SHARE Member Meeting Notes 11/17/2021

On Wednesday, November 17, 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.

For those who were not able to attend, below are the agenda topics. Please let us know if you have any questions.

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SHARE member meeting 11/17/2021 (12:00-1:30)

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

  1. Introductions

  2. Elections for SHARE Reps and Executive Board members

  3. Upcoming Contract Negotiations

  4. Oher Topics

Reps and Executive Board are Elected

No vote this week

There are enough open positions for all the SHARE members who were nominated for a position as a SHARE Rep or Executive Board Member, so there will be no voting this week.

As we explained in this Nov 4 post about SHARE Elections, nominees are given the opportunity to decline the nomination. Anyone who does not decline becomes a candidate for the position they were nominated for. If there are too many candidates for the open positions, then there is a competitive election and SHARE members vote to choose among the candidates. This year, there are no competitive elections, so all candidates will be considered elected.

We have not yet reached all the nominees to ask if they accept their nominations to be candidates. Once we have confirmed all candidates, we will publish a list of the new SHARE Reps and Executive Board Members.

We also still have some departments without enough representatives. If you would be interested in being a union contact person for your department, please let us know.

About SHARE Reps & Executive Board positions

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. Reps are elected for 1 year.

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. Their full term is 2 years.

All leadership positions are up for nomination and election this year

SHARE Representatives

  • Reps at CCU, Main Campus, Commonwealth Medicine, and Offsite Locations (1-year position through October 2022): 40 positions.

SHARE Executive Board Members

  • President; Secretary; and two at-large Executive Board members (2-year position through October 2023):

  • Vice-President; Treasurer; and two at-large Executive Board members. (These are normally 2-year positions that would have been up for election in October 2020. The election was postponed because of the pandemic, so there is one year left in the terms for these positions, through October 2022.)

About nominating yourself or another SHARE member for a Rep or Executive Board position

About the Election

Election for SHARE Reps & Executive Board

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 on November 30 & December 1. If there are enough positions for all nominees, then they are all considered elected.

All SHARE members will be notified about whether any elections are contested.

Where and when to vote if there is an election

Many SHARE members are working remotely or hybrid, so there are several voting options. You can vote at any of these locations:

·         Tues, Nov 30 - 333 South Street, Lobby - 11:30am-2pm

·         Tues, Nov 30 - SHARE office, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester MA 01604 - 4pm-7pm

·         Weds, Dec 1 - CCU:  Library 6:30am-8am; Conf Rm 2pm-3pm; Library 3pm-4pm

·         Weds, Dec 1 - Main Campus, Old School Lobby - 10am-5:30pm

Counting the votes

If there is an election, the votes will be counted at the main campus in the Old School Lobby immediately after the polls close at 5:30pm.

 

About nominating yourself or another SHARE member for a Rep or Executive Board position

About being a SHARE Rep or Executive Board Member

Nominations Open for SHARE Reps & Executive Board

Notice of Nominations & Elections for SHARE Leaders 

It is time to elect SHARE Reps and Executive Board members! We are looking forward to having as many members as possible participate in the upcoming contract campaign.

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. 

 

To run for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member

  1. You must be nominated in writing by a SHARE member (either 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 and Executive Board members who wish to continue as Reps or Executive Board members need to be nominated again this year. 

 

To nominate someone as a SHARE Rep or Executive Board member

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

  2. Please send written nominations:

  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 November 19, 2021.  We cannot accept late nominations.

About being a SHARE Rep or Executive Board Member

About the Election

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 10/21/21

On Wednesday, October 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.

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 10/21/2021 (12:00-1:30)

Zoom basics: Speaking, Using the Chat – put your name and dept, Mute/Unmute, Using Video

components of contract negotiations

Contract Negotiations

  1. Connection/ communication

    • SHARE Reps and Executive Board

    • Election

    • Department contact person – want at least 1 for each dept

    • “It’s very easy to be a rep” – current rep

  2. Membership

    • Staying informed, sticking together

    • Newer bargaining unit members haven’t been through negotiations before. What do they need to know?

