Nominations and Elections for SHARE Reps and Executive Board Positions

ABOUT NOMINATIONS 

To run for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member 

1. You must be nominated in writing by a SHARE member (a co-worker or yourself). 

2. You must be a dues-paying SHARE member for at least 6 months prior to the election. 

3. Current SHARE Reps who wish to continue as Reps need to be nominated again for the new term. 

 To nominate someone for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member 

1. You must be a dues-paying SHARE member.

2. Please send written nominations: 

• by email to share.elections@theshareunion.org; or 

• by fax to (508) 929-4040; or 

• by U.S. mail to SHARE, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 01604. 

3. Nominations should include: 

• the name, department and phone number of the person being nominated; 

• the position for which they are being nominated; and 

• the name and phone number of the person submitting the nomination. 

4. Nominations must arrive at the SHARE office by noon October 11, 2024.

We cannot accept late nominations

ABOUT ELECTIONS 

Determining whether there will be an election 

After the close of the nomination period, all eligible nominees will be offered the opportunity to decline the nomination. Anyone who does not decline is then a candidate. If there are more candidates than positions to fill, then we will hold an election from noon on Thursday, October 24, to noon on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. If there are enough positions for all nominees, then they are considered elected. All SHARE members will be notified about whether any elections are contested. 

How voting works if there is an election 

The election will be held by electronic ballot, hosted professionally by ElectionBuddy.com, an online voting service that meets the standards set by the U.S. Department of Labor and by our parent union, AFSCME. 

ElectionBuddy will send a link to your cell phone and/or email account for you to vote securely online. You can provide your cell phone number and/or personal email address, or request a ballot by mail, by emailing SHARE.Elections@theshareunion.org or talking to a SHARE staff organizer. The SHARE office phone number is 508-929-4020. 

The votes will be counted by ElectionBuddy and results will be available online to all SHARE members immediately after voting ends. 

About Reps and the Executive Board

Below are brief descriptions of the roles of Union Reps and Executive Board Members. If you want to talk about what it would be like to be a SHARE Rep or to be on the Executive Board, or if you have other questions, please call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020, or talk to someone you know who is involved with SHARE. 

SHARE Representatives: A Rep is a contact person for their area. SHARE Reps get training from SHARE to relay information between co-workers and union leadership. The scope of the role can be as big or small as you want. 

SHARE Executive Board Members: Executive Board members have responsibility for the whole union. They make decisions about the direction of our union and participate in contract negotiations. There are 4 officer positions (president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer) and 4 at-large positions. 

Reps are elected for 1 year. Executive Board Members are elected for 2 year-terms, half in even numbered years and half in odd numbered years. If there are open seats with partial terms left to serve, they will also be up for election. Elections are usually held in the fall. 

Leadership positions up for election this year: 

SHARE Representatives – 40 positions (terms expire October 2025) 

• Reps at Main Campus, ForHealth Consulting, and Offsite Locations 

SHARE Executive Board Members – 6 positions (terms expire Oct 2025 or Oct 2026) 

• Vice-President; Treasurer; two at-large Executive Board members (terms expire Oct 2026)  

• Two at-large Executive Board open positions (partial terms expiring Oct 2025)  

A Brief History of Parking Rate Increases

As you may be aware, UMass Chan Medical School announced and implemented parking rate increases both last year and this year. SHARE understands the financial burden this puts on our members, and we have met with Labor Relations on several occasions to discuss these increases and make proposals for less costly alternatives. So far, UMass Chan leadership has been unwilling to agree to these alternatives.

We wanted to provide SHARE members with more details about these negotiations and proposals presented by SHARE.

A Sliding Scale

• The Medical School referenced the cost of parking is at “peer institutions,” which included Worcester Garages like The Mercantile Center, Worcester Commons and Union Station. They also included Yale, UConn, Boston University Medical Campus, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center among many others.

