Nominations Open October 10 - October 27, 2014

All SHARE members should receive a postcard at home announcing that nominations are open for positions as SHARE Representative and SHARE Executive Board Member. What is this all about? We're glad you asked!

The strength of our union lies in the active participation of it's members. There are lots of ways to participate: coming to union meetings, giving your input, reading the blog, keeping in touch with coworkers, signing petitions, asking questions, etc. 

SHARE Area Representatives (or Reps) are members who volunteer to help with communication - making sure that every SHARE member knows someone who is active with the union. Reps are elected for one-year terms, but can serve multiple terms. Ideally there would be at least one Rep in every department or area. As a minimum, we will elect one union Rep for every 50 SHARE members, to keep people connected in their area. Extra volunteers are always welcome.

SHARE Executive Board Members (or EBoard Members) have responsibility for the whole union.  Executive Board Members participate in contract negotiations when they are happening, and make decisions about the direction of our union. Normally four Executive Board Members are elected in even numbered years and the other four are elected in odd numbered years, all for 2-year terms. However, because there has been so much turnover on the Executive Board, we have decided to open all positions for election this year. The four positions normally elected in the odd numbered years will serve as interim EBoard Members for one year, and be up for nomination again in 2015.

To run for Rep or EBoard Member you must be nominated in writing, either by a co-worker or by yourself.  You must also have been a dues-paying SHARE member for at least the last 6 months. The nominations period opens Friday, October 10, 2014.  Nominations must arrive at the SHARE office by 5pm Monday, October 27, 2014.
Nominations should include:
  1. the name, department and phone number of the person you are nominating,
  2. the position for which you are nominating them, and 
  3. your name and phone number.  
You may send an email to share.elections@theshareunion.org or fax nominations to the SHARE office at 508-929-4040, but it is a good idea to call to confirm that your nomination arrived. The phone number at the SHARE office is 508-929-4020.

After the close of the nomination period, all nominees will be given the opportunity to decline the nomination.  If they do not decline, their name goes on the ballot. If there are more candidates than positions, we will hold an election on Tuesday, November 18, 2014; times and locations for voting will be mailed to all SHARE 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 questions, please call the SHARE office (508-929-4020) or talk to someone you know who is involved with SHARE. 

Raises and Retro - Progress Report

We are getting closer to getting the raise and retro delivered. The new contract provisions have been merged into the old contract language, cross-checked, and agreed on. Also, the SHARE negotiating team has signed the new integrated contract.

Now the Medical School's representatives will review it one more time and sign it, and then send it to the University of Massachusetts President's office to be reviewed by them, and signed. In the meanwhile, UMMS HR Operations is already preparing to process the raises and retro as soon as possible after it is signed by the President's office.

Unfortunately, we won't have a firm date for the raises or the retro until the last signature is obtained. We are doing what we can to get this done as quickly as possible, so that SHARE members can have the raises and retro that are coming to them. We will continue to update the "Raises and Retro - Q & A" post as the contract makes it's way through the signature process.


SHARE Member Meetings

Please join us on your break or lunch:

Mon 9/22      Ireland Conference Room, South Street        12 - 1:30 pm
Thur 9/25      S2-351, Main Campus                                 12 - 1:30 pm
Wed 10/1     1st Floor Conference Room, CCU                 2 - 4:00 pm

If you would like to set up a meeting for another location or time, please call the SHARE office, 508-929-4020, or email elisabeth.szanto@theshareunion.org.

Agenda:
  1. Raise and Retro - update on timing
  2. Childcare Fund - October 6 deadline for new applications
  3. Upcoming election for SHARE representatives
  4. Management proposal for some SHARE members to swipe in and out of work
  5. Questions/Discussion

Childcare Fund - new applications

The SHARE Childcare Fund is now open for new applications. You may apply to the fund to receive financial assistance for daycare, after-school programs, in-home childcare, and vacation or Summer camp. Forms for the upcoming benefit period (which runs from October 1, 2014 to March 30, 2015) must be received no later than October 6, 2014.  Current recipients DO NOT need to reapply.