    • “Can make you cry, can make you laugh, eventually we get it done”

    • Please ask questions

    • Discussion of what we have learned over the years

  3. What we want to get

    • More money

    • Respect

    • Discussion of priorities

  4. Activity

    • “Outside the room”

    • Start with a strong statement

    • Discussion of options

  5. Research and arguments

    • “Inside the room” start official negotiation sessions with management in February

    • Use our stories – brings more voices into the room (diverse voices including age range spread)

    • Survey of SHARE members in December – concerns for negotiations

    • What is going on in the world: Cost of living; other state institutions are getting Bonuses for working through covid; McDonalds is hiring at $21/hour

Vaccine Mandate Deadline 9/10/21

Quite a few SHARE members reached out to SHARE organizers to get help understanding the details of the vaccine mandate, figuring out what their options were, and deciding what to do. Almost all SHARE members were “in compliance” with the mandate by the 5pm deadline, either by requesting an exemption or by getting vaccinated. About two dozen members did not quite meet the deadline, and SHARE staff organizers worked with a number of them to resolve their situations.

This final email about the vaccine mandate went out to SHARE members as the extended deadline approached, offering last-minute help and outlining what we expected our final agreement with the medical school to look like. The details of the agreement were finalized by the end of the day and emailed to all SHARE members.

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VACCINE DEADLINE – DO YOU NEED HELP?

Today is the deadline that UMass has set for employees to get at least their first shot of vaccine. Employees who don’t meet this deadline will have their badge access to campus cut off unless they have an approved religious or medical exemption. If you have not yet uploaded proof of vaccination and you want help figuring out your options, please contact SHARE.

IMPACT BARGAINING

SHARE has been negotiating over the impact of the UMMS vaccine mandate for a few weeks now. As we have discussed in two member meetings, the union has the right to negotiate “how” not “if” – how the vaccine mandate is implemented, but not if there is a vaccine mandate or not.

The management team has been unwilling to move on the core facts of the vaccine mandate: Everyone must either have their first shot or an approved exemption by 5pm today, September 10th, or their badge will be deactivated until they comply. Management did move the deadline by 3 days, (it was originally the 7th) but they are unwilling to move it further. If employees get a vaccine that requires a second shot, they must get the shot and provide proof by 5pm on October 11th.

We have had more success around the edges of the policy, in ways that will matter to some SHARE members. We do not have a final agreement, but here is what we have been talking about:

  • An extension for people who can work from home

  • People who apply for an exemption by the deadline, but don’t get approved until after the deadline, will get back the time they had to use to get paid

  • Time off to get vaccinated if you decide to

  • Two paid days off to deal with any symptoms from the vaccine, or just to use by 6/30/2022 if you don’t need the time off for symptoms

  • Testing on-site for CCU employees

  • Support for employees who lose their job because they choose not to be vaccinated

QUESTIONS

If you have questions, please reach out to a SHARE Staff Organizer.

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

Jana Hollingsworth        508-929-4020 x11        jana.hol@theshareunion.org

A.J. Iaconi                            617-599-7372               aj.iaconi@theshareunion.org

Jameal Jackson                 617-429-1194                jameal.jackson@theshareunion.org

Elisabeth Szanto             617-620-2209                 elisabeth.szanto@theshareunion.org

Special Member Meeting on Vaccine Mandate 9/1/21

On September 1, 2021, SHARE held a special member meeting fro 1-2pm to discuss the vaccine mandate, progress on negotiations with UMMS, and what we expected to happen. SHARE’s position on September 1 closely matched the email we sent to member a couple of days earlier. This is the text of that email.

