Education

Educational Opportunities & Student Loan Forgiveness


Did you Know your Union Can help you Earn your degree?

This update is all about education. SHARE members are eligible to take advantage of the full range of Union Plus benefits, which include reduced-cost college degree programs, and more. The available education benefits seem to continually evolve, so if you haven’t seen a program that looked right for you before, it could be useful to scan over the offerings again.

Plus, you can use SHARE’s Tuition Reimbursement program to help cover costs! (See details below.) Don’t forget, too, that Community College is free for Massachusetts residents who don’t yet have a Bachelors degree.

How to Sign Up for Union Plus

To take advantage of any Union Plus Benefits, you’ll need to register with Union Plus. Note that “SHARE” is not listed as a registration option . . . our union is also identified as AFSCME Local 3900.

To sign up, you’ll need to select our parent union, “AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees,” in the dropdown menu.

Upcoming Union-Plus Webinar:

Student Loan Advice

New student loan drop-in webinar

Do you have student loans? Join us on December 17th at 7 pm ET for an opportunity to speak with Savi’s student loan experts for free, to learn about student loan repayment and forgiveness options.

This session will be an open-ended format and you can join at any time during the hour to get answers directly from student loan experts. RSVP today to reserve your spot!


Tuition reimbursement

In our Contract agreement with the hospital, SHARE has negotiated that UMass Memorial will reimburse eligible expenses up to the allowable amount of $5,250 for full-time status employees or $2,625 for part-time status employees per calendar year.

The full stipulations of the Tuition Reimbursement policy can be found on page 36 of the SHARE-UMass Memorial Contract Agreement

Stay in the Know


So many SHARE members are lifelong learners, looking to grow and advance in their careers, and our union is continually working to develop more educational opportunities, including all of the above, as well as “earn-and-learn” apprenticeship programs within our own hospital. To stay on top of what’s available, keep your eyes on your email from SHARE, or review the SHARE blog posts tagged #Education

SHARE Updates: MA Apprenticeship Program, UnionPlus How-To, and More

to have a say, we have to participate

SHARE encourages you to get out and vote!

Earn and Learn with the Medical Assistant Training Program

How the pay works for SHARE members who are admitted to the Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship program:

The flyer shown above for the Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program only lists the starting pay if you are coming from outside of SHARE. If you are already a SHARE member, your pay rate will be determined by your current grade. The promotional increase rules decide how much your rate would go up. The promotional increase is 5% per grade. (If that math doesn’t land your rate on a platform in the grade, the rate will be rounded up to the next platform.)

Medical Assistant Trainee is a NSG5 title.

Medical Assistant, Certified is a NSG6 title.

  • Example: If you transfer from a NSG3 job, like PCA 1, to the Medical Assistant Trainee title, that’s 2 grades higher. So you would get a 10% increase. You would get an additional 5% when you get certified.

  • Example: If you transfer from a NSG4 job, like PCA 2, to the Medical Assistant Trainee title, that’s 1 grades higher. So you would get a 5% increase. You would get an additional 5% when you get certified.

Note: If you transfer from a title in a higher grade, your pay rate would be decreased 5% per grade.

A Tip for Taking Advantage of Union Plus Programs

In our last email, we highlighted the valuable benefits available through the UnionPlus program, everything from legal help to discounted movie tickets to educational opportunities.

Thank you to those who reached out and reminded us that SHARE is not listed as an option in the registration for the program. To sign up, you’ll need to select our parent union, AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, in the dropdown menu. Our union is also identified as AFSCME Local 3900.

SHARE Updates: Make the Most of Your Raise, Career Pathways, and More!

Raises came at the beginning of October, and now that we’re in the Open Enrollment period, it’s a good time to be thinking about your own financial and retirement planning. Below you can find directions on how to check your raise and ways to make your money go further.

Former SHARE union co-president and CT Tech Jay Hagan provided brilliant patient care at UMass Memorial for several decades. And now he’s now making the most of the SHARE retirement benefits!

UMass Memorial Legal Services

In addition to investing in your future self by upping your contribution to your 401k, you might consider using the UMass Memorial Legal Assistance Plan to prepare for the future.

Former SHARE Union President Jay Hagan used those services before his own retirement, and had good things to say about it. “Before, I called a financial advisor, and was told that the services I wanted would cost me three or four thousand dollars. So, instead, I got set up with the Legal Assistance Plan for one year, and saved a lot.