• SHARE Researched parking rates at what we saw as peer institutions, such as Yale, UConn and UMass Memorial (for non union employees) which all use a sliding scale, based on income. The less someone makes, the less they pay for parking. We recently added other institutions to this list: WPI, UMass Amherst, Assumption and Holy Cross with parking rates based on income, or no cost at all for employees.

• On July 17th 2024, SHARE met with Labor Relations and John Lindstedt, the Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance for UMass Chan. SHARE staff and Executive Board members were able to voice their concerns about continued increases to parking rates, and ask many questions. SHARE proposed a sliding scale to UMass Chan, which was ultimately denied, for a second year in a row.

While UMass did not agree to the changes we proposed, we did notice a decrease in the rates this year and next year compared to the projected rate chart we received last year. They told us, “The University expects to reach the target rates in FY27. The target rates are based on an FY22 market and initially modeled to FY26 with set CPI increases. We delayed increasing the rates one year due to NERB construction, which pushed the model out to FY27. Please note the rates are subject to change and we will update the union accordingly with any revised rates.”

SHARE has heard, through our monthly member meetings, and from directly speaking with members that these increases significantly affect their finances. As always, SHARE will continue to look for feedback and support from our SHARE members as we push for a parking system that is financially reasonable.

If you have any questions regarding the parking increases, please feel free to reach out to us anytime at SHARE.UMMS@TheShareUnion.org

Union Plus Webinar: Student Debt 101

As a SHARE Member, you have access to exclusive benefits from Union Plus, through SHARE’s affiliation with AFSCME. Union Plus is hosting a student loan webinar on September 18th at 7pm.

Click the image below to register for the Union Plus Student Debt Webinar

If you don’t know your AFSCME ID when registering, please reach out to SHARE at share.umms@theshareunion.org

The Union Plus Student Loan Navigator, powered by Savi, is hosting their next free webinar on September 18th at 7pm ET. Join this session to:

• Learn about the on-ramp to repayment program ending and what this means for you

• Walk through the Savi tool to determine your eligibility for forgiveness programs

• Get answers to your student loan questions
  
  Check out the many benefits available to you as a SHARE member through UnionPlus by clicking the link below

SHARE Contractual Increase

Hi SHARE members,

We wanted to make sure you saw this email from Human Resources below. The short version is that someone made a mistake, and our raises will be delayed by one paycheck, until August 16. HR has apologized for this error.

We understand that this may be an inconvenience for some people. Please know that you will get any retro owed, along with your raise, in the August 16th paycheck.

Notes about the August 2nd paycheck – performance bonuses and increases to grade minimums:

1. For those people getting a performance bonus this year, most of them will be in the August 2nd paycheck. If your manager submitted your evaluation late, the bonus may be delayed.

2. For those people whose pay is below the new minimum of the grade, you should receive an increase to the new minimum in the August 2nd paycheck.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jameal, Jana, A.J., and Elisabeth

From: Employee Relations <EmployeeRelations@umassmed.edu>
Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 2:34 PM
To: Employee Relations <EmployeeRelations@umassmed.edu>
Subject: SHARE Contractual Increase

Dear SHARE represented staff,

Due to an administrative error, the SHARE union 2024 salary increase was not fully processed in time to be included in the August 2, 2024, direct deposit. 

Generally, the SHARE collective bargaining agreement provides that any union member who has completed their probationary period receive either a 2% raise, or $.75 per hour, whichever is greater.  In addition, employees reaching five, ten or fifteen years of service can qualify for additional raises based on their years of service, and progression along their respective salary grade. 

Our staff across Human Resources apologizes for this error and are working to correct it as quickly as possible. 

Employees eligible to receive an increase to the minimum of their respective grade have been processed.  All other increases will be processed and applied for the August 16, 2024, direct deposit.  All increases will be retroactive to July 14, 2024, and any retroactive payment due will also be direct deposited on August 16, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact employeerelations@umassmed.edu.