To download and print the form, please visit http://www.theshareunion.org/ApplicationFall2014.pdf

If you have any questions about the fund or the application, please contact: 

Dianne Williams
dianne.williams@umassmed.edu
508-856-5957

Andrea Caceres
andrea.caceres@theshareunion.org
617-455-7717

Raises and Retro - Q & A

Q. When will I get my raise and retro?

A. We do not have a firm date. We expect that it will be some time in the fall. Before the raise and retro can be processed, the following things need to happen:
  1. SHARE members ratify the contract - DONE
  2. SHARE negotiators sign Memorandum of Understanding - DONE
  3. UMMS negotiators sign Memorandum of Understanding - DONE
  4. Agreements from MOU merged into existing contract language:
    • UMMS edit contract - DONE
    • SHARE review and respond - DONE
    • meeting to iron out remaining questions - DONE
  5. SHARE representatives sign merged contract language - DONE
  6. UMMS management representatives sign merged contract language - DONE
  7. University of Massachusetts HR and President sign merged contract language - DONE
  8. UMMS HR compensation and Payroll process the raises - DONE
This whole process usually takes much longer than anyone expects. The piece that we have the least influence over is the timing of step 7. We will keep this site updated about the progress, and we appreciate your patience.

Q. Will the retro be paid in a regular paycheck or a separate check?

A. The retro will be paid in a regular paycheck. This may increase the rate at which taxes are withheld in that check. If taxes are taken out at a higher rate than you actually owe, you will get the extra back when you file your taxes (or you will owe less).

Q. Will retirement benefits be withheld from the retro?

A. Yes. Retirement benefits will be taken out, and the amount of the retro will count towards retirement.

Q. What if I transfer or leave before the raise and retro are delivered?

A. There are a few possible situations:
  • If you transfer within SHARE, you will still get the raise and retro. 
  • If you transfer out of SHARE to a non-union UMMS position, and miss both the SHARE raise and the non-union raise, we have an agreement with the Medical School that we will meet to discuss what to do.
  • If you would like to discuss your situation, please email jana.hol@theshareunion.org.

"Yes" to the SHARE Contracts

The SHARE contracts were approved today by an overwhelming Yes vote:

  • 98% voted yes on the 3-year contract (July, 2013-June, 2016) and 
  • 96% voted yes on the 2-year contract (July, 2016-June 2018).

We also had a high turnout, with 276 members voting, which is 60% of the SHARE bargaining unit.

Congratulations to everyone, and thanks for coming out to vote!


Thursday, July 24 Ratification Vote

Our proposed contract agreements are tentative until they are ratified by SHARE members.  
Please come to vote at one of the locations below on your break or lunch. If you have questions about the proposed agreements, please call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020.

Campus
Time
Room                                     
Main Campus
10am-4pm
Old School Lobby
South Street
10:30am-2pm
USA Conference Room    
Biotech One
10:45-11am
1st floor lobby
Biotech Two
9:30-10:30am
Cafeteria 2nd floor
Biotech Four
2:30-3pm
Lobby
BNRI
12:30am-1:15pm
Animal Med break room
BNRI
11:30-12:15pm
2nd floor conference room
Maple Ave
9-9:30am
Chang Conference Room 201
(right off lobby)
Memorial
11-11:30am
Family Med Conf Rm, Jaquith Ground (1st on right coming from Hospital)
Psych CCU
7am-8am
1st Floor Conference Room
Psych CCU
2:30pm-4pm  
1st Floor Library [location change]

NOTES about the vote:

Membership: You must be a SHARE member to vote on the contract. If you have not signed your membership card, you can sign up at the polls.

Vote Locations: Any SHARE member can vote at any location. If you have questions about voting, or work at a location not listed, please email Elisabeth at the SHARE office: elisabeth.szanto@theshareunion.org or call 508-929-4020 ext. 10. 

Absentee Ballots: We are sorry, but our election rules do not allow absentee ballots.

Vote Count: Everyone is welcome to join us for the ballot count at 4:00pm on Thursday, July 24, in S1-123 in the old School building.



Contract Agreement

We are happy to announce that the SHARE negotiating team has made a tentative contract agreement with UMMS. We will hold a ratification vote on Thursday, July 24. A “yes” vote by a majority of the SHARE members voting makes the agreement official.

Highlights of the agreement:
  • 5 years (June 2013-June 2018) with annual raises, including raise for last year retroactive to June 30, 2013, and raise for this year retroactive to June 29, 2014
  • Progressive “floor” raise protects lower paid employees; increases in grade maximums every year provides raise to base for people at max; structural increases for anyone falling too far behind in their grade; and additional lump sum bonuses in 2015, 2016 and 2017 for Exceeds or Outstanding performance review
  • Childcare fund continues with funding every year
  • Current employees continue to receive 3 Personal Days per year
  • Holidays still count toward 40 hours needed for overtime
  • No change in overtime rules for three 24-hour or 7-day departments: Psychiatry CCU, Animal Medicine, and Public Safety
  • Joint Labor-Management committee on Career Development and Training
  • No increase in parking rates without discussion with the union
  • Agreement is actually two contracts, a 3-year contract and a 2-year contract, which will be voted on at the same time. (State law does not allow contracts longer than 3 years.)
This was a difficult negotiation, and our agreement would not have been possible without the active participation of hundreds of SHARE members. By responding to the surveys, wearing SHARE buttons, staying informed and giving feedback, keeping coworkers up-to-date and signing the beautiful “We Make a Difference” poster, members showed that they were paying attention and supporting their negotiating team. We believe this is the best agreement we could get at this time and we are recommending a “yes” vote.

