Right now, decisions about our jobs, our pay and how layoffs are handled are made without us. Federal law protects our right to change that by organizing together. Learn your rights, see where the campaign stands, and get involved safely and confidentially.
Current and former employees leading the effort.
Sunnyvale and Lodi.
Evaluating established unions to partner with.
Confidential cards will be available once a partner is chosen.
Since 2022, many of us have lived through repeated rounds of layoffs as demand for COVID-era testing fell and the funding outlook for diagnostics has become less certain.
Throughout that period, Cepheid's parent company, Danaher, has continued to report its results to shareholders every quarter. Those reports are public, and you can read them yourself.
We believe that when hard decisions are made about jobs, the people doing the work deserve a say in how those decisions are made: who is affected, how much notice we get, what severance looks like, and whether there is help finding the next role.
Without a union, all of those terms are set by the company alone. With a union, they become things we can bargain over together.
Under the law, these are subjects of bargaining. Outcomes depend on negotiations; no result is guaranteed.
Read Danaher's quarterly results → · California WARN layoff notices (EDD) →
Cepheid also has operations in Sweden and France, and employees at those sites are represented by unions. In both countries, unions and employee representatives are a normal part of how companies make decisions about jobs, including during restructuring.
Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects most private-sector employees who act together to improve wages, benefits and working conditions, whether or not a union already exists.
You can talk with coworkers about a union, sign a union authorization card, attend meetings and vote in a union election.
You can discuss wages, benefits, schedules and workplace concerns with coworkers. California law (Labor Code §232) also protects your right to disclose your own pay.
Your employer may not fire, discipline, demote, reassign or threaten you because you support a union or take part in protected group activity.
You can generally talk about the union during breaks and meal periods and hand out materials in non-work areas during non-work time.
When at least 30% of employees in a proposed group sign cards or a petition, the union can ask the NLRB to hold a secret-ballot election. Employers may also voluntarily recognize a union.
If your rights are violated, you can file an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB. There is no fee, and you generally must file within six months.
No threats of job loss, closures, lost benefits or discipline for supporting a union.
No coercive questioning about your union views or activities, or those of coworkers.
No promises of raises or benefits in exchange for opposing the union.
No surveillance of union activity, or acting as if they are watching it.
Note: supervisors and managers (people with authority to hire, fire, discipline or direct others using independent judgment) are generally not covered by the NLRA and should not be asked to take part in organizing.
Coworkers talk privately about what they want to improve and build an organizing committee.
The committee picks an established union to partner with and provide support, lawyers and negotiators.
Once 30% or more sign, the union can petition the NLRB. A majority in a secret-ballot election wins.
Elected coworkers and the union negotiate a contract. Members vote on whether to accept it.
The law protects you, but the smartest organizing is careful organizing. Follow these every time.
Feeling nervous is completely normal. You don't have to sign anything, attend anything or tell anyone to make a difference. Here are small, low-risk ways to support the effort from the background, all outside of work.
Read this site on your personal phone. Knowing your rights is the best protection, and it helps you answer coworkers' questions.
Bookmark this site on your personal phone and check the updates now and then.
Text the link from your personal phone to one coworker you trust, at their personal number. One person at a time is how campaigns grow.
When you're ready, use the form below to share what you'd like to change. A first name or nickname is enough, and please don't name others.
On a personal device, write down workplace issues you notice, like schedule changes or how layoffs are handled. Dates and facts matter later.
When coworkers talk about work problems outside work, listen. If you hear rumors about the union, gently point people to this site for the facts.
Use the form below and choose "Just send me updates." No one will ask you to do more.
If you know who supports the union, keep it to yourself. Never share names, even casually.
If there is a union election, it is a secret ballot run by the federal government. No one, including the company, will know how you voted.
Add yourself to the anonymous count shown at the top of this page. No name, no email, nothing that identifies you, and no one will contact you. Do it from a personal phone, not a work device.
Fill this out from a personal device on a personal network. You'll receive a reply by email within 48 hours (for security and privacy reasons, there is only one authorized person monitoring intakes).
We are current and former Cepheid employees, with many years of combined experience across the company, along with supporters who believe US employees deserve the same voice our colleagues in Europe already have.
We're independent. We aren't paid by anyone, and we aren't affiliated with Cepheid or Danaher. We are currently in talks to choose a union partner.
We don't publish committee members' names, so no one can be singled out. When you reach out, our intake coordinator will reply to you personally by email.
Check back here for progress, next steps and meeting announcements. Updates never name individual supporters.
The organizing committee is formed and 17 coworkers have signed up. We are now evaluating established unions to partner with and preparing confidential authorization cards. A Spanish version of this site is available for our Lodi coworkers, along with a Swedish page for our colleagues in Sweden.
A one-page printable flyer with a QR code to this site. It's available in English and Spanish.
The law allows some distribution in non-work areas during non-work time. To keep everyone safe, our campaign asks that you not distribute on Cepheid property at all.
The federal agency's official guide to organizing rights.
What employers are and aren't allowed to do.
Sunnyvale and Lodi are served by NLRB regional offices in California. Call with questions or to file a charge.
Your right to act together, even without a union.
How organizing works and how to connect with a union.
Practical, worker-to-worker advice for building a campaign.
Federal information on unions and workplace rights.
California wage, hour and retaliation protections.
Public record of mass layoff notices filed in California.
No. Firing, disciplining or threatening an employee for union support or protected group activity is illegal under the NLRA. If it happens, write down the details and contact the NLRB. You generally have six months to file a charge.
Not from us. The form goes only to our one authorized intake coordinator. Use a personal device and personal network so nothing passes through company systems.
An independent committee of current and former Cepheid employees and supporters. We are not affiliated with Cepheid or Danaher. Choosing a union partner and preparing authorization cards are both in progress.
Yes. When cards are used to request an election, they go to the National Labor Relations Board, which does not share individual names with the employer. The election itself is a secret ballot.
Company email, Teams and devices belong to the company and may be monitored. Many employers also limit personal use of company systems. Using only personal accounts keeps your information private and avoids any question about company policy.
No. There are no ads, cookies or tracking across other sites. We count visits anonymously with Cloudflare (the company that hosts this site) to see whether the site is helping, for example how many people visit or scan the flyer. We never collect or see IP addresses or anything that identifies you. The form also uses a Cloudflare spam filter to stop bots, which is not used for advertising.
No. There are no dues to organize, sign up or vote. Dues, if any, begin only after a first contract is negotiated and ratified by a vote of the members.
Supervisors are generally not protected by the NLRA, and their involvement can cause legal problems for a campaign. The best thing you can do is stay neutral at work. You're welcome to read and share these public resources outside of work.
No. The vast majority of contracts are reached without a strike, and a strike can only happen if members vote for one.