CAWU Chapter Leadership Announcement
On Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 12pm, nominations for chapter officers were closed. Before the nomination acceptance deadline of Sunday, March 22, 2026, the following duly nominated members have accepted the following chapter leadership positions:
President: Teddy Vollman
Vice President: Jasmine Bost
Secretary/Treasurer: Marie Angel
Chief Steward (Interim): Holly Rosenblum
COPE Coordinator: Natalie Kramm
Membership Coordinator: Ian Hart
The Election Committee has received and confirmed nominations for all open leadership positions. For each position, only one eligible nominee accepted the nomination. Per the election announcement sent to all CAWU members on February 17, 2026, each nominee is considered duly elected by acclamation and no vote is required for any position.
Congratulations to all the members of Cal Academy Workers United on this momentous occasion and many thanks to the nominees for stepping forward to lead our chapter forward. All duly elected CAWU Chapter Officers will be sworn in at the All Unit Meeting on April 28, 2026.
In solidarity,
Your Election Committee: Goose Contreras, Jamie Rogers, and Natalie Tan-Torres and Elizabeth Travelslight, Field Representative - SEIU 1021
Union events & updates 3/7/26
There’s a lot coming up and we’re about to elect our chapter’s first leadership cohort! Read about the positions and nominate your colleagues or yourself here. This is a great opportunity to affect real change and build a more democratic workplace. Get in touch with the Elections Committee with questions via elections@calacademyworkersunited.org.
If you haven’t already, make it official and sign up for membership ASAP! You must be signed up for membership to vote in our upcoming elections. If you’re not sure if you're a member, respond to this message and we’ll check.
Sunday, March 8
Learn about some of the historical accomplishments of your labor movement on International Women’s Day this Sunday.
Saturday, March 14
Sign up now for the Bay Resistance training in democratic movement building at Mission High School next Saturday, March 14. You will leave inspired and connected.
Saturday, March 28
Plan to attend a demonstration on No Kings Day, Saturday, March 28.
Tuesday, March 31
Your union alongside our colleagues in Conciencia are organizing a Cesar Chavez Day celebration 11am - 1pm in the classroom. Popcorn and light snacks provided. Come and go as you please.
Friday, May 1
RSVP for May Day with your colleagues. Join this historic nation-wide demonstration for democracy. No Work. No School. No shopping.
A Final Note on Reclassification
We have reached the conclusion of the reclassification process for this portion of our contract. If you presented a case for reclassification, you should have received communication from PACT last Wednesday.
To reflect on the road so far: several bargaining team members stepped in to witness the many requests for promotion, correction, and/or reclassification. We saw teams come together to clearly articulate the work they care so deeply about, and we also witnessed the bravery of individuals advocating on their own behalf. At the conclusion of every presentation, CAWU bargaining team members made a point to state our approval of all 78 requests as submitted.
We then met with management multiple times to reach as much agreement as possible, knowing they would not approve every request. As a result, some members have been approved, some will be given the opportunity to participate in a job audit process, and many unfortunately received denials. While we cannot erase the frustration or disappointment felt by those who received “no” decisions, we want you to know how proud we are of the work you did to surface and articulate these issues.
One final point we want to emphasize is that this entire process brought to light how years of limited transparency and the absence of a clear promotion policy have—unsurprisingly—created widespread classification issues across departments. While we did not achieve reclassification for all 78 members, it is important to acknowledge that a significant number were approved. None of this would have been possible prior to unionization. CAWU secured this opportunity for our members, and we did not walk away empty-handed.
Whether you are satisfied with your outcome and want to pay it forward, or frustrated and determined to make this a priority for the JLMC, the answer remains the same: get involved. Chapter election nominations will take place at the next all-unit meeting. Please stay tuned for a more detailed email from the election committee outlining that process.
With that, this marks what we believe to be the final major task of the bargaining committee. It has been an honor to serve you in this capacity. Thank you for challenging us, supporting us, and trusting us throughout this work.
Sincerely,
Your CAWU Bargaining Team
Reclassification and JLMC updates
Please wear your union shirts and pins on Tuesday for the All-Staff meeting in the afternoon.
Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC)
The first meeting was on January 13th. Several CAT and Bargaining Team members along with Elizabeth Travelslight (Field Representative, SEIU Local 1021) represented your union and Michael Costanzo, Saba Kraja, Natalie Torchia, and Summer Britt represented CAS management.
The JLMC worked on the remaining edits to the final contract draft, discussing a schedule for future meetings, and suggested topics for future meetings. You can read the notes here.
Reclassification
Your Bargaining Team met with Management on January 5th and 12th to gather information about management’s approach and decision making process. Management's goal is to send out decision memos by the end of the month. Reclassification can also be discussed at the JLMC to work towards a fair promotion process in the future.
Reclassification Update
Your bargaining team met with management Monday morning to get an update about the reclassification process. Here’s what we heard from Management:
A summary of the process from their perspective so far and an update that they have reviewed each case thoroughly. They confirmed managers and directors were consulted about cases.
While they have extensive data to reference, they confirmed no decisions have been made, and they are hoping to partner with us in sifting through the request data.
The budget was listed as a constraint for possibly agreeing to some cases.
They also acknowledged that there is a problem with the entire classification/promotion ladder, and seemed interested in the future joint labor management working relationship to address this.
Management will send bargaining team members a working list of requests to review and we have another meeting scheduled to talk through the cases.
The next meeting is set for December 22nd so expect to receive another update then.
This next phase of our union will be shaped by the involvement of our members. CAT meets every Wednesday at 12pm in L2E-L. Consider becoming a shop steward, or getting involved with the Joint Labor Management Committee once it’s established.
Reclassification update and shirt/button day on Tuesday Dec 9
Management has scheduled a meeting with your bargaining team this coming Monday morning to present their “preliminary findings” on reclassification.
We look forward to seeing management’s work and reviewing their cost analysis, which we expect will include meaningful context for assessments about affordability. Expect an update after the meeting.
While we hope that management will demonstrate good faith and commitment to fairness— including equal pay for equal work and pay that is at least on par with that of peer institutions— past experience has shown that just asking for these things isn't all that it takes to get them.
We are particularly concerned that management will take the position that reclassification is only for clerical errors. If there’s one thing you need to know, it’s that the reclassification agreement does not say that reclassification is only for clerical errors.
What can you do right now? Stay informed, talk to your colleagues, and be visible.
To show solidarity and unity over our demands for fairness and accountability, please wear your union shirts and pins to the All-Staff meeting on Tuesday, Dec 9.
CAWU September News
Reclassification Update
Congratulations to everyone (47 and counting!) who presented their cases for job title changes and/or reclassification over the past three weeks!
You made it very clear that a lot of work needs to be done in order to make the job structure at the Academy more fair and equitable. You came with solutions, and you also showed management and each other what solidarity looks like.
So far we don’t know how management will respond to the excellent work you have done so far. There are still about 18 more presentations to go. Your Bargaining Team is working with PACT to schedule the remaining presentations.
All-Unit meeting Tuesday, September 23
Join us at noon in the Shakespeare Garden for our monthly meeting for all members. We’ll report back about our first session of steward training, discuss what’s next in developing chapter governance, and report on where we are at with reclassification. Also, share your thoughts about what Academy trustees should know about what it’s like to work at the Academy of Sciences.
We’ll be writing our chapter bylaws in the coming weeks, check out this Chapter Bylaws Template to learn more about what’s included. Discussion of Bylaws will be the topic of the October 8 Contract Action Team meeting.
Board of Trustees Meeting September 24
Wear your CAWU t-shirts on Wednesday, September 24th. There is a public board meeting (mandated by San Francisco’s non-profit public access ordinance) at 10:00 am.
On November 19, we will have the opportunity to address the board in a closed session.
Page 78 of our contract says:
Up to three representatives of the Union may join the two non-public Board meetings fiscal year for up to 10 minutes total per meeting solely for the purpose of addressing the
Board on topics of interest to the Union.
Unions Fighting Censorship in Museums and Research Institutions
This Tuesday, the UC system’s 6 unions joined with faculty and student associations to sue the Trump administration for attempting to curtail academic freedom and free speech at the University of California. Read the press release here.
Also, on September 3rd, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees as part of a broad coalition of leading library, museum, and cultural organizations (including AAM and the AZA) filed an amicus brief in Rhode Island v. Trump. The brief urges the First Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold an injunction against the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through an executive order. Read the press release here.
Membership
Sign up for union membership today!
Your CAWU Newsletter Returns
Disciplinary Process
Now that we have a contract, any disciplinary action should be done according to the process set forth there. Read it here.
It’s important to know that you have the right to have an active representative with you at any meeting with a supervisor or manager that has to do with discipline.
You can protect your right to representation with this statement:
"If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated I respectfully request that my steward be present at the meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to respond to any questions or statements."
Steward Training
A steward is a union member–it could be you– who commits to do the work it takes to ensure that our union remains organized and united. This includes representing colleagues in disputes with management, but includes much more.
If you are interested in learning more about what a shop steward does, complete this Training availability survey link. Steward training is essential for everyone who is interested in strengthening our union.
July 25 paycheck: check your check
Pay increases should be reflected in your July 25th paycheck. For further info on how to verify your new rate if you are unsure, check out pages 6 and 7 of the slides from last week’s all-unit meeting.
Reclassification Update
If you want to request reclassification, this is the last call to fill out the reclassification survey. Please do it by August 1.
We recommend that written proposals should be completed by August 1. If you need help with this email CAT or talk to a colleague who can help you.
Meetings will be scheduled the weeks of August 4th and 11th.
Advocacy Opportunity
Recently, the Board of Supervisors agreed to implement paid parking in GG Park starting January 1, 2027. SEIU 1021 is looking for two representatives from CAWU to lobby the Board of Supervisors. If you’re interested, please reach out to the Bargaining Team!
The Road Ahead
After reclassification it will be time to establish chapter bylaws. Once our chapter bylaws are in place, it will provide the playbook for electing chapter officers and appointing/electing stewards. We'll establish the election committee and run the election. SEIU 1021 standard bylaws are here. Take a look!
Reclassification and what you need to do about it
The next step in making your workplace better is to iron out as many errors and inconsistencies in our job title, pay grade, and step system as we can in the three months until August 17th.
According to the terms of our collective bargaining agreement (contract) we have 90 days to present requests to PACT to change pay grades, steps, or titles. Here is what the contract says:
Side Letter on Requests for Reclassification
The Union shall have ninety (90) days from the date of ratification (May19th) to present requests to adjust the classification or grade of employees. Disputes arising under this Side Letter shall not be subject to the grievance process. The Parties shall also negotiate over changes to the standard job titles listed in Appendix C and may make changes to those titles only by mutual agreement.
What do you need to do?
Consider if the following arguments apply to your pay grade, step, or title:
My title should be in a higher grade because of its similarity to other titles in higher grades at the Academy.
I should be in a higher classification because of the work I do.
I should be paid at a higher step because of the work I do and my longevity relative to other people in my classification.
My title should be in a higher grade because of the complexity of duties, skills, qualifications.
My title should be in a higher grade because there are recruitment and retention challenges.
My title should be in a higher grade because it is paid below market for similar work at other institutions.
My title should have additional steps because of conditions particular to my classification and/or the longevity and placement of people in this role.
My title should have a different name than the standard business title to appropriately capture the duties and likely job market for such roles.
I’ve been incorrectly assigned to the wrong pay grade, step, or title.
If you believe that your pay grade, step, or title should be changed please complete the Reclassification Survey before Saturday, June 7. Let your colleagues know about this and discuss it with them.
Resources:
Please stay tuned to your email for more updates.
🥳 Contract Ratified 🥳
Your vote was counted in L2W at lunchtime today. You have voted 87% in favor of ratifying your first California Academy Workers United SEIU 1021 collective bargaining agreement.Congratulations! Your participation gave us the power to reach this agreement. Come celebrate in the Shakespeare Garden at 5pm! We'll have food, cake, and friends, please BYOB. See you soon!
🎉Ratification Party 🎉
Thank you for voting on our first union contract! We appreciate you showing up, participating, and making your voices heard.
Please come out to the Shakespeare Garden on Monday from 5pm to whenever to celebrate with us! We'll have food; please bring your own drinks and picnic blankets. We'll see you there!
Where: Shakespeare Garden
When: Monday, May 19th 5:00 PM
Who: CAWU and friends
Contract Ratification: Online voting information 💐
Make your voice heard with your vote! The more turnout and participation we get, the more power we build. Your Bargaining Team recommends we ratify this agreement – the result of countless hours of surveying, organizing, and negotiations over the last 18 months.