Sincerely,

Matthew Lyford

Director, Employee & Labor Relations

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Human Resources

333 South Street

Shrewsbury, MA  01545

matthew.lyford@umassmed.edu

Tel: 508-688-0264

SHARE Member Meeting Recap for June 26th (Raises coming!)

On Wednesday, June 26th, SHARE held back-to-back half-hour meetings for members, at 12:00, 12:30, and 1:00. People dropped in on their lunch break. For those who were not able to attend, below are the agenda topics (numbered) and some of the things that came up in discussion (the bullets). Please let us know if you have any questions.

1. Yearly Raises

• The SHARE annual raise of .75 cents per hour will take effect on July 14th

• Your new rate will be reflected in the August 2nd paycheck

• You must have completed your 6 month probationary period before July 14th to receive the .75 cent hourly raise

• For those still in their 6 month probationary period on July 14th who will miss the yearly raise, you will receive a 1.5% increase upon completion of your probation.

2. Parking:

• UMass Chan recently announced another round of parking increases which are scheduled to begin August 2nd.

• We are having discussions with UMass Chan regarding these increases, and are continuing to present alternative options

• Throughout these discussions, we will keep SHARE members updated on any developments

3. Performance Evaluations and Bonuses

• Yearly performance evaluations are wrapping up.

• SHARE members who receive an “Exceeds” will earn a one time bonus of $100.00. SHARE members who receive an “Outstanding” will earn a $250.00 bonus.

• We encourage those who run into any issues with the evaluation process to reach out to the SHARE staff at SHARE.UMMS@TheShareUnion.org

A SHARE Problem Solving Story

Hi SHARE members. We hope you are having a wonderful Spring!

We wanted to share some elements of a Problem Solving meeting we recently had with Labor Relations/HR regarding attendance and excessive absences. SHARE feels the outcome of this meeting is important for our members to know about.

If you aren’t aware of the SHARE Problem Solving Process, you should know that SHARE members have the right to representation in any meeting which could lead to corrective action. If a SHARE member does not agree with the outcome of these meetings, they can appeal through the SHARE Problem Solving Process.

A SHARE member was asked to meet with management and Labor Relations to discuss some attendance issues. Some of the days which were referenced in the attendance violations were due to the member being put out for 4 working days by Employee Health because of COVID symptoms.

After the meeting, discipline was issued which included these absences for COVID. The employee then appealed having those 4 days included in the discipline. This began the SHARE Problem Solving 2nd Step process, during which a SHARE Organizer and Labor Relations/HR representative met to discuss the outcome. After this discussion, it was agreed that the 4 days where Employee Health had told the employee to stay home, would not count towards the discipline. The justification for this outcome was that if Employee Health tells you to stay home, it can’t be held against you.

SHARE is hoping that this understanding of Employee Health related absences not having a negative impact on members’ attendance records will continue moving forward. If you or another SHARE member finds yourself in a similar situation, or having to meet with management regarding discipline, please contact us so that we may support you through the process.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Now Accepting Applications for the Spring 2024 Childcare Fund

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: May 29th, 2024

• SHARE/UMass Chan Medical School Childcare Fund

The SHARE Childcare Fund is now accepting applications for the Spring (and Fall) 2024 cycle. All SHARE union-eligible staff at UMass Chan are encouraged to apply and receive financial assistance for daycare, after-school programs, in-home childcare, vacation, snow and summer camps.

(***Current recipients NEED to REAPPLY.***)

Click Here For The Childcare Fund Application

*If you prefer a printable version of the application, please click HERE You can mail this application to the SHARE Union, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester Ma 01604 Or Fax it to: 508-929-4040

• The Academic Enrichment Fund

The Academic Enrichment Fund is a negotiated fund that helps SHARE employees with the costs of supplemental academic activities for their children, ages 5 to 18. This includes activities such as tutoring, summer classes, SAT prep courses, and college application fees. 

