California’s science-based environmental protection and public health programs are widely recognized as among the most sophisticated and advanced in the world. The one constant and most important element in these programs are State scientists who monitor and reduce greenhouse gases, safeguard California’s natural resources, protect our air and water from pollution, protect the public from life-threatening diseases, and perform countless other essential functions. 

PROBLEM:

There is increasing evidence that substandard state scientific salaries threaten California’s vital environmental and public health programs because state agencies can’t keep or recruit skilled scientific personnel.  According to a recent Cal/EPA report “fair and equitable salaries must be part of the foundation for securing and keeping our scientific expertise.  If we lose our scientific expertise, we will go unarmed in the battles against greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, and the overall protection of our children’s health.”   

In recent years, survey after survey has confirmed that state scientists salaries lag well behind other public sector scientists.  According to the most recent analysis, state scientists now earn on average about 27 percent less than scientists working in other branches of government. 

ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT:

Governor Schwarzenegger wrote in October, 2007, that “I value the dedication and work of the State’s scientists, and I am concerned that salaries for this group may have fallen behind those of comparable workers” and that he wants to ensure “that the State is moving in the direction of achieving fair and equitable compensation for the scientists.”   

Department of Finance wrote in August, 2008, that “Finance is sympathetic to the plight of the underpaid CAPS members.” 

BY THE NUMBERS:

According to the 2008 CAPS/DPA Benchmark Scientist Survey, state scientists now earn on average 27 percent less than scientists working in other branches of government (the lags range from nine to 43 percent.) 

2008 Benchmark Scientist Survey Results

·         Associate Geologist – 9.9% LAG

·         Associate Health Physicist – 42.7% LAG

·         Associate Industrial Hygienist – 8.9% LAG

·         Chemist – 22.3% LAG

·         Environmental Scientist – 26.4% LAG

·         Research Scientist III (Epidemiology/Biostatistics) – 9.4% LAG

·         Research Scientist IV (Epidemiology/Biostatistics) – 33.3% LAG  

EXAMPLES:

In many cases, low state scientific salaries damage the ability of state agencies to deliver essential public health and environmental protections. 

Health Physicist – CA Department of Public Health 

With a salary differential fast approaching 50%, the Department of Public Health cannot recruit the Health Physicists it needs to ensure public health and safety. Health Physicists protect the public and workers from the detrimental effects of ionizing radiation in medical settings, in industry and biotechnology, in the environment and during emergency response situations. Health Physicists monitor the air, water and soil, as well as our food supply to protect Californians from radiation.   

The Department of Public Health was placed on probation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission due principally to staffing shortages. This could result in a lack of local control and an increase in the cost of services. The loss of health physicists increases the risk of radiation injuries, cancer and death due to a lack of regulatory oversight. Health physicists’ lag their counterparts in salary by nearly 48.5%. 

Public Health Microbiologists – CA Department of Public Health 

Due to low wages, the Department of Public Health can’t hire or retain Public Health Microbiologists posing a real threat to public health. Public Health Microbiologists are responsible for laboratory analysis and identification of public health diseases and threats to our food and water, including avian influenza, swine flu, anthrax, E. coli, rabies, salmonella, plague and dozens of other diseases.  

Public Health Microbiologists are required to have extensive education experience and must go through a six-month state training program. In the last decade, the department has lost 64 skilled microbiologists to counties, clinics and private labs, while averaging only one new hire in each of the last 10 years. The loss of microbiologists increases the risk of illness and death by delaying outbreak identification and investigations, weakening the public health infrastructure, and greatly limiting the state’s laboratory service capacity. Public Health Microbiologists lag their counterparts in salary by 20% in the most recent salary study.  

Industrial Hygienists -- Division of Occupational Safety and Health 

Industrial Hygienists at the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) are being eliminated due to low salaries threatening worker safety. Industrial Hygienists are responsible for monitoring air quality, water safety, toxic emissions and toxic waste in the workplace. DOSH has proposed and is now attempting to eliminate this entire class of scientists and change their job classifications to safety engineers, another classification of state employee. The reasoning is simple: Safety Engineers make significantly more money and if they convert Industrial Hygienist positions to Safety Engineer positions they will have happier employees. Safety Engineers, however, perform a different function than Industrial Hygienists.  

Safety Engineers have traditionally been responsible for ensuring that mines, scaffolding, trenches, and manufacturing equipment are safe and don’t threaten workers. By shifting Industrial Hygienists to Safety Engineers, DOSH is eliminating scientific professionals from the workplace and putting worker safety at risk. DOSH is taking this step despite the fact that the federal worker safety program which DOSH administers calls for the employment of an adequate number of industrial hygienists and an adequate number of safety engineers. Industrial Hygienists lag their counterparts in salary by 19%. 

Public Health Biologists – Department of Public Health 

The Department of Public Health struggles each year to attract and retain well-qualified Public Health Biologists due to low wages. Public Health Biologists are responsible for responding to existing and emerging vector-born diseases like West Nile Virus, Plague and Lyme disease. PHB are essential to preventing, tracking and understanding the epidemiology of diseases so state and local agencies can respond to protect the public. Public Health Biologists lag their counterparts in salary by 22%.  

Toxicologists -- OEHHA 

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is losing Toxicologists to the federal government and the private sector because state salaries are not competitive. State scientific toxicologists are also transferring whenever possible into state engineering positions with similar job responsibilities but much higher salaries. Toxicologists protect public health and the environment through scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances. Toxicologists work assignments include ensuring drinking water is free of chemicals known to cause cancer and birth defects, reducing pesticide and chemical contaminants in food, and eliminating the risk of toxic threats to children in school. Toxicologists lag their counterparts in salary by 33%. 

STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT:

“Clorox has concerns about how substandard state scientific salaries may threaten California’s very important environmental and public health programs due to the unsuccessful efforts by state agencies to recruit and maintain a skilled scientific workforce.”

-The Clorox Company 

“Without well-trained and highly specialized scientists working for the state, California’s health would surely suffer.  Unfortunately, there is increasing evidence that substandard state scientific salaries threaten California’s vital environmental and public health programs because state agencies can’t keep or recruit skilled scientific personnel.”

-Health Officers Association of California 

“With the imminent increase in staffing necessary to implement AB 32 – the Global Warming Solutions Act – it is essential that we continue to offer and pay state scientists competitive wages.”

-Union of Concerned Citizens 

“We must be able to recruit and retain high caliber technical staff if we are to succeed as an agency to protect water quality throughout California. To compete with other public agencies and the private sector, the Water Boards must offer comparable compensation.”

-Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION:  

CAPS Initial Bargaining Proposal for 2008