Click here for a detailed explanation of the topics above and others. You will also receive a copy of all of this information in the mail. Please read it, ask your questions, and don’t forget to vote on July 24!

Times and locations for information meetings, and for the ratification vote, are below. There is also one more meeting this week, Thursday (July 11), at South Street, 12-2, in the USA conference room.

Sincerely,

The SHARE Negotiating Team:
Kathy Bateman                        Andrea Caceres                       Kirk Davis                   
Deb Engvall                             Jana Hollingsworth                 Sherry Nguyen            
Kris Rondeau                           Elisabeth Szanto                      Dianne Williams

Contract Information Meetings

Please come on your lunch break to whatever portion of the meeting that you can. The agenda will last 30 minutes and then start again.

     Tuesday, July 15          South Street     England CR                     12-2pm
     Wednesday, July 16     Animal Med     AMED LRB Break Rm   12-1pm
     Wednesday, July 16     Pysch CCU     CCU Conf Room             2:30-3:30pm
     Thursday, July 17         LRB                Michaelson CR                12-2pm
     Friday, July 18             Animal Med     AMED A-level CR          11:30-1pm
     Monday, July 21          South Street     England CR                     12-2pm
     Wednesday, July 23    Sherman           AS5.2072                       12-2pm

If none of these meetings work for you, give us a call at the SHARE office at (508) 929-4020. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have, or to set up an additional meeting time in your particular area.


Ratification Vote – Thursday, July 24

The proposed contract is only a tentative agreement until it is ratified by SHARE members. Please come and vote on your break or lunch at one of the locations below.  You must be a SHARE member to vote on the contract. If you have not signed your membership card, you can sign up at the polls.

Main Campus    10am - 4pm             Old School Lobby
South Street       10:30am - 2pm        USA Conference Room                                   
Psych CCU         7am - 8am               1st Floor Conference Room
Psych CCU         2:30pm - 4pm          2nd Floor Conference Room

Other Locations: Any SHARE member can vote at any location. SHARE members who work at offsite locations are welcome to vote at the Main Campus or at South Street, however we will also be arranging voting opportunities for members at the following offsite locations:

Maple Ave
Shaw Building
Biotech One, Biotech Two, Biotech Four; Biotech Five
Worcester State Hospital campus buildings other than CCU
328 Shrewsbury St
Memorial
Bedford  & N Quincy

If you have questions about voting at an offsite location, or work at a location not listed above, please email Elisabeth at the SHARE office: elisabeth.szanto@theshareunion.org or call 508-929-4020 ext. 10.


Everyone is welcome to join us for the ballot count 
at 4:00pm on Thursday, July 24, 
in S1-123 in the old School building.


We are sorry, but our election rules do not allow absentee ballots.

Contract Update

The SHARE negotiating team will have good news to announce next week. Join us at an information meeting on Tuesday at the main campus or Thursday at South Street. We wish you and your family a happy and safe Holiday weekend!


SHARE Contract Negotiations: Information Meeting Dates

As we get closer to July 1, SHARE members are naturally wondering what is happening with their raises. There has been a lot of activity and discussion over the last few weeks. Please join us at one of our upcoming information meetings for an update and discussion:
Thursday 6/26     12-1:30    Main Campus - AS8.2072
Monday 6/30       12-1:30    South St - Italy Conference Room
Tuesday 7/8        12-2         Main Campus - AS5.2072 
Thursday 7/10     12-2         South St - USA Conference Room

 Come to whatever portion of the meeting that you can on your lunch break. The agenda will last 20-30 minutes and then start again. If you're unable to join us at one of these times, please call the SHARE office at (508) 929-4020. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have, or to set up an additional meeting time in your particular area.



SHARE Members Standing Together

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the SHARE signature poster. Titled "We Make a Difference," the poster is impressive, with 371 signatures surrounding the text, representing 80% of SHARE members at UMMS. (Our apologies to those SHARE members who wanted to sign but didn't get a chance before we went to print.)