 Click Here For The Academic Enrichment Fund application 

• Adoption Subsidy

If your family is exploring adoption, you may wish to consider the SHARE Adoption Subsidy, which provides financial assistance for adoption costs. The award can only be used for expenses directly related to the legal adoption of a child. (See contact info below)

For more information about the Childcare Fund, Academic Enrichment Fund or Adoption Subsidy, please contact:
Jameal Jackson
Jameal.Jackson@theshareunion.org
617-429-1194

For More info about other SHARE member benefits click below: https://www.shareumms.org/why-membership-matters

The SAVE Plan For Student Loan Repayment Assistance

A Message from AFSCME: ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Too many Americans are struggling with the burden of unmanageable student loan payments, often with interest rates that leave students owing more than they borrowed. Thankfully, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan is here to help.

Click here to learn more about SAVE, who qualifies, and how it could help you or someone you know.

The SAVE Program caps the monthly payment of qualified borrowers at 10% of their discretionary income and can lead to the cancellation of remaining debt after 10 years of repayments.

And the payment cap will drop to 5% of discretionary income starting in July. No more choosing whether you pay your student loans or your necessities like groceries or prescriptions.

If you or someone you know is struggling with student debt but are ineligible for relief through other programs, we encourage you to look into SAVE. This Income Driven Repayment Plan is open to any borrowers in the Direct Loan Program who are in good standing with their student loans.

APPLY FOR SAVE TODAY »

Have you or someone you know had your loans reduced or canceled through SAVE, or a program like Public Service Loan Forgiveness? Click here and share your story.

In Solidarity,

AFSCME Activist Center

SHARE Member Meeting Recap for March 20th

On Wednesday, March 20th, SHARE held back-to-back half-hour meetings for members, at 12:00, 12:30, and 1:00. People dropped in on their lunch break. For those who were not able to attend, below are the agenda topics (numbered) and some of the things that came up in discussion (the bullets). Please let us know if you have any questions.

1. New Security Checkpoints:

• On march 4th, SHARE emailed our members to ask if there were questions or concerns regarding the new security checkpoints placed at entrances throughout the Medical School.

• Some of our members responded with feedback and questions.

• SHARE is forwarding these questions to UMass Chan Labor Relations, and will update our membership soon.

2. Parking:

• Last spring UMass Chan announced significant parking increases.

• We are having discussions with UMass Chan regarding possible future increases, and what this will mean for SHARE members.

• We will keep you posted on all developments.

3. Benefits of Being a SHARE Union Member:

• SHARE is working on new ways to connect with our members, and grow our community.

• There was a discussion about what it means to be a SHARE member, and the meaningful benefits that come with membership.

We will keep you posted on any updates. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out anytime!

2024 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Opportunity

The SHARE office recently received the annual notice from Joe Carlson, President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO, about a really great scholarship opportunity for members.

Check out Joe’s letter HERE

The lottery for these scholarships will be open to any SHARE members, as well as children and grandchildren of our members, who will graduate from high school this year and attend college next year.

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Chan Medical School are in Local 4000. Applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office.

2023 Scholarship winner Noah Mariano with his family, Worcester Mayor Joe Petty and SHARE organizer Jameal Jackson

Union Plus Scholarship Opportunities -- There is still time to apply!

The Union Plus Education Foundation is now receiving applications for their 2024 Scholarship Program. The awards range from $500 to $4,000.

The application deadline is Wednesday, January 31, 2024 by noon.

This is a competitive scholarship, and applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended.

Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. The Scholarship Program is open to current and retired members of unions participating in any Union Plus program (e.g., AFSCME), their spouses and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations). At least one year of continuous union membership by the applicant, applicant's spouse or parent (if applicant is a dependent). The one year membership minimum must be satisfied by May 31, 2024.

Awards must be used for the 2024 - 2025 school year. You do not have to purchase any Union Plus product or participate in any Union Plus program to be eligible.

Applicants should note that the application requires you to list the national or international union name, local union number, local union's address, phone number and the name of the local union President or Business Manager.  You need this information for your union, your spouse's union or your parent's union (if you are a dependent).  If you or your family members are affiliated with multiple unions you must list this information for all.

As a member of SHARE, you are also a member of our parent organization, AFSCME, a qualifying union. Please note that the “local number” for SHARE on the School-side is AFSCME Local 4000.

For more details, and to access the online application dashboard, please see the Union Plus Scholarship website.

Nominations and Elections of SHARE Representatives

A Notice of Nominations & Elections for SHARE Leaders was sent to SHARE members at home earlier this month. Below is a copy of that information.

Nominations for SHARE Reps and Executive Board Members open until noon on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

Elections for any contested positions January 11-16, 2024.

It is time to elect SHARE Reps and Executive Board members! We are looking forward to having as many members as possible participate to keep our union strong.

You must be a dues-paying SHARE member to vote or to nominate someone. You must have been a member for at least 6 months to run for a SHARE leadership position. If you have not yet signed a SHARE membership card, please go to www.shareumms.org/join-share or talk to a SHARE Rep or Organizer.

ABOUT REPS AND THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Descriptions of the different roles

Below are brief descriptions of the roles of Union Reps and Executive Board Members. If you want to talk about what it would be like to be a SHARE Rep or to be on the Executive Board, or if you have other questions, please call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020, or talk to someone you know who is involved with SHARE.

SHARE Representatives: A Rep is a contact person for their area. SHARE Reps get training from SHARE to relay information between co-workers and union leadership. The scope of the role can be as big or small as you want.

SHARE Executive Board Members: Executive Board members have responsibility for the whole union. They make decisions about the direction of our union and participate in contract negotiations. There are 4 officer positions and 4 at-large positions.

Reps are elected for 1 year. Executive Board Members are elected for 2 years, half in even numbered years and half in odd numbered years. Elections are usually held in the fall -- this one was delayed, so the terms will be slightly shorter.

Leadership positions up for election this year

SHARE Representatives – 40 positions (terms expire October 2024)

·         Reps at Main Campus, ForHealth Consulting, and Offsite Locations

SHARE Executive Board Members – 6 positions (terms expire Oct 2024 or Oct 2025)

·         President; Secretary; two at-large Executive Board members (terms expire Oct 2025)

·         Two at-large Executive Board members (partial terms expiring Oct 2024)

ABOUT NOMINATIONS

To run for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member

1.      You must be nominated in writing by a SHARE member (a co-worker or yourself).

2.      You must be a dues-paying SHARE member for at least 6 months prior to the election.

3.      Current SHARE Reps who wish to continue as Reps need to be nominated again this year.

To nominate someone for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member

1.      You must be a dues-paying SHARE member.

2.      Please send written nominations:

·         by email to share.elections@theshareunion.org; or

·         by fax to (508) 929-4040; or

·         by U.S. mail to SHARE, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 01604.

3.      Nominations should include:

·         the name, department and phone number of the person being nominated;

·         the position for which they are being nominated; and

·         the name and phone number of the person submitting the nomination.

4.      Nominations must arrive at the SHARE office by noon on January 9, 2024. We cannot accept late nominations.

ABOUT ELECTIONS

Determining whether there will be an election

After the close of the nomination period, all eligible nominees will be offered the opportunity to decline the nomination. Anyone who does not decline is then a candidate. If there are more candidates than positions to fill, then we will hold an election from noon on Thursday, January 11 to noon on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. If there are enough positions for all nominees, then they are considered elected. All SHARE members will be notified about whether any elections are contested.

How voting works if there is an election

The election will be held by electronic ballot, hosted professionally by ElectionBuddy.com, an online voting service that meets the standards set by the U.S. Department of Labor and by our parent union, AFSCME.

