Sixteen SHARE Representatives from throughout the UMass Memorial system completed the most recent New Rep Training course. The course is designed to provide an overview of our union and the ways that Reps build community and help their co-workers. Along the way, we traded a lot of stories about different work areas.

The curriculum introduces a number of topics, including:

Who's in SHARE
SHARE's place in the labor movement
Using the SHARE Contract
Building the union membership and cultivating community
Interest-Based Negotiating Methods
What happens in Contract Negotiations
Why SHARE focuses on system improvement
Unit-Based Teams, and other ways of engaging members in decision making
Labor-Management Partnership
Problem-Solving, including the Disciplinary Process

As we considered what's ahead for our union, the new Reps talked enthusiastically. And there were many funny moments. Afterward, Christean Hughes, a Medical Billing Specialist at 306 Belmont Street, said, "I loved it. I think everyone in our union should get to go to a meeting like that." We're lucky to have this new group of Reps, and are looking forward to more together.