Professional scientists in California working for the state government have voted in favor of union representation. The scientists work for various government departments in California and are part of the California Association of Professional Scientists. Six thousand scientists are associated with the California Association of Professional Scientists, and the organization is seeking representation from the United Auto Workers union. Professional scientists working in academic areas chose to unionize in recent years, and public sector professional scientists are following suit. Scientists at the United States National Institute of Health are represented by the UAW after the workers successfully unionized in late 2023, and they were the first group of federal government scientists to unionize. Having representation from the UAW allows scientists to have a stronger voice and more power in contract negotiations.
See "Scientists working for the state government in California have approved union representation", Rebecca Trager, Chemistry World, April 8, 2024