ElectionBuddy will send a link to your cell phone and/or email account for you to vote securely online. You can provide your cell phone number and/or personal email address, or request a ballot by mail, by emailing SHARE.Elections@theshareunion.org or talking to a SHARE staff organizer. The SHARE office phone number is 508-929-4020

The votes will be counted by ElectionBuddy and results will be available online to all SHARE members immediately after voting ends.

Winter Weather Reminder

We hope everyone is staying warm and safe! This seems like a good time to remind SHARE members that we have contract language about Inclement Weather that may be useful. The full Article is on page 21 of our new Contract.

Time Offset Option for “Non-Essential” Employees

For employees who are designated “non-essential”, if you miss work because of the weather, there may be an option to make up the time you missed instead of using your own vacation time. It will depend on the kind of work that you do, the tasks at hand, the hours that you cover, etc.

The contract says:

Time Offset Option

Employees who are excused from job duties due to inclement weather may, at their discretion, workplace conditions permitting, choose to make up the lost time, instead of using their own earned time. The time missed due to the weather event can be made up in a single instance or in increments, and must be worked within the same pay period as the event.

Your department may already have a standard way of handling this. If not, you can show your supervisor the contract language and discuss how it applies in your case. You should both feel free to reach out to SHARE and/or the HR Office of Labor and Employee Relations to help figure out how to use the time offset option to meet your needs and the needs of the department.

Inclement Weather and "Essential" Employees

Because some essential functions of the Medical School must be maintained, and some departments cannot simply close, usually those that operate 24/7 or 7-days a week, a plan for staffing coverage is needed. To be clear about who has to come to work in these cases, employees need to be designated as “essential” or “non-essential” by their department head. If there is confusion or disagreement about an employee’s designation, it should be discussed by the employee and the department head, either of whom may also ask for help from SHARE and/or the HR Office of Labor and Employee Relations.

Questions?

Please talk to a SHARE Rep in your area or call the SHARE office: 508-929-4020.

Reclassification Requests - Deadline January 30

The SHARE contract gives individual SHARE members the right to request reclassification of their job through the union. You can make a request for reclassification through Tuesday, January 30. Click here to download the request form as a printable pdf. Please read below for more about the process and preparation.

What is reclassification?

Reclassification means changing the grade level for a job. If the grade level assigned to a particular title no longer seems to match the level of work responsibilities, a job may need to be reclassified.

How does UMASS CHAN usually handle reclassification?

Under the UMass Chan Job Evaluation Policy, your manager can make a request on your behalf for the HR Compensation Department to review your job. HR Compensation evaluates the job description, consults with your manager, looking at the level of the job responsibilities, and how they compare to other jobs inside and outside of UMMS, and determines whether the grade is appropriate.

How is the SHARE process different?

UMass Chan has agreed to do some reclassification reviews that are not initiated by a department manager. SHARE can submit up to 10 individual reclassification requests per year to HR for review. The deadline to make a request is Monday, January 30.

Example: Someone was hired as an Administrative Assistant I. New responsibilities were added, and they now fit better in an Administrative Assistant II job description. They can request a review of their job and present arguments for changing the grade.

How will the ten individuals be chosen?

Because our unit is big, and our slots are limited, preference will be given to people who:

1. have already tried to use the UMMS Job Evaluation process but been unsuccessful; and

2. have the strongest business case for reclassification of their job

I think my job should be reclassified. What should I do?

1. Do your research: Ask HR for copies of the job descriptions for your job title and for any job titles you think would better match your job responsibilities. What job title do you think you should have? How does the job description match up?

2. Talk to your manager: Tell them what you are thinking, and why. Show them the job descriptions. Ask what they think, and why.

   • If they agree with you, that’s great. See if they will submit your job to HR for review. There is no deadline for managers submitting these requests, and no ten-person limit.

   • If they disagree, try to get a clear understanding of where you and they disagree.