 Through individual conversations, and multiple information meetings, the negotiating team and other SHARE activists try to talk with every member. This gives the SHARE negotiators the experiences, opinions and support of hundreds of members to draw on when they talk with management negotiators. The poster is a beautiful visual representation of that collective knowledge and support.

Delivered to Management

Members of the negotiating team, with the help of other SHARE members, delivered copies of the poster to the members of the management negotiating team and other senior leaders of the Medical School on Monday, June 2. We are asking them to help us end these negotiations. The cover letter delivered with the poster reads, in part,
[Our signature poster] is in support of a fair resolution to the current SHARE-UMMS contract negotiations, but it goes beyond negotiations. It is a positive statement about who SHARE members are, and what they want their role in the UMMS community to be – learners, growers, earners and contributors. [...]   
These negotiations have gone on for a year, taking a lot of time from good people on both sides. Let's settle this in a way that meets the legitimate needs of SHARE members and the Medical School, and move on. There is so much important work we can do together.
In Your Department

If you'd like to display a copy of the SHARE signature poster for your personal work space or area bulletin board, you can either stop by the Old School Lobby, Thursday, June 5, 12-1:30, or give the SHARE office a call and we'll bring you one. (508-929-4020 -- leave a message if you get the answering machine.)

Thank you again for your collaboration and signatures, and for sharing your experiences and insights with our negotiating team.

Contract Information Meetings in May

Please join us for a brown bag lunch meeting to discuss the SHARE contract negotiations, the progress that has been made, and what we still need to do to settle the contract.

The agenda will take about 1/2 hour to get through, and then we start again at the beginning. Come on your break any time 12-2pm, and stay until we have wrapped around to the part you started at.

Tuesday 5/13            Sherman Building         AS5.2072
Thursday 5/15           South Street                  Finland Conference Room
Monday 5/19             School Building             Goff S2-307E/F
Wednesday 5/21      South Street                  Finland Conference Room


Contract Negotiations and Mediation

As mentioned in a previous post, SHARE and UMMS have hired a mediator to help us resolve the remaining issues in negotiations. The mediator has met with us five times so far, and we have four dates scheduled for May. We have made some more progress, and both sides remain committed to resolving the remaining issues as quickly as possible.

What is on the Table

The economic proposals continue to be difficult -- the three "time cuts" proposed by the management team (see comparison of SHARE and Non-Union personal days, vacation caps and OT) and, of course, raises. In addition to these economic proposals, the SHARE negotiating team is also pursuing agreements that support SHARE members in learning and growing in their careers at UMass.

Supporting Each Other

Eliminating a personal day, lowering vacation caps, and changing overtime rules would affect different SHARE members differently. An employee who depends on overtime to make ends meet might care most about the overtime. A short-term employee with only 2 weeks vacation time might feel the loss of a personal day most strongly. A long-term employee who has diligently saved their vacation time for an emergency might care most about lowering the cap on vacation time. As a union, we are committed to supporting each other on all of these issues. The negotiating teams are working to find solutions to these issues that SHARE members and UMMS management can both live with.

Raises

There are three aspects to negotiations about raises: the amount of the raise, its retroactivity, and the kind of raise (i.e. "across-the-board" raises for everyone, "merit" raises where your raise depends on your performance review, "step" raises that move people up through their grade over time, etc.)

One possibility proposed by the management team would be a raise that has a merit component. We have discussed the pros and cons of different raise systems in Information Meetings, and gotten some useful feedback to bring to negotiations. We have also been clear that the amount of the raise is very important, especially since many SHARE members do not make a lot of money. For the same reason, it is important to us that the raise be retroactive to last July. Thanks to all who contributed their thoughts, ideas and support. We are continuing to work through these issues at the bargaining table.


Contract Negotiations Update

1. Raises

The last few negotiating sessions have been about raises -- both about how much the raises will be, and about how they are structured (the same for everyone, or performance-based, etc.) The SHARE team is currently reviewing a proposal by the management team that would link raise amounts to performance evaluations. We are collecting feedback from SHARE members at information meetings and in individual conversations. Please join us at a meeting, or call or email the SHARE office if you would like to discuss anything about contract negotiations.

2. Engagement

SHARE is interested in opportunities for employees to learn and grow in their careers at UMMS, and to have their contributions recognized. We have discussed these issues in negotiations, and are looking for ways to work together with the School to support employees' full participation in the workplace. Later this month, UMMS will administer a "Diversity Engagement Survey". We encourage everyone to fill out the survey.

3. Contract Information Meetings

Please come to one of the upcoming SHARE information meetings to get an update and give your feedback on raise ideas, ways UMMS could increase employee engagement, and other contract issues. (See previous post for times and locations.)