If you haven't already, staff at 1021 recommend that you sign up for membership today to ensure that you get a voting link if you need to vote online. Successful online voting depends on your contact info being correct on the SEIU 1021 database. More than a few folks have thought they were signed up, but were not. If you're not sure, sign up again.
Online voting opens Tuesday 5/13 at 6:00am and closes Wednesday 5/14 at 11:59pm.
Eligible voters will receive a link at their personal email address and cell number on file to vote online.
🗳️ Contract Ratification Voting Begins TODAY 🗳️
Ratification voting for your contract begins this morning. You can review the Tentative Agreement (fully indexed and cleaned-up version coming soon). Translated summaries of the Tentative Agreement are available in Spanish and Chinese. Your Bargaining Team is also sharing a list of all pay grades. Those highlighted are the ones we were able to move up in bargaining.
A vote YES will codify the Tentative Agreement as our chapter’s first collective bargaining agreement!
Make your voice heard with your vote! The more turnout and participation we get, the more power we build. Your Bargaining Team recommends we ratify this agreement – the result of countless hours of surveying, organizing, and negotiations over the last 18 months.
You must be a registered member to vote. It takes just a few seconds to sign up online if you haven’t already.
IN-PERSON VOTING:
May 7 through May 10
7:45 am to 10:00 am – the bridge
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm – L3E break room
ADDITIONAL IN-PERSON VOTING SLOTS:
May 7
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, L3E break room
May 9
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, L3E break room
ONLINE VOTING:
Opens
May 13 at 6:00 am
Closes
May 14 at 11:59 pm
Eligible voters will receive a link at their personal email address and cell # on file to vote online.
To see all vote times and locations, you can also subscribe to your Cal Academy Workers United Events Calendar.
🗳️Contract Ratification VOTING INFO 🗳️
After 18 months of negotiations, on April 21st, we reached a tentative agreement on our first contract. Your Bargaining Team recommends a vote of yes!
We will be hosting 3 informational sessions to review the contract together and answer your questions.
In this folder, you'll find the tentative agreement summary doc, all of the TA's in one PDF, and the Wage Table and Pay Grades (this is also in the TA PDF).
Here's all the info:
CONTRACT RATIFICATION INFO SESSIONS:
April 30th from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm; (L2 East Large) Hybrid Zoom link
May 4 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm ONLINE Zoom link
May 8 from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm (B1 West) Hybrid Zoom link
IN-PERSON VOTING:
Dates:
May 7 ⟶ May 10
Times/ Locations:
7:45 am to 10:00 am (On the bridge)
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm (L3E break room)
ADDITIONAL IN-PERSON VOTING TIMES:
May 7: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (L3E break room)
May 9: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (L3E break room)
ONLINE VOTING:
Opens: May 13 at 6:00 am
Closes: May 14 at 11:59 pm
(Eligible voters will receive a link at their personal email address and cell # on file)
12pm TODAY in front of the Academy, Demand Fair Wages and Transparency Now!
The people of San Francisco and the Bay Area who are showing up to Academy Day are going to be proud of you today when you gather at noon in front of the Academy to be loud and clear in your demands for Fair Wages and Transparency Now.
After all, San Francisco is a union town. Our guests are bound to be glad that they are supporting an institution where workers have the dignity and self-respect to stand up and demand better treatment from management, and they will be happy to see us doing what it takes to get the contract we know we deserve.
See you at noon. We’ve got lunch covered for you.
Friday April 4, Demand Fair Wages and Transparency Now!
Last month you delivered a strong message to management and the Board of Trustees: we deserve and expect a fair contract now! Since then, management has not budged from their position of refusing to discuss transparency and accountability, and is very far from meeting our demands on wages.
At the last all-staff meeting, there was a little fuss about the lack of movement on these issues and management tried to shut it down saying, “bargaining happens at the table.” That’s what management wants, because when we are quiet and don’t make a fuss, management has the power to dictate their terms.
Without making a fuss everywhere, we won’t get anywhere.