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Below we have summarized all the information we have gathered about what is going on with the UMass Medical School's vaccine mandate. UMMS announced their policy of a vaccine mandate at the Town Hall on Tuesday, August 10th and then sent a memo to all employees. SHARE is negotiating with UMMS about the impact on SHARE members. We don’t know yet what agreement we might be able to get. 

What is SHARE’s position on the mandate? 

  • We want all SHARE members to be as safe as possible.

  • We don’t want any SHARE members to lose their jobs.

We believe that UMass should talk to people about this respectfully, listen to their concerns, and make accommodations where necessary. If SHARE members are comfortable taking the vaccine, we want to get them the information they need and easy access to get vaccinated. If SHARE members are not comfortable getting the vaccine, then we want to work out a solution together that keeps people both safe and employed.

What is SHARE doing about the mandate? 

We are negotiating. As in all negotiations, we will not know what the outcome will be until we are done. UMMS acknowledges that they need to negotiate about this and have been answering questions and providing information. So far, they have not indicated much flexibility in their position. 

SHARE has raised a number of issues that members have brought to us: 

  1. Only the Pfizer vaccine has been FDA approved. Other vaccines are still only approved for emergency use.

  2. Other employers are giving more time or have mandates that allow employees to wear masks and do weekly testing if they are not vaccinated. And we already wear masks and do weekly testing.

  3. People feel strongly about their right to decide for themselves whether they want to take it.

  4. This mandate was rolled out very suddenly. UMass Memorial Hospital has a later deadline for their mandate. We need more time for people to think this through and make their own choice.

  5. Everyone worked hard throughout the COVID crisis to keep UMMS running, and this sudden announcement doesn’t seem to acknowledge that commitment.

  6. People who work entirely remotely have no contact with other employees.

  7. People are worried about side effects of the vaccine.

  8. Some people have very strong personal beliefs against taking the vaccine that may not be covered by the religious exemption policy.

SHARE has also made a number of proposals about how to approach the vaccine question: 

  1. Case management: If a SHARE member is adamantly opposed to taking the vaccine, we want to work together with HR to address their individual situation.

  2. Staffing contingency plans: especially in areas with pre-existing staffing issues, we want to hear what departments plan to do if they lose staff because of the mandate (examples: AMED and CCU)

  3. Vaccine access: We are requesting on-site vaccine clinics or work time release for people who agree to get the vaccine.

  4. Information:

    1. The SHARE Executive Board asked to have a meeting with Dr. Sharone Green about the mandate, and brought her questions. We are asking to have continued access to such resources.

    2. Regular updates: about 75% of SHARE members have uploaded proof of vaccination.

  5. Work from home: If someone is working entirely remotely, they should be able to be exempted because they do not pose any risk to other UMMS community members.

What is the Medical School saying? 

So far, their position is what they said in their announcement. 

Deadlines to be vaccinated 

  • Everyone has to get at least the first shot of the vaccine, and submit proof, by 9/7/21

  • If the vaccine they got requires a 2nd shot, they need to get it by 10/8/21

  • This includes people who work mostly or entirely from home.

  • People who work remotely, who have not received their first shot of the vaccine by 9/7/2021, and their second shot by 10/8/2021, without an approved medical or religious exemption, may discuss a Work from Home arrangement with their manager. Work From Home arrangements may be approved up to December 31, 2021.

Consequences for not complying 

  • If you don’t meet these deadlines then your badge will be deactivated, you won’t be able to work, you would have to use your own time to be paid, and you may be disciplined. If not complying by December 31st, staff will be terminated.

Exemptions for medical and religious reasons 

  • To request a medical exemption, contact Employee Health

  • To request a religious exemption, contact Matt Lyford in HR Labor Relations

  • No other exemptions

  • Must request exemption by 9/7/21 and receive exemption by 10/8/21 in order to be able to work

  • After 9/7/2021, staff with a pending exemption request will be placed on unpaid administrative leave until the request is approved or denied. People awaiting a determination after 9/7/2021, may elect to use their vacation, personal, or compensatory time (no sick time) while on unpaid leave.

Can an employer legally require me to be vaccinated? 

It looks like the answer is yes. Courts are ruling that the COVID vaccine can be mandated by employers, even though some are still only approved by emergency use authorization. It also appears that the Supreme Court has been unwilling to jump in to stop these mandates. There will probably be a lot more court cases, but so far they all seem to be going one way. In addition, the FDA is likely to give permanent approval to more COVID vaccines in the next month or two, and there is a lot more case law (like for the flu vaccine) saying that employers can mandate approved vaccines. We are continuing to follow this question.

Question and/or concerns?

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach us by email at share.umms@theshareunion.org or contact one of the SHARE organizers directly.

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 8/18/21

On Wednesday, August 18, 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.

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 8/18/2021 (12:00-1:30)

Zoom basics: Speaking, Using the Chat – put your name and dept, Mute/Unmute, Using Video

Agenda:

1.      Raises/bonuses

2.      Negotiating the next contract

3.      Vaccine Mandate

·         The legal situation

·         The negotiating situation

·         Discussion

·         Governor didn’t want to see anyone lost their job over vaccine

·         Test subject, not fully approved

·         Freedoms, choice

·         want to feel safe coming to work

·         Working from home so why?!

·         Responsibility for consequences down the road

·         What is the effect of the vaccine

·         Employer should provide it

·         Evaluate air filtering system

 

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 7/21/21

On Wednesday, July 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.

For those who were not able to attend, below are the agenda topics. Please let us know if you have any questions.

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SHARE member meeting 7/21/2021 (12:00-1:30)

Zoom basics: Speaking, Using the Chat – put your name and dept, Mute/Unmute, Using Video

Agenda:

1.     Introductions

2.     Raises

·        will be paid Friday 7/23

·        Retro will be paid Aug 6

·        Performance evaluations - bonuses will be paid if evaluations were submitted on time, otherwise will come later

3.     The importance of staying connected

4.     Union strength going into contract negotiations

5.     Work from home agreements/Return to work issues – discussion

6.     Being involved with SHARE – meetings, dept contact, rep, executive board member

7.     Other topics

Child Tax Credit Payments

The IRS has started sending expanded child tax credit payments to families. What are they?

They are monthly payments to families with kids 17 and under, starting in July and currently scheduled to end in December 2021. The monthly payments are half of the credit. Families can claim the other half when they file their 2021 taxes. This is all part of the covid relief bill President Biden signed into law in March.

The amount you are eligible for depends on several factors, including the age of your children and your income. You can check your eligibility on the IRS Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant.

  • up to $300/month for children under age 6

  • up to $250/month for children ages 6 to 17

  • amounts are reduced if your modified Adjusted Gross Income is more than: $150,000 if married filing jointly; $112,500 if filing as head of household; or $75,000 filing as single or married filing separately.

People who filed taxes in 2019 or 2020, or who registered with the IRS for the stimulus checks, should get the child tax credit payments automatically. Other eligible people can sign up with the IRS to get the payments.

Member Meeting Reminder - Wednesday 7/21

SHARE holds monthly member meetings on the third Wednesday of each month. The meetings are at 12:00, 12:30, and 1:00. You are invited to drop in on your lunch break. There is a meeting next week, on Wednesday, July 21. We hope to see you there!

To join the meeting at lunch on Wednesday:

click https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85193161012?pwd=SERJUGFTd01ua0MyRDJrVTNkNmxSdz09

or call (646)876-9923 and enter Meeting ID: 851 9316 1012 and Passcode: 485804

If you would like an update but can’t make the meeting, you can read the meeting notes on the SHARE blog afterwards, or get in touch with one of the SHARE organizers.

2021 SHARE Raise Update

RAISE & RETRO

The 2021 SHARE raises will be delivered next week, in the July 23 paycheck. There will be a small amount of retro owed, due to the 2-week delay. The retro will be paid out in the August 6 paycheck.

PERFORMANCE BONUS

SHARE members who received a performance evaluation of “Exceeds” or “Outstanding” are entitled to receive a lump-sum bonus. Bonuses will be paid in the July 23 paycheck, as long as the performance evaluations were submitted by the department to Human Resources on time. Bonuses for performance evaluations submitted late will still be paid, but there may be a delay while they are processed.

QUESTIONS

If you have questions about your raise, see this previous post, reach out to your local SHARE rep or staff organizer, or email us at SHARE.UMMS@theshareunion.org.

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 6/16/2021

On Wednesday, June 16, 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, July 21. We will send an email reminder with the Zoom link in mid-July.

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 6/16/2021 (12:00-1:30)

Zoom basics: Speaking, Using the Chat – put your name and dept, Mute/Unmute, Using Video

Agenda:

1.     Introductions

2.     Raises & performance evaluations

·        50 cents or 2%

·        Bonus for exceeds or outstanding

·        Probationary raise

3.     Staying in touch – can’t visit in the workplace but necessary to be connected

·        meetings

·        blog posts, website

·        one-to-one

·        monthly meetings for newcomers

4.     Work from home/Return to work issues – discussion:

·        Fine with returning but don’t want to be alone at office without anybody I know – productivity, motivation, social aspect – like 1st day of jitters – don’t have a badge, parking, insurance, missed onboarding

·        Don’t want to be alone in building

·        Anxiety about having to deal with people again – happy to have left office drama behind – like to go in and do my work – no trouble, no gossip

·        Come in once a week, dept will have a smaller area

5.     Being involved with SHARE

·        Member

·        Rep for your dept, or adopt a department

·        Executive board

·        Rep trainings – before Labor Day because Aug 1 return to work

·        Elections in October

6.     Other topics people brought up – job insecurity in some departments, “paperless” workplace, low work, changing responsibilities, x-training

2021 SHARE Raise Delayed

SHARE has been informed by the Medical School that they will be late in processing the 2021 SHARE raise. We do not yet know what the problem was, but we wanted you to know ASAP that the expected increases will not be reflected in this week’s paycheck. We are working on finding out when the raises will be delivered and will send an update as soon as we have more information.

SHARE raises for 2021 were negotiated last spring, when we extended the union contract for a year. We know that this delay may be frustrating, but we want you to know that we will work with HR to make sure that every SHARE member gets everything they are owed. The raise is effective as of 6/20/2021 – when the raise is delivered, members will get retroactive pay back to that date.

More Information

The previous post describes how the SHARE raises work.

You can find the contract, the contract extension, and the wage scales on the SHARE website: https://www.shareumms.org/contract.

We will write again when we know more. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to be in touch.

SHARE Raises 2021

Q. What am I supposed to get?

A. There are several components of the SHARE raise program. It depends on what you make and how long you have worked here.

MIN: The first part of the raise process is to increase the grade minimums (see the 6/20/2021 wage scale.) If your pay rate is below the new minimum for your grade then you get a raise to the new minimum regardless of when you were hired.

BASIC RAISE: The second part depends on when you were hired. If you were hired:

  • On or before 12/20/2020 then you are eligible for the full raise. The raise is either $0.50 or 2%, whichever is more for you. It is effective 6/20/2021.

  • 12/21/2020-6/20/2021 then you are eligible for a probationary raise of 1.5%, effective starting the first full pay period after your 6-month probation period ends.

  • 6/21/2021 or after then you are not eligible for the basic 2021 raise.

MAX: The third part is that no one’s base pay can go above their grade max. If your raise would put your rate above grade max then you get the grade max as an hourly rate, and the part that would be over max gets paid as a bonus. For example, if my grade max is $25.00; my current rate is $24.60; my raise is $0.50; and I work 40 hours/week:

  • My raise + my current rate = $25.10, which is over max. So my new rate is $25.00.

