SHARE Updates: MA Apprenticeship, College Scholarships, and Financial Outlook

SHARE-UMASS Memorial Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program: celebrating the First Wave of Graduates!

The SHARE-UMass Memorial Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program recently recognized its first graduating class—the first registered apprenticeship in healthcare in Central Massachusetts. The event was attended by hospital and SHARE leaders, as well as state officials, including Undersecretary of Labor Josh Cutler, who praised the graduates as examples of the value of investing in workforce development.

Graduates expressed deep appreciation for the program, which provided career advancement opportunities without the financial burden of traditional education. “The Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program was simply amazing. UMass Memorial provided me career growth at a time in my life when I could not afford to further my education. I am so grateful to feel fulfilled daily by providing compassionate care to our patients everyday,” said SHARE member and recent graduate Maggie Warfield.

SHARE union leaders have worked hard with UMass Memorial’s Workforce Development team to design and support the program, knowing that its “earn-and-learn” model makes career growth accessible to working members. With a second cohort underway and a third beginning, the program is growing and continuing to provide important opportunities to SHARE members.

SHARE proudly celebrates the success and dedication of all of the participants! Congratulations graduates!

Read More & See Fun Photos!



Changes in Healthcare: Nationally, and Right Here

SHARE members have been asking about some of the recent hospital communications about finances, which describe a $25 million loss in FY25 and potential future Medicaid cuts that could cost the hospital up to $100 million annually. UMass Memorial leadership has launched a “Find the 4%” initiative to improve financial sustainability by increasing efficiency and reducing waste. SHARE is actively contributing through Unit Based Teams (UBTs), which empower SHARE members to identify and implement practical improvements in their departments. These efforts aim not only help to stabilize the hospital’s finances but also make work more satisfying and effective for SHARE members. Read more here.

Union Plus Scholarship Application Process: Now Open

Union Plus is now accepting applications for their 2026 scholarship awards, which help union families with the cost of college, through awards ranging from $500 to $4000. The application deadline is January 31, 2026.

Current and retired members of SHARE, their spouses, and their dependent children are eligible. At least one year of continuous union service by the applicant is required.

Learn more & Apply

Nationwide Changes in Healthcare, and How We're Adapting Here

Many SHARE members have been talking about UMass Memorial’s increasing focus on cost-savings, with questions about the hospital’s finances and why we need to cut costs. SHARE members are also implementing ideas which are already having a real impact on the hospital’s bottom line.

What’s Happening?

You may have seen the recent Financial Sustainability update from Dr. Eric Dickson, CEO of UMass Memorial Health, providing an overview the financial challenges faced by our hospital system, including a $25M loss at UMass Memorial Health in FY25.

Federal cuts to Medicaid are expected to have a substantial impact on our hospital’s budget, beginning in Fiscal Year 2027

Dr. Dickson’s message (from “The Thread” on October 9th), outlines measures to further address these issues in FY26, and to stem the projected impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on safety net hospitals like our own. Dr. Dickson also praised the work of UMass Memorial employees toward those cost savings through the Find the 4% initiative, an effort to re-calibrate hospital finances by enhancing revenue and decreasing spending throughout the system.

The federal government is currently shutdown over disagreement about Medicaid cuts for this year and their effect on Medicaid patients. Medicaid cuts planned for 2027 will have an even bigger impact on the UMass Memorial’s budget. Estimates vary on the impact of those cuts – one estimate is that the hospital would lose $100+ million.

For a more in-depth analysis, you can also listen to this interview with Dr. Dickson in The Commonwealth Beacon’s podcast, “The Codcast.”

How SHARE Members Are Responding

Recently, SHARE Unit Based Teams have turned some attention to the hospital’s “Finding 4%” campaign. UBTs give SHARE members opportunities to design the work in their own departments, and put SHARE members at the center of the decision-making about things that matter to them. The purpose of UBTs is to make it feel better to come to work, and to make it easier to be able to do work we can feel proud of. Here’s a glimpse of some of the UBT projects to “Find 4%”:

The above list names a number of UBT projects aimed at cutting costs, especially through cutting wasteful practices

Making the Difference in Your Department

A commonsense way to make things more efficient in your workplace is to look for things that are redundant or wasteful. Smoothing things out can make work feel better, too. To get the ideas going, here’s the guide that the SHARE-UMass Memorial Continuous Improvement Coaches use with their Unit Based Teams

Union Plus Scholarship Application Process Now Open

Union Plus is now accepting applications for their 2026 scholarship awards, which help union families with the cost of college, with awards ranging from $500 to $4000. The application deadline is January 31, 2026.