Join us on Friday April 4, Academy Day, at noon on the sidewalk in front of the Academy where we’ll be painting a mural to make our demands loud and clear: we deserve transparency and fair wages now!
RSVP here for the noon rally, and for art making and public engagement shifts throughout the morning. We’ll have food to eat, too, so you can stay for your whole lunch hour.
Week of March 24th Update
Overall, there were many positive moves at the table this week, including a comprehensive counter-proposal from management that moves in the right direction on vacation time, sick days, and health benefits.
However, management would not agree to standalone tentative agreements for these parts of the package, nor have they moved close enough to us on wages. Management still maintains paltry across the board increases of just 1% annually. That’s not enough to keep up with the cost of living, nor is it enough to cover our union dues at 1.74%. Your bargaining team is committed to securing meaningful wage increases for all our members, but it will take all of us to demonstrate our collective power.
Now is the time to show management where you stand. Please turn out to our Art Action from 12-1 PM in front of the Academy on Friday, April 4 to say loudly and clearly that we all deserve a fair contract and to be paid what we are worth. More details and RSVP here.
Below are the hyperlinks to the various counters, TAs, as well as management’s comprehensive package:
CAWU Counters:
We also verbally resubmitted Governance and Financial Transparency. They immediately verbally rejected it.
Management Counters: (The comprehensive package has been segmented out to the corresponding folders.)
The end of their comprehensive proposal included: All previously agreed upon TAs and All other proposals are to be withdrawn.
Tentative Agreements from the entire week include
Week of March 10th Update
CAWU Bargaining Team Countered On:
We received no counters from management.
Your bargaining team and management are discussing bargaining dates for April.
The next bargaining date is Thursday, March 20th.
General Reminders!
Wear your union button always and CAWU shirt on Thursdays
Sign up for membership here and talk with your colleagues about why it matters
Follow the CAWU article tracker, read the proposals and counters and speak to your representative on the bargaining team or a CAT activist about your issues and concerns
Your 1021 Staff field representative is Jessica Inouye. Her contact info is: Jessica.Inouye@seiu1021.org 415-717-8135. Please reach out to Jessica if you have questions or concerns about your working conditions
Week of March 6th Update
CAWU and Management reached the following 3 Tentative Agreements:
Scheduling and Hours of Work: after a revision on their end regarding upholding current practices, we reached a TA
Management Countered On:
CAWU Bargaining Team Countered On:
The next bargaining date is Monday, March 10th.
General Reminders!
Wear your union button always and CAWU shirt on Thursdays
Sign up for membership here and talk with your colleagues about why it matters
Follow the CAWU article tracker, read the proposals and counters and speak to your representative on the bargaining team or a CAT activist about your issues and concerns
Your 1021 Staff field representative is Jessica Inouye. Her contact info is: Jessica.Inouye@seiu1021.org 415-717-8135. Please reach out to Jessica if you have questions or concerns about your working conditions
Week of February 27th Update
Management provided another financial update presentation as a precursor to their wages counter. They claim that because of the percentage rate hikes for health benefits and reduced ticket revenue, they need to lower wages expectations.
BT Countered on:
Statement on budget and transparency
We once again requested the line-item budget for each division, department, cost center, budget code, service line, etc. the Academy tracks expenditure and revenue for the 25-26 fiscal year. While we have requested this multiple times, the biggest takeaway from their failure to provide this information is they don’t care about our opinion on budget priorities.
We don't need to see their secret budget docs. We can see their public 990s that confirm that if CAS can pay Scott and SLT high salaries, they can afford to give everyone a living wage. Scott’s salary for a single year would cover a 3% raise for the entire bargaining unit.
Thanks again to everyone who signed the petition and/or attended last week's action. Calling all artists! Join us at the next CAT meeting on Wednesday, March 5 at 12pm and help us with a creative action.
The next bargaining date is Thursday, March 6th.
General Reminders!
Wear your union button always and CAWU shirt on Thursdays
Sign up for membership here and talk with your colleagues about why it matters
Follow the CAWU article tracker, read the proposals and counters and speak to your representative on the bargaining team or a CAT activist about your issues and concerns
Your 1021 Staff field representative is Jessica Inouye. Her contact info is: Jessica.Inouye@seiu1021.org 415-717-8135. Please reach out to Jessica if you have questions or concerns about your working conditions