4. Mediation

SHARE and UMMS have requested the help of a mediator in contract negotiations. Employers and unions often use mediators to help make negotiations flow better, and go faster. The role of the mediator is not to tell either side what they have to do, but to offer ideas and facilitate the conversation between the management team and the union team.

Contract Information Meetings

Please join us at one of the upcoming information meetings about the SHARE contract. We will discuss where we are in negotiations, ask for your feedback on contract issues, and answer questions.

Tues 3/11     12-1:30     LRB, Michaelson Conference Room
Thurs 3/20    12-2          Sherman Building, AS5-2072
Tues 3/25     12-2          South Street, Australia Conference Room


SHARE members can attend information meetings on their own time. Come when you can. These are "rolling meetings" -- if we are halfway through the agenda when you get there, we will go through to the end and start again at the beginning so that you can hear all of it.

Bring your lunch, any questions you have, and a friend!

Scholarship Opportunity

SHARE got a letter recently announcing scholarships that SHARE members can apply for, and an application form to make available to you. Check it out, if you have a child or a grandchild are headed to college!


To: All Affiliated Locals of the Central Mass AFL-CIO, 

We are pleased to announce that we will be awarding six $1000.00 scholarships as well as a number of $500 Platinum sponsored scholarships.

The scholarship recipients will be drawn by lottery at the May community services committee meeting and the winners will be announced at the Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament on Friday, June 6, 2014.

The scholarships will be presented at the Labor Day breakfast, September 1, 2014.

To be eligible, the student must be a 2014 graduating high school senior going on to college and a child, grandchild or member whose local is affiliated with the Central Ma. AFL/CIO. Union members must live or work in the jurisdiction of the Central Ma. AFL/CIO.

All names must be submitted by April 25, 2014 and returned to:
Paul Soucy
AFL/CIO Labor Community Services
Central Ma. AFL-CIO
400 Washington St
Auburn, Ma. 01501


If you are a SHARE member at the hospital, you are a member of SHARE / AFSCME Local 3900. If you are a SHARE member in the Medical School, you are a member of SHARE / AFSCME Local 4000. Both SHARE locals are affiliated with the Central Ma. AFL/CIO.

Please click here for a printable .pdf version of the application form to send to Paul Soucy at the above address.

Overtime Rules, Vacation Caps and Personal Days for SHARE members

Last week the HR Capsule included a notice that the Overtime Policy had changed, causing some confusion among SHARE members and their managers. Please Note: That policy did change for many employees, but the changes do not apply to SHARE members.

Overtime is one of the issues that we are discussing in contract negotiations, along with all the other policies that UMMS has changed for non-union employees over the course of our 3-year contract. UMMS is proposing all of these policy changes to SHARE. These policies may or may not change as a result of negotiations but, if they do, no changes will take place until:

  1. The SHARE negotiating team reaches a Tentative Agreement with the UMMS negotiating team about all the issues on the table as a package: policies, raises, training and career development, etc.; and  
  2. SHARE members vote to approve the Tentative Agreement.

The three policies that UMMS wants to change that would have the biggest impact on SHARE members are Personal Days, Overtime, and Vacation Caps. These have all changed for non-union employees, and SHARE members have sometimes been mistakenly told that the "new" policies apply to them. So, to be absolutely clear, please see the chart below:


Non-union employees
SHARE members
2 Personal Days/year

Vacation Cap = 240 hours/year

Overtime paid for:
·         hours over 40 in a week
·         only hours worked
3 Personal Days/year

Vacation Cap = 320 hours/year

Overtime paid for:
·         hours over 40 in a week  or hours over daily shift (of at least 8 hrs)
·         hours worked or paid as vacation, holiday or personal time


January Member Meetings

Join us on your lunch break to discuss SHARE-UMMS contract negotiations:
  • Mon 1/13  12-2 PM   South Street, England Conference Room
  • Fri 1/17     12-2 PM   LRB, Michaelson Room
  • Wed 1/22 12-2 PM   Sherman Building, AS8-2072
  • Thur 1/23  12-1 PM   Animal Medicine, LRB Conference Room
  • Mon 1/27  12-2 PM   South Street, England Conference Room
  • Tues 1/28 12-1 PM   Animal Medicine, A-Level Conference Room

If these meetings are not convenient, give us a call and we'll work with you to schedule a time and place that is more convenient. The number for the SHARE office is 508-929-4020, or you can email share.comment@theshareunion.org.


Questions or suggestions about this website? Email kirk.davis@theshareunion.org