  • I get the extra as a bonus: $0.10/hour  x  40 hours/week  x  52 weeks/year = $208.00

STRUCTURE: The fourth part makes sure that no one falls too far behind in their grade for their years of service to UMMS. This is a complicated process – See “Do I need to understand the Structure Raise?” below.

RETRO: The fifth part is to calculate any retro pay owed if the raise is not delivered on time.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL BONUS: The sixth part is that people who received an “Exceeds” rating on their 2021 performance evaluation will get a $100 bonus and people who received an “Outstanding” rating will get a $250 bonus.

Q. Do I need to understand the Structure Raise?

A. Only if you want to. The structure raise affects less than 10% of SHARE members per year. It will be calculated as part of your overall raise, to make sure you aren’t falling behind in your grade. You don’t need to do anything special to make sure it happens.

Here is a little more detail, if you want it…

After your basic raise is added to your old rate, and if you have had satisfactory performance in the last 2 years, then:

  • If you have 5 full years of service then your pay is compared to the 25% structure point of the 2021 wage scale.

  • If you have 10 full years of service then your pay is compared to midpoint (50% structure point.)

  • If you have 15 years of service then your pay is compared to the 75% structure point.

If your pay rate, after your basic raise, is below the right structure point for your years, then you get an extra raise, up to 5% more. The raise is either whatever it takes to get you to the right structure point for your years, or 5%, whichever is less.

Q. Where does this raise come from?

A. It was part of a larger deal negotiated last spring between SHARE and UMass Medical School. The deal included extending our contract another year (the original contract ended in June 2021), guaranteed us this raise for July 2021, and added protections for SHARE members who were facing layoff. The deal also made our 2020 raise conditional, but we ended up getting the raise and retroactive pay for 2020 this spring. SHARE members made a good decision when we approved that deal. The contract, contract extension, and wage scales can all be found on the SHARE website.

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 5/19/2021

On Wednesday, May 19, 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, June 16. We will send an email reminder with the Zoom link in June.

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 5/19/2021 (12:00-1:30)

Zoom basics: Speaking, Using the Chat – put your name and dept, Mute/Unmute, Using Video

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

Agenda:

1.      Union Strength

  • Pandemic activities included all the usual answering question, helping with problems, negotiating about changes

  • Instead of the normal walking around and talking with people to maintain connections, we had a 3-part plan: 1) these Zoom meetings; 2) blog updates; and 3) reaching out to individuals

  • It is time to start thinking about how that might change as we start to open up again: What new practices should we keep? What old practices should we bring back? What old practices did we learn we could do without?

    Discussion:

    • Zoom easier than traveling, also safer

    •  In person difficult for rest of the year, and hard to get away

    •  people will be working at home, or hybrid – looking likely

    • Hybrid, whatever works for people

 

2.   Raises

  • 2021 raises 6/20/21 for employees who have completed probationary period - $0.50 or 2%

  • Performance Reviews and Independent Development Plans

  • 2020 raise corrections – working on fixing rates for a dozen members still missing their probationary raise – contact SHARE with questions

 

3.   Work From Home

Discussion:

  • Commonwealth Med already transitioning to more permanent work from home

  • August 1, Main Campus “return to normal” – may need back and forth with manager – SHARE available to help

  • Generational differences - More younger people think working from home is normal and desirable

  • People will take advantage

  • Most people won’t take advantage

  • Miss seeing people

  • WFH has opened up the possibility of working during a snow storm, or with a cold

  • Push for the right to flexibility – message from the top

  • Would be nice to have some options to be on site sometimes

  • Work logs are a sorry thank you for all we do

  • Career path – even harder with WFH?

