling issues.

  • The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) states that all workers in a bargaining unit should share a community of interest. We envision a strong, collaborative union that is cross-departmental and includes as many staff as the NLRA allows. Our organizing effort includes full-time, part-time and on-call staff, including those in salaried, hourly, grant-funded, and fixed-term positions.

  • Union members enjoy job security and the ability to negotiate pay increases, medical coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, and better working conditions. Through collective advocacy, and agreed-upon procedures for addressing workplace issues, unions increase transparency and can address challenges in meaningful ways. Not only will forming a union positively impact wages, benefits, and working conditions, but CalAcademy Workers United will help make California Academy of Sciences a better place for our visitors, volunteers, interns, students, and the community at large.

  • Yes! There are many staff unions at museums in SF and across the country. Staff at SFMOMA (OPEIU 29) formed their union in 1972. SEIU 1021, the union that CalAcademy Workers United is organizing with, currently represents staff unions at the de Young Museum, Asian Art Museum, the Exploratorium, and the Legion of Honor.

  • No. Volunteers are an integral, essential part of the Academy community–we work alongside them and value their contributions greatly. Practically every major non-profit institution in the country have vibrant, robust volunteer programs, including organizations in the Bay Area that have been unionized for decades like the Exploratorium, the de Young, the Asian Art Museum and the San Francisco Zoo.

  • You and your colleagues are the union! All eligible employees will answer this question together.

    Once CalAcademy Workers United is officially recognized through an election, all eligible employees will determine democratically what priorities we will bring to bargaining our first contract. Staff will also elect staff members to represent us in the bargaining process.

    While SEIU 1021 is supporting us with the knowledge and skills we need to win recognition and to win our first contract, the content of that contract is up to us. We will not fight for things that will harm the Academy or take away things that we like about our jobs.

  • No. Per the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) it is illegal to retaliate against anyone for forming or joining a union. Your employer will never know if you sign a union authorization card or how you vote in a union election. Millions of workers across industries, including non-profits and museums, have formed, joined, and been active in their unions.

  • Absolutely. If anyone suggests otherwise, they are in violation of federal labor law. Organizing at work is a fundamental right – learn more.

  • Federal labor law (Sec. 9b) unfortunately prohibits security guards from joining our bargaining unit. However, we commit to fully supporting security staff that wish to organize their own union. We stand in solidarity with all Academy staff that hope to improve their working conditions and will use whatever means at our disposal to do so. If you’re on staff as a security guard and would like to reach out, please do so here!

  • No. Unionizing does not mean you cannot go to your supervisor on your own with questions or workplace issues. Organizing a union with your co-workers means that if you can’t resolve issues on your own, there is a group of your colleagues who are ready to help you.

  • The union’s purpose is to create a better workplace for staff. Moreover, it is up to us to decide what we all want to see in the contract and what is important to us. For example, many collective bargaining agreements codify the right to flexible hours and schedules, outline a clear internal promotion process, and create opportunities for professional development stipends. Nothing in a union contract stops anyone from asking for a promotion or denies opportunities for expanding their skill sets.

  • Dues are currently 1.74% of base pay. We won’t start paying dues until we have successfully bargained our first contract, which union members must approve by a majority vote. Dues are the resources we pool together to ensure that we can negotiate and enforce strong contracts, and maintain a strong and active union.

  • No. Strikes are a powerful organizing tool and are used as a last resort. We would decide whether or not to strike by a majority vote. If at some point down the line we do choose to strike, then we will ensure that essential animal care staffing continues.