3. Apply immediately: If your manager isn’t going to submit your job for reclassification review but you still think it should be reviewed, fill out a Reclassification Review Request application and email it by January 30 to these people:

   • Matthew.Lyford@umassmed.edu (Human Resources)

   • Elisabeth.Szanto@theshareunion.org (SHARE) and

   • Please cc your manager

If you would like help thinking about this, you can talk to a SHARE Rep, call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020, or email SHARE.UMMS@theshareunion.org.

2024 Dues Rates

AFSCME, SHARE’s parent union, has announced the dues rate increase for the upcoming year. The new bi-weekly rate for most SHARE members will be $21.57. The increase is less than one and a half cents per hour. For SHARE members who work 20 hours/week, the new bi-weekly rate will be $16.15. The new rates are effective January 1, so they should be reflected in the January 19 paycheck.

WHY SHOULD I PAY DUES?

Dues are an investment that SHARE members make in themselves and their coworkers. Without a union, employees have very little leverage to make change, or even to hold onto what they have.

SHARE members want respect for the work that they do, fair treatment, opportunities for advancement, and good raises so that they can take care of themselves and their families. SHARE gives employees a voice in various ways:

• In contract negotiations, we have a voice in our pay, benefits and work policies.

• In union meetings and individual conversations, we have a voice in the direction and priorities of the union

• Through the problem-solving process, we have a voice when individual problems/conflicts come up at work

• In union elections, we have a voice in who our representatives will be

• Through committees, department-based Joint Working Groups, and ad-hoc negotiations, we have a voice in issues that face groups of SHARE members

When it comes down to dollars and cents, dues pay for themselves. SHARE has consistently negotiated raises each year that our union has existed - 25 years now. Those increases have resulted in better raises than our non-union counterparts and policies that reflect SHARE members’ needs.

Working together through the union, SHARE members can continue to make progress in all these areas. And dues support the staff who support this work.

HOW ARE DUES CALCULATED?

Any annual increase is calculated by the AFSCME International office based on the average percent increase of AFSCME members’ pay rates across the country in the previous year.

WHERE DO MY DUES GO?

The short answer is that dues mostly pays for SHARE staff.

The longer answer is that SHARE members at UMass Chan Medical School pool their dues money with members of three other unions locals: SHARE at UMass Memorial and Marlborough Hospital, HUCTW at Harvard University, and USW at Cambridge Health Alliance. The four union locals together are called the New England Organizing Project (NEOP). All their dues together pay for the union staff for all the locals, union offices, phones and utilities, mailings, etc. About 75% of the budget is for staff.

The staff spend their time gathering information and opinions from members, sharing information with members, developing and supporting SHARE Reps, helping members with questions or problems, negotiating contracts, organizing events, researching issues, writing blog posts, etc., all on behalf of SHARE members.

MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more, please talk to a SHARE Rep, email share.umms@theshareunion.org, or leave a message at 508-929-4020. You can also learn more about what our union does, and the benefits of union membership, by exploring www.shareumms.org.

SHARE Member Meeting - 2023 Round Up

SHARE Member Meeting December 13, 2023

2023 Round Up

If you missed the member meeting last week, here what we talked about. Please get in touch if you want more information about any of these topics.

1.     What happened in 2023?

a.      New Joint Working Group launched in DES and a new JWG on deck in Pharmacy

b.      Contract implementation of “we will talk about it later” issues

                                          i.      Step raises discussion

                                         ii.      DES bilingual pay as an hourly differential

                                        iii.      “Me too” agreement

c.       Contract posted online: www.shareumms.org/contract and it’s searchable

d.      Parking Fiasco

e.      CCU contract taken back by DMH – protecting 31 SHARE members

f.        Reclassification requests – both denied this year – CCU and AMED

g.      SHARE UMassFive Rental Assistance Program – see blog: https://www.theshareunion.org/theshareummsunion/2023/10/6/new-shareumassfive-rental-assistance-loan

h.      Childcare Fund – launched the Academic Enrichment program, includes kids up to 18 years old

i.        Auditing and enforcement of raises: probationary raises, grade minimums, etc.