Current and retired members of SHARE, their spouses, and their dependent children are eligible. At least one year of continuous union service by the applicant is required.

Learn more & Apply

Signing Up for Union Plus Benefits: What to Know

In addition to scholarships, Union Plus offers a wide range of perks and benefits to SHARE members. Signing up is quick and easy.

When selecting your union from the dropdown menu, please choose “AFSCME (State, County, and Municipal Employees)”

SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900

All SHARE members qualify for Union Plus benefits

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $5.9 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 4,200 families have benefited from our commitment to higher education. 

Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program Graduation

SHARE member Afia Damptey, who works as a MA in UMass Memorial’s Spine Center, spoke at the graduation. “I didn’t realize how much this program was going to change me and further my education,” Afia said. “At UMass Memorial Health, you can become whoever you want to be.”

Celebrated by state legislators, managers, SHARE organizers, and friends and family, twelve brand new Medical Assistants graduated from their apprenticeships. They are the first graduates of the SHARE-UMass Memorial Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship program, the first healthcare registered apprenticeship in Central Mass. Josh Cutler, Undersecretary of Labor, joined us to celebrate first healthcare apprenticeship in Central Mass. “In Massachusetts…our greatest natural resource is our people; it’s our skilled workforce. You are a shining example of us building and investing in our workforce,” Cutler said to the graduates.

And the graduates have appreciated the opportunity. SHARE member Maggie Warfield says, “The Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program was simply amazing. UMass Memorial provided me career growth at a time in my life when I could not afford to further my education. I am so grateful to feel fulfilled daily by providing compassionate care to our patients everyday. Kellie from SHARE was instrumental in helping me find the best clinic for me! She truly is invested in the MA Apprenticeship Program. Kellie and SHARE are constantly looking into ways to help UMass Memorial employees advance their careers.”

The MA Apprenticeship program includes seven weeks of classroom work at Quinsigamond Community College, which lauds the graduates on their own website, here. Coursework is followed by one year working as a Medical Assistant in a clinic with preceptor support. Participants must then pass a national exam.

The second group of MAs is currently performing their apprenticeship; a third cohort is just beginning, and we’re looking forward to more.

SHARE leaders have worked hard to help establish this apprenticeship and make it work well, knowing that the earn-and-learn aspect of these kinds of programs make it possible for SHARE members who might not otherwise be able to find the time and money to go back to school.

SHARE Organizer Kellie Morton puts it like this, “On behalf of SHARE, I would like to congratulate the first class of UMass Memorial’s Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program. I’ve watched how hard you have worked and how dedicated you have been to achieving this goal. I am so proud of you! SHARE is so proud of this program, and proud of all of you!”

It’s true. SHARE is extremely proud of all of the MA Apprenticeship Program participants, and is especially happy to recognize this pioneering first cohort. Congratulations, graduates!

Your Pension & 401k: Upcoming SHARE Information Sessions

Raise time is a great time to revisit your financial plans for your future self! The next raise for SHARE members goes into effect on September 28 (4% increase, or $1.00 per hour, whichever is greater).

Your Pension and 401K 

  • Did you know that you have a pension? SHARE has negotiated with UMass Memorial to establish and maintain a pension for all SHARE members, fully funded by the employer.

  • Are you taking advantage of the 401K match from the hospital? If not, you’re leaving free money on the table. Don’t worry, you can start with a small contribution!

SHARE Info Meetings 

Join us to learn about your benefits, and how to take advantage of them.

Meetings are virtual, on Zoom.

Tuesday, September 9th, 12p-1:00p

Wednesday, September 10th, 7:30a-8:30a

Thursday, September 11th, 5:00p-6:00p 

click here to join a session

*please note that all three Zoom sessions will use the same link. Click the above button at any of the listed times. This will bring you to a Zoom waiting room, where a meeting organizer will admit you.

Learn more about SHARE retirement benefits

SHARE Updates: Know Your Union, Raises, Retirement Benefits, and More

know your union!

Did you know that SHARE is the largest union at the largest employer in Central Massachusetts, with over 3600 strong in our bargaining unit, and growing?

Did you know that UMass Memorial works because SHARE members do . . . in over 230 different job titles?

Did you know that SHARE has a unique Partnership Agreement with UMass Memorial which provides SHARE members unique opportunities to participate in decisions that affect them in their jobs?

The healthcare landscape is constantly changing and bringing new difficulties, but one thing is consistently true: SHARE members are always essential to the vital mission of taking care of Central Massachusetts and beyond.

The strength of our union comes from our connection to one another, and our shared knowledge. Our union is built on countless conversations and creative ideas.

There are lots of ways to be involved in that conversation, and in the things that our union is doing. Give us a call (508-929-4020) or email share.comment@theshareunion.org to talk. And, if you haven’t met already, make sure to reach out to the elected SHARE Representative in your area.

Learn More about Our Union

RAISES IN OCTOBER

The final raise of our current Contract period comes this October. The amount is a 4% increase, or $1.00, whichever is greater. (In other words, the floor for the raise is $1.00 per hour; so, if you make less than $25 per hour, your raise will actually be more than 4%.)

SHARE members have received consistent annual raises every year, usually in October. We’ll begin negotiating with UMass Memorial about the next round of raises probably in early Summer of 2026.

Learn More About Raises Here

NEW SHARE RETIREMENT PAGE

SHARE members enjoy some uncommonly good retirement benefits — especially the Defined Benefit Pension. Even if you didn’t know about this, you’re already benefitting from it. SHARE has negotiated for the employer to contribute to this program for all SHARE members, so that you will have a guaranteed, consistent monthly stipend in your retirement years.

You can learn more about the Pension, and how to make the most of your other retirement benefits, on our new Retirement webpage.

Learn more about your retirement benefits here

2025 CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AFL-CIO SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO SHARE FAMILY

Congratulations to recent graduate Steven Gjanci who received this year’s $1000 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO scholarship! His mother, Greta Gjanci, is a Medical Assistant and SHARE member in the Family Medicine Clinic on the Hahnemann campus. To learn about other educational opportunities, keep your eye on emails from SHARE, or review blog posts marked #Scholarships and #Education.

UMass Memorial Caregiver Survey

This is a key time for your input to help make things better, right where you work. Results of the UMass Memorial Caregiver Survey are now in, and managers should be reporting the results of those surveys to your individual departments by September 25. Departments are required to submit an action plan for improving those scores by September 30.

We’re proud that SHARE members have already been leading the way with very high survey participation. We’re also heartened that our hospital’s overall scores continue to improve, at a time when healthcare worker satisfaction is slipping nationwide. However, we also know there’s still lots to do to improve, and challenges ahead. If you’d like help knowing how to make the most of your department’s results and action plan, please reach out to your area SHARE Organizer or UBT Coach.

WELCOME, WALT!


One last nice note: please help us welcome Walt Andrews to the SHARE Organizing team! He’ll be working to help improve our information systems, in addition to regular organizing duties.

Right now Walt is learning his way around and getting to know SHARE members and other caregivers throughout UMass Memorial. If you see him, feel free to introduce yourself, and thanks in advance for helping him understand what things are like where you work!


Memorial UBT Fair TODAY

If you’re at the Memorial campus today, we encourage you to head down to Knowles Hall in the Jaquith building during your lunch break to check out the two dozen posters presented by SHARE UBT Co-Leads . . . and enjoy a complimentary sub sandwich. There will be a short, festive presentation just after noon. See you there!

SHARE Updates: UBT Fairs, MA Apprenticeships, the Future of Medicaid & More

Hahnemann UBT Fair

The first-ever Hahnemann UBT Fair is now one for the books! Over 300 caregivers attended and got a good look at poster presentations by ten different Unit Based Teams, each describing a project that has made their own workflow better and easier to deal with.

“That’s not me any more!” said Barre Family Heath Center ASR Kelley (right), pictured here with her teammate and Lead ASR, Brenda. They described how the UBT has helped them feel on top of their work, rather than like that frazzled cartoon character.

Up Next: Memorial UBT Fair, Thursday, May 22

Big Changes Likely for Healthcare

As a safety-net hospital, a sizable portion of the care provided at UMass Memorial relies on government funding. As you may know from recent news reports, what Medicaid will look like in the near future is very much in question, and currently at the center of the federal budget debate in Washington D.C. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has been quoted by NBC Boston as saying, "No state in the country can make up for the kind of cuts that are being talked about.”

To read more of SHARE’s roundup about the increasing pressures on healthcare, and our own hospital, click on the button below . . .

SHARE Roundup of Potential Healthcare Changes

MA Assistant Program

SHARE is very excited to announce another wave of the MA apprenticeship program in conjunction with UMass Memorial and QCC. This program has been a great success in helping SHARE members to grow their career in our hospital.

Read the Program Overview
FAQ -- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

SHARE Encourages You to Take UMass Memorial’s 2025 Caregiver Survey

On May 14, UMass Memorial launched its caregiver survey. We hope you will respond and make your experience known. SHARE leaders see the survey results for SHARE members. We use them to work with the hospital on improvements that SHARE members care about. We also help members use the results in their department to try to improve things for SHARE members.

Learn more about the Caregiver Survey

Big Changes Likely for Healthcare

As a safety-net hospital, a sizable portion of the care provided at UMass Memorial relies on government funding. As you may know from recent news reports, what Medicaid will look like in the near future is very much in question, and currently at the center of the federal budget debate in Washington D.C.

WHERE ARE THINGS NOW

As of this writing, Medicaid cuts look almost certain and substantial, with Politico reporting, “After a 26-and-a-half-hour markup, Republicans on Wednesday advanced the health care section of the GOP’s sweeping tax bill that would slash Medicaid spending by hundreds of billions of dollars.”

Since the Republicans control Congress -- Democratics are united in opposing cuts to Medicaid (as reported in Politico) -- it’s all about the debate among Republicans. Some Republicans are taking a stand against the cuts, and some are arguing that the cuts do not go far enough. “To say we have a gulf is an understatement,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leader of the conservative wing, as reported by the Associated Press.

What Would Be the Overall Impact of Medicaid Cuts?

There are a lot of unknowns, of course. Governor Maura Healey was earlier quoted by NBC Boston as saying, "No state in the country can make up for the kind of cuts that are being talked about.” NBC reports that “The legislation could lead to 8.6 million people losing Medicaid coverage.”

Medicaid Cuts Potentially Compound the Pressures on Healthcare

Other recent changes to Federal healthcare policy — most notably tariffs and significant cuts to the NIH and the FDA — have already placed strain on academic medical centers, with direct effects on our sister SHARE union at UMass Chan and our sister union at Harvard University, HUCTW.

Of course, everyone knows that hospitals have experienced a wild ride over the past decade, with major setbacks resulting from the Covid pandemic, especially the direct impacts on healthcare workers, and the continuing Primary Care crisis.

What is the situation for UMass Memorial?

UMass Memorial leaders are working with our congressional delegation to fully understand what’s coming for our hospital. They laid out the challenges for our hospital in the February Town Hall address, describing many of the same ideas described in this piece by UMMHealth CEO Eric Dickson.

At the most recent Town Hall, leaders described what were then projected to be $80 billion dollar cuts to the Federal Medicaid program, a scenario that would likely cost Massachusetts $2 billion. Eric Dickson estimated the hit to the UMass Memorial budget about $200 million.

Additionally, they are concerned that the Massachusetts uncompensated care fund will see a $225 million dollar shortfall, with a projected annual impact on our hospital of a $25 million loss.  

Accordingly, the hospital is tightening its belt. It has implemented a more rigorous review process before posting non-clinical jobs, and, as you probably know, hospital leadership is asking departments to find ways to eliminate waste in processes, and avoid spending on non-essential items. Hospital leaders have recently said that they intend to avoid layoffs, as they did post-pandemic, when other hospitals experienced significant reductions in force.

Nationally, Unions Fighting to Protect Medicaid

Our parent union, AFSCME, is actively opposing cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, and is mobilizing members through the Get Organized campaign, also known as AFSCME GO. Read the official statement from the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, here.

MA Apprenticeship Program

SHARE is very excited to announce another wave of the MA apprenticeship program in conjunction with UMass Memorial and QCC. This program has been a great success in helping SHARE members to grow their career in our hospital. Read on if you’d like to learn more about applying to this earn-and-learn program . . .

Read the Program Overview
FAQ -- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions


UMass Memorial Caregiver Survey

On May 14, UMass Memorial launched its caregiver survey. You’ll see lots of emails about it, and SHARE wants you to chime in – please take the survey!

Things to Know:

·       It’s shorter this year, probably about 10 minutes needed.

·       You get work time to fill it out. If you are having trouble getting the time, talk to your manager. Contact SHARE if we can help.

·       It’s confidential. Press-Ganey (the patient experience company) runs this survey. You have to use your personal link or your employee identification number to make sure that only employees fill it out, and only once each. Press-Ganey gets the results. They only send group results back to UMass Memorial, and they don’t share any results for groups smaller than 5 caregivers. SHARE can confirm that we haven’t heard about confidentiality problems.

·       All managers are supposed to share the department’s survey results with the department. All teams are supposed to work on an “action plan” to improve caregivers’ experience based on the results in their department. The results should  be available this summer – we’ll let you know when, and you can let us know if you want help thinking about how to use yours.

Why does UMass Memorial want to you to fill out the survey?

UMass Memorial wants employees to be happy. They know that better caregiver experience leads to better patient experience. The hospital wants caregiver feedback on how they are doing, and what they should try to improve.

Why does SHARE want you to fill out the survey?

SHARE leaders see the survey results for SHARE members. We use them to work with the hospital on improvements that SHARE members care about. We also help members use the results in their department to try to improve things for SHARE members.

NO VOTE REQUIRED FOR 2025 SHARE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVE ELECTIONS

The nomination process for the 2025 SHARE elections is now closed. Nominees who accepted their nominations were not contested, so they automatically fill those positions. The full list of Officers, Executive Board members, and SHARE Representatives will be emailed soon.

Thank you to all of our nominees this year for being engaged in the process, and to the members who nominated your peers. Congratulations to all of the newly-elected leaders: we’re excited for the important role you perform in our community. And a particular welcome to our newest SHARE leaders!

Free Student Loan Webinar

Want help navigating recent changes to student loan programs? SHARE members are eligible to join this free webinar for guidance…

RSVP for the Webinar

Signing Up for Union Plus

. . . is quick & simple

When selecting your union from the dropdown menu, please choose “AFSCME (State, County, and Municipal Employees)”

SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900

SHARE Updates: UBT Fairs, Intro to Healthcare Careers, and More . . .

Scenes from the University UBT Fair

Roughly 800 SHARE members, executive hospital leaders, frontline managers, and other caregivers attended the University UBT Fair.

The Fair gave SHARE members an opportunity to describe how their own work better. Here, SHARE Diagnostic Radiology Technologist Jon describes to UMass Memorial CEO Eric Dickson a project they designed in X-Ray. They’ve improved their processes to keep the patients more comfortable and save the department money, while at the same time sparing time and stress for SHARE members.

SHARE Member and Lead Financial Counselor Mabelle won the WooSox ticket Raffle

hahnemann UBT Fair Wednesday!

the party don’t stop . . .

Reminder: Introduction to Healthcare Careers Program

If you or someone you know wants to grow in a new career path at UMass Memorial, and would like to better understand the options, the new, free Introduction to Healthcare Careers program offered by UMass Memorial is designed to help. Learn more about the program at one of two upcoming information sessions — May 7 and May 20.

Learn More About Healthcare Careers

Free Student Loan Webinar

Want to better understand recent changes to student loan policies, and what they mean for you? You can learn more through an upcoming live UnionPlus webinar, June 10th at 6pm. For more details, and to RSVP, click [[here]]

University UBT Fair: this Wednesday, April 23

Please join us for lunch at the 3rd Annual UBT Fairs!

Beginning this Wednesday, the Labor Management Partnership Office, together with the SHARE union, will be hosting the 3rd Annual UBT (Unit-Based Team) Fairs! 

These drop-in events are open to all caregivers. 

Come grab lunch provided by SHARE, enter a raffle, and see how your fellow caregivers have improved their own work through the UBT projects they designed and implemented.

2025 UBT Fair Locations

  • University campus: Wednesday, April 23rd 11:30-1:30 in the Faculty Conference Room in the Medical School  

  • Hahnemann campus: Wednesday, May 7th 12:00-1:00 in the Hallway leading to the Cafeteria 

  • Memorial campus: Thursday,  May 22nd 11:30-1:30 in Knowles Hall in the Jaquith Building 

Featuring: Lunch, raffles, SHARE and other organizational leaders, friends, and fun! 

Sponsored by the Labor Management Partnership Office & the SHARE union. 

Please feel free to reach out to alaina.anderson@umassmemorial.org with any questions! 

click the above or below poster for a printer-friendly version to post in your department

The SHARE Union / 50 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01604 / Phone: (508) 929-4020 / Fax: (508) 929-4040