  • We all work hard and we know everyone works hard, no insulting work log

  • Much easier to concentrate when I am at home – fewer den mom questions

  • Core competency trainings – live trainings are hard

  • Happy where I am – core competencies training feel like nazi training – you must work your way up – insulting

  • Nice to have the trainings offered but shouldn’t be so heavily pushed

  • Like the people I work with

  • Initiatives get people promoted but not at our level

  • Training felt like I was being treated like a child

  • Should be ok to keep being excellent at your job in your current position

 

4.   Mandatory Overtime – in some SHARE areas

  • Continuing Care Units - inpatient adolescent psych

  • Animal Medicine

5.   Townhall takeaways

  • Discussions were clipped, specifically WFH

  • Still have a lot to figure out

  • Should be cautious about timing of bringing people back

  • Childcare

  • Vaccine – not mandatory (yet)

  • Voluntarily register with Employee Health

  • Congregate care setting in the hospital

  • Masks have helped with colds, flu, allergies, sinus issues

  • Opening gym

 

6.   Emergency Comp Time & Vacation Time – use it or lose it

  • June 21 - emergency comp time earned working on-site 3/16/2020 – 5/23/2020

  • June 19 - vacation bank over 240 hours

 

7.   Childcare Fund – not too late to apply

8.   Other Union News – St V’s strike

9.   Questions:

  • Vax, distancing

 

 

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 4/21/2021

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:

SHARE Member Meeting Notes 3/17/2021

On Wednesday, March 17, 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, April 21. We will send an email reminder with the Zoom link in April.

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.

--------------------------------------------

SHARE member meeting 3/17/2021 (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.      Raises

  • Corrections to 2020 raises are mostly done – the exception is probationary raises

  • 2021 raises coming also – effective 6/20/21 for employees who have completed their probationary period

2.      Deadline to use time off:

  • June 21 for emergency comp time earned by working on-site in the spring (March 16, 2020 - May 23, 2020)

  • June 19 for time in vacation bank over 240 hours

3.      Union Strength – feedback, suggestions for improvement, what do you hear from co-workers about SHARE these days?

Meetings, phone calls, email, texting.

Online ways to get information:

  • Website – general information. Feedback needed – message board? Facebook? Frequently asked questions.

  • Blog – current events

4.      Townhall takeaways – discussion topics

  • Return to work – no date yet – not before end of April – probably based on vaccination levels (April 19 all MA residents 16+ eligible to get vaccine)

  • Next townhall meeting April 13

  • Compliance training – conflict of interest – state website – by April 4 (memo March 10?) takes about an hour, repeated info, tests. Don’t forget to finish it and print the confirmation (can’t leave and come back).

  • Travel policy changing a bit

  • Volunteering at a vaccine clinic – website https://commed.umassmed.edu/vaccine-corps

  • Vaccines for UMMS employees – UMMS hasn’t been allocated any to use

  • Hiring freeze through end of fiscal year

  • Research money – UMMS doing well

  • Theresa Kane shout-out

  • Double-masking is an option – surgical mask under cloth mask if you do. Vaccine rates up but still need to stay safe.

5.      CIR Committee of Interns and Residents

6.      PFML Paid Family Medical Leave – July adding the Family part

7.      Parking - access

8.      St V’s – Mass Nurses Association represents RNs at St Vincent, UFCW also doing informational picketing because of their contract and staffing (update: UFCW settled contract)

9.      Scholarship – see email or blog

10.  Questions:

  • MA law giving 3 years credit for covid retirement – for people working on site – bill at State House

 

Member Meeting Reminder - Wednesday 3/17/2021

SHARE holds monthly member meetings on the third Wednesday of each month. The meetings are at 12:00, 12:30, and 1:00. You are invited to drop in on your lunch break. There is a meeting this week, on Wednesday, March 17. We hope to see you there!

To join the meeting at lunch on Wednesday:

click https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85193161012?pwd=SERJUGFTd01ua0MyRDJrVTNkNmxSdz09

or call (646)876-9923 and enter Meeting ID: 851 9316 1012 and Passcode: 485804

If you would like an update but can’t make the meeting, you can read the meeting notes on the SHARE blog afterwards, or get in touch with one of the SHARE organizers.

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