2.     Coming Up in 2024

a.      Personal Time deadline – use it or lose it by January 13

b.      Elections – SHARE Area Reps and Executive Board positions

                                          i.      nominations open until noon, Tuesday January 9

                                         ii.      send nominations in writing to share.elections@theshareunion.org

                                        iii.      election for competitive positions January 11-16

c.       Dues increase for 2024 - $0.55/week, based on raises throughout AFSCME

d.      Childcare Fund – Accepting applications now:

                                          i.      www.shareumms.org/ccf

                                         ii.      Jameal.Jackson@theshareunion.org

e.      January Reclass Requests – deadline January 30

f.        Still working on AMED equity issue

g.      Security System soft launch probably January

h.      Printed paper contracts for anyone who wants one starting January

i.        Parking, the Sequel – SHARE’s position is that the rate should be pro-rated by income

SHARE Website: www.shareumms.org

Personal Time Expiring Soon

The last day for SHARE members to use their 2023 Personal Time will be on January 13, 2024. SHARE members will be receiving their 2024 Personal Time which can be seen in their paystubs on January 19, 2024

To avoid the potential loss of any Personal Time, we suggest you check your Personal Time by logging into your HR Direct account, or looking at your latest paystub.  If you have Personal Time that has not been used, check with your manager to see if you can use it before the deadline.

If you have any questions about personal time, or anything else, please contact share.umms@theshareunion.org

Adolescent Continuing Care Units Leaving SHARE and UMass Chan

In August of this year, UMass Chan announced that they would no longer be handling the DMH contract for the Continuing Care Units and effective January 20, 2024, Worcester Recovery Center would be taking over operations. This announcement will result in the layoff of the 31 remaining SHARE members currently working at the CCU. Through our conversations with the unions which will represent these staff after January 20th, SHARE has been able to help our members transition to their new positions at the Worcester Recovery Center.  

In 1985, UMass Chan began operating a 30 bed, Adolescent Psychiatric program under contract through the Department of Mental Health. This program, commonly known as the “CCU,” served some of the most challenging youth in the state of Massachusetts. When SHARE formed our union at UMass Medical School, we began working to support the Mental health Counselors, L.P.N.s, Admins, O.T. Coordinators and E.B.S. staff at the CCU. We established our first Joint Working Group at the CCU, which enabled SHARE members to work with management on safety and staffing issues. Over the next 20 plus years, this Joint Working Group was the source of innovative and important changes which benefited the SHARE members working in this demanding environment. SHARE and CCU management maintained a long-lasting partnership, and always worked through issues collaboratively.  

In 2020, the CCU began to face significant staffing concerns which later were compounded by the pandemic. SHARE successfully advocated for more competitive wages, and contract language which added incentives to staff who were “mandated,” or forced to work beyond their scheduled shift.  However, these financial gains did not fix the staffing issues and over the next two years, nearly half of the SHARE positions at the CCU were vacated. Turnover also affected the management team, and a new leadership team took over in early 2022. Outside agency staff had also been relied upon to keep the CCU safely staffed.  

On a personal note, I (A.J.) spent 10 years working as a Mental Health Counselor at the CCU, side by side with two long standing EBoard members, Charles Gayflor and George Boley, and many other dedicated SHARE members. I have had the privilege of working with staff who possess an incomparable level of compassion, and tireless commitment to the youth passing through the CCU on their journey to recovery. They have truly made a significant impact in these patients’ lives.  

We at SHARE greatly appreciate the contributions our members at the CCU have made towards strengthening our union.  We wish them all the best! 

A.J., Andrea, Elisabeth, Jameal and Jana 

SHARE Childcare and Academic Enrichment Fund Enrollment Now Available