On Wednesday, April 21, 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. The meetings are generally held on the third Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 19. We will send an email reminder with the Zoom link in May.

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 bulleted points). Please let us know if you have any questions.

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SHARE member meeting 4/21/2021 (12:00-1:30)

Zoom basics: Speaking, Using the Chat, Mute/Unmute, Using Video

Introductions – name, department, where you are working from (home, on site, mixed)

Agenda:

1. Union Strength – feedback, suggestions for improvement, what do you hear from co-workers about SHARE these days? Continuing to work on issues and problems. Important to maintain connection. Ways to get information:

Call or email a SHARE staff person
Website – general information – site for new employees
Blog – current events
Other ideas: Chatbox, like Slack, would have to be monitored. Teams. Reach out specifically to people – invite individually – could we use this to connect UMMS employees with SHARE staff? Zoom. When people write in with questions, post them on the blog with answers because other people might have the same issue. Comments on the blog? More message board based – like a forum, like a topic thread. Facebook Group/Facebook Page – both can be private. Uptick in use of Groups. Tik Tok would be great.

2. Deadlines:

Scholarship deadline May 1 – see blog
Childcare Fund (soft) deadline April 26 – see recent email, also blog
“Use it or lose it” by June 19 (21st for comp time):
- emergency comp time earned working on-site 3/16/2020 – 5/23/2020
- vacation bank over 240 hours

3. Raises

2020 raise corrections are mostly done – contact SHARE with questions
2021 raises 6/20/21 for employees who have completed probationary period - $0.50 or 2%
Writing our own reviews in preparation for manager’s review – opportunity to get credit, but also stressful

4. Commonwealth Medicine – will mostly continue to work mostly from home. Held a meeting 2 weeks ago for people to voice concerns and ask questions about the impact this will have on the. Will send out notes for additional comments and speak with management about the list.

How is is impacting you?

3 people on a rotation – have to go in to get and process mail 1x/week
People from Schrafft building might use some of the space
Continue from home indefinitely – Disability & Community Based Solutions merged – still assessing whether there might be layoffs
Into work to check the mail 2x/month but otherwise working from home
Working from work, will continue that (I hope)
Would prefer to work on site, or a mix
Work on site 4-5 hours, 1 day/week, eventually fully from home, paperless

5. Townhall takeaways – discussion topics

SHARE member Kate Gordon is on the EAP’s new Champion Advisory Committee
SHARE member Theresa Kane – coordinating the testing program
NERB building – looks like a tornado went through
Commencement
Travel policy
WFH until at least mid May, update next month
“There will be enough parking” when people come back to work on campus
Next meeting May 18

6. Other Union News:

Committee of Interns and Residents
St V’s – Mass Nurses Association represents RNs at St Vincent – on strike

7. Questions: