My name is Justin “J.D.” Garcia (he/him) and I’m running for Constitutional Convention Delegate on the Scientists for a Democratic Union (SDU) slate.  

I’ve been working at CDFW for fourteen years, as a Scientific Aid, Environmental Scientist, and now Senior Environmental Scientist.  I’m passionate about wildlife conservation and leaving behind a planet with functional life-support systems for future generations. I care deeply about improving the rights of working families, especially my fellow state scientists.  These core values have called me to leadership in our union.

Since 2017, I’ve served in elected positions on the CAPS-UAW Executive Board as District 3 Director, Secretary, and currently Vice-President, Bargaining Committee member for over six years, and our local’s representative on UAW Region 6’s Political Action Committee. 

Alongside fellow SDU members, I’ve helped lead numerous efforts to reform CAPS-UAW into a democratic, organizing union that takes collective action and has the power to win what state scientists deserve, including a few transformative changes:  

• In 2022, co-founded the Contract Action Team (CAT), the catalyst for change in our union to build towards the Defiance for Science Strike.
• Affiliation with the California Federation of Labor Unions to bring CAPS into the labor movement.
• UAW affiliation campaign in 2024.
• Revised Bylaws with new democratic structures, as a member of the Catalyst and Bylaws Committees.

I also have experience in contract enforcement and organizing around workplace issues, training and mentoring member leaders, and our union’s political program to elect pro-worker candidates and advocate for legislative priorities. 

I’m a proud co-author of nine resolutions to determine UAW’s vision and priorities over the next four years, including pushing for science funding and investing in new organizing to grow UAW.  I would be honored to represent you as CAPS-UAW delegate at the upcoming UAW Constitutional Convention.

Click for the Candidates webpage.