“I called MetLaw and they provided me a list of local lawyers to choose from. I met with one a couple of times . . . he was friendly and competent. There are additional expenses that you have to pay to Massachusetts for things like recording fees, but all of the legal bills get directly to MetLaw. If someone dies, it’s bad enough to grieve, and I don’t want my wife or me to have worry about all this then. I’m so glad I’ve got my will and everything taken care of.”

Could a Health Care Flexible Spending Account Work for You?

UnionPlus Benefits for SHARE Members

If you’re signed up for SHARE, you’re also eligible for the perks, discounts, and low-cost programs for union members through the nationwide UnionPlus program, which also includes financial services such as personal loans, student debt help, credit card debt settlement, and more.

How to Check Your Raise

The recent raise became effective 9/29/24, and was reflected in the first paycheck after that date.

Your raise was 4.5% of your old hourly rate, or $1.00 per hour, whichever amount was larger.

For more information about the structure of the raise, and how to calculate your own, and what happens if your pay has reached the Max Cap, check out this page about raises.

Many more of the most common questions are answered in this FAQ from the last contract agreement. This raise is the third of four annual raises negotiated for this contract period.

You can confirm that your raise was processed in Workday. Just log in and go to your profile, then select “Compensation” (see example image below from the Workday app.)

If you have questions or concerns about your raise, please contact the SHARE Organizer for your area. You can also call SHARE at 508-929-4020 or email share.comment@theshareunion.org.

You will see your Pay Raise reflected in the “Compensation” section of Workday, as well as in your “Pay Change History”

Do You Know Someone Who Would Like to Become a CT Technologist?

Reminder: SHARE Retirement Info Sessions. Register now!

SHARE Retirement Information Sessions

In case you haven’t heard, raises are coming soon, and raise-time is a great time to re-evaluate your retirement strategy!

SHARE will be hosting three upcoming information sessions to help SHARE members understand more about the retirement benefits available, including the 401k, as well as the Defined Benefit Pension, a valuable asset that has become increasingly rare in American workplaces. (However, SHARE has worked over the years to keep our own pension sustainable, and has negotiated for the hospital to continue providing it to everyone in the SHARE bargaining unit.) Get the link to this virtual event by registering below . . .

Congratulations to Our 2024 Mass AFL-CIO Scholarship Recipient

Leo attends the University of Massachusetts, where he is majoring in Music

Congratulations to Leo Perry, who recently received the $1000 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship, a prize awarded to select rising college students in AFSCME families. Leo’s mother, Laura Perry, is a SHARE member and Respiratory Therapist in the Pulmonary Lab.

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog over the coming school year for more #scholarships. For other educational opportunities, check out posts tagged #education.

Learn About Your Retirement Benefits with SHARE

SHARE Retirement Information Sessions

Raises are coming soon, and raise-time is a great time to re-evaluate your retirement strategy!

SHARE will be hosting three upcoming information sessions to help SHARE members understand more about the retirement benefits available, including the 401k, as well as the Defined Benefit Pension, a valuable asset that has become increasingly rare in American workplaces. However, SHARE has helped to keep our own pension sustainable, and has negotiated for the hospital to continue providing it to everyone in the SHARE bargaining unit. Get the link to this virtual event by registering below . . .

PCA Pathway Grads CELEBRATE!

UMass Memorial’s first cohort of the PCA Pathway training program got paid to learn and are already in their new SHARE positions, caring for patients. Congratulations to all you new grads! Here’s to your new career!

click the image for the short bouncing video

Know someone who would like to get started or advance their career in healthcare? The deadline for the next PCA Pathway Program is September 13th. Learn more here

Or, for more opportunities, check out other SHARE posts tagged #Education

Patient Care Associate Pathway Training Program

Does someone you know want to begin a career at UMass Memorial working on the nursing floors? The Patient Care Associate Program is open again to friends and family of SHARE members! Learn more about the PCA Pathway program here, or scroll down to read the announcement flyer.

Participants in the first wave of this program, seen above, recently completed their training and are now on the job, as SHARE members at UMass Memorial, caring for patients.

Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program

SHARE is very excited to announce this new apprenticeship program in conjunction with UMass Memorial and QCC. Please disregard the pay minimums listed in the flyer and note the pay guidelines at the end of this post, which pertain exclusively to SHARE members. For a printable version of this flyer, click here.

How the pay works for SHARE members who are admitted to the Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship program:

The flyer shown above for the Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program only lists the starting pay if you are coming from outside of SHARE. If you are already a SHARE member, your pay rate will be determined by your current grade. The promotional increase rules decide how much your rate would go up. The promotional increase is 5% per grade. (If that math doesn’t land your rate on a platform in the grade, the rate will be rounded up to the next platform.)

Medical Assistant Trainee is a NSG5 title.

Medical Assistant, Certified is a NSG6 title.

  • Example: If you transfer from a NSG3 job, like PCA 1, to the Medical Assistant Trainee title, that’s 2 grades higher. So you would get a 10% increase. You would get an additional 5% when you get certified.

  • Example: If you transfer from a NSG4 job, like PCA 2, to the Medical Assistant Trainee title, that’s 1 grades higher. So you would get a 5% increase. You would get an additional 5% when you get certified.

Note: If you transfer from a title in a higher grade, your pay rate would be decreased 5% per grade.

SHARE Updates: Quarantine, PCA Pathway Program, Scholarships, and more

Dear SHARE member, we heard last week that some people had issues with the email from SHARE, that it went straight into your work-email’s quarantine system.

So! We’re repeating some important scholarship information below, along with an announcement about UMass Memorial’s PCA Pathway Program: refer a friend or family-member to that, and get a $3,000 referral bonus!

Thank you for understanding about the redundancy. And thank you to those who let us know that SHARE emails weren’t getting through smoothly . . .

Patient Care Associate Pathway

Learn more about the PCA Pathway program here

Couillard Fund Scholarships for Nursing Education

Four (4) Couillard Fund Scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded to active UMMH Medical Center clinical support staff or LPNs currently enrolled in a program leading to an RN licensure. The scholarship deadline is April 8th. Learn more, and apply, here.

Central Mass AFL/CIO College Scholarships

SHARE members again have the opportunity to apply for a valuable education resource: the Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO College Scholarship. The lottery for these scholarships will be open to any SHARE members, as well as children and grandchildren of our members, who will graduate from high school this year and attend college next year. We’d love to see more winners from SHARE this year. Learn more and apply to this fellowship here

UMass Memorial Hospital Named Among World’s Best

In case you missed it, Newsweek recently named the top 100 best hospitals in the world as ranked by an independent data-gathering firm. Fifteen of those hospitals are right here in Massachusetts, including our own UMass Memorial. UMass Memorial works because SHARE members do, and it’s nice to see that hard work recognized. Read more here.

New “Direct FilE” Service makes Filing for Taxes Easier

A new tax filing service called Direct File will allow eligible taxpayers to file their taxes online directly with the IRS—for free. The Direct File service will be available in English and Spanish, works on mobile devices as easily as it does tablets, laptops and desktop computers, and includes direct and dedicated customer support from the IRS. During the 2024 pilot, Direct File will support most simple returns. Learn more here.

2024 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship

The SHARE office recently received the following annual notice from Joe Carlson, President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO, about a really great scholarship opportunity for members. The lottery for these scholarships will be open to any SHARE members, as well as children and grandchildren of our members, who will graduate from high school this year and attend college next year.

TIPS FOR APPLYING

Many SHARE members are familiar with Chloe Belsito, a recipient of the 2022 scholarship, from her virtual performance to convey appreciation for caregivers in the UMass Memorial Gratitude Concert series. Chloe has also been a contestant on American Idol.

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Memorial (including Marlboro Hospital) are in Local Union Number 3900. Applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office.

OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog for more #scholarships. For additional educational opportunities, check out posts tagged #education.

SHARE and UMass Memorial Get Ready to Launch Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship

Kellie Morton (SHARE Organizer and Patient Care Associate) and Janet Wilder (SHARE Organizer) at the recent Medical Assistant Apprenticeship press conference

“Many SHARE members want to learn and grow in their careers. But it’s tough to go to school when you have a job, and kids, and bills to pay. Registered apprenticeships are one way to ‘earn and learn,’ which is critical for many SHARE members,” said Janet Wilder, SHARE Organizer at a press conference on Wednesday.

SHARE and UMass Memorial are working together to create career paths for SHARE members to move up in the organization. On Wednesday, our organizations jointly announced an apprenticeship to train medical assistants, starting in the spring of 2024.

Massachusetts Secretary of Labor, Lauren Jones (speaking), with UMass Memorial’s Interim President Justin Precourt, and Director of Workforce Development and Planning, Kelley Aiken

Since our most recent contract negotiations ended – where we increased tuition benefits – SHARE has been working with UMass Memorial to create as many career pathways as possible. SHARE aims for members to have options for growth, and for UMass Memorial to have people to fill positions who are well-trained, who are committed to UMass Memorial and our patients, and who want to stay and grow their careers.

Kelly Aiken, Director of Workforce Development and Planning, UMass Memorial Health, spoke about the new career training programs and how our hospital focuses on “hot jobs,” which are both in high-demand and challenging to fill. Some of those roles include: Medical Assistants, PCAs, and Surgical Technologists.

Massachusetts Secretary of Labor, Lauren Jones, joined-in to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week. It turns out that our Medical Assistant registered apprenticeship will be the first healthcare registered apprenticeship in Central Massachusetts.

“I’ve worked at UMass Memorial for 31 years,” says Kellie Morton, Medical Office Assistant in the Oncology Clinic and part-time SHARE Organizer. “I started with a training class in Home Health offered by the hospital, and I’ve worked my way up. Now I’m a Medical Assistant. It’s been an honor to help to design the Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program. We need more Medical Assistants to fill jobs, and giving opportunities to our own caregivers is huge. We’re excited to help train the new apprentices by precepting them during their on-the-job training. I want everyone to have opportunities!”

The career training programs that we create together – union and management -- will be stronger and better because they take into front-line SHARE members’ experience and knowledge.

If you are interested in the Medical Assistant apprenticeship, watch for more information in the new year. There will be room for 10 students in the first group, and we will grow from there.

UMass Memorial’s Director of Workforce Development and Planning, Kelley Aiken, announces the forthcoming “Earn and Learn” apprenticeship program where employees can advance their schooling and their career while working. Watch the story on local SpectrumNews1.

Couillard Scholarship for PCAs and LPNs

Are you pursuing a nursing degree? SHARE has just learned that the following scholarship opportunity is being made available through UMass Memorial.

Please note that the application deadline is almost here: Friday, November 10!

from the UMass Memorial Department of Nursing Professional Development . . .

On behalf of the Couillard Fund, we have an exciting announcement for Medical Center PCA and LPN Caregivers! 

The Couillard Fund, in collaboration with the Department of Nursing, is excited to be awarding four (4) Couillard Fund nursing scholarships to full time and part time PCA and LPN caregivers who are currently enrolled in a nursing program leading to RN licensure.  We want to encourage those who are working to pursue or advance their nursing practice to apply for this unique opportunity. 

Each scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $2500 which will be paid directly to the winner’s school. 

Submissions can be completed using the online survey monkey link

or paper application below. 


All submissions should be completed by the applicant and emailed to nursingexcellence@umassmemorial.org and/or completed online by November 10, 2023. 

 

Winners will be announced before the end of calendar year 2023. 

We look forward to reviewing your application! 



SHARE Updates: Contract Events, Childcare, Educational Opportunities, and More . . .

CONTRACT DISTRIBUTION EVENTS

Want to curl up with a paper version of the contract in front of the fire?

Get your copy of the red book — and talk with SHARE Organizers about any questions you’ve got — at an upcoming Contract Distribution Event.

  • UNIVERSITY — Tuesday, Sept 12 — Prescription Center hallway (aka “four corners”) — 11:30-1:30

  • MEMORIAL — Tuesday, Sept 19 — across from Cafeteria — 11:30-1:30

If you’d like a SHARE Rep to bring copies of the contract to your department or worksite, please contact SHARE.

Backup Childcare through Bright Horizons

In conjunction with UMass Memorial Hospital, Bright Horizons provides a backup childcare option to employees for holidays, breaks, professional development days, and more. Find more information and apply here.

FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

In last week’s email update, we pointed out that Quinsigamond Community College is working together with the MassReconnect program to offer the opportunity to earn free Associate Degrees and certificates for adults twenty-five years and older. But! The MassReconnect program isn’t limited to QCC: the MassReconnect program means that ALL 15 community colleges in Massachusetts are FREE to students who qualify for this program! Learn more here.

Federal Student Loan Repayments Resume in October

After a pause during the pandemic, federal student loans have again begun accruing interest, and payments will need to be made again beginning in October, to the frustration of many.

Find information and resources for union members belonging to AFSCME (SHARE’s parent union) in this message on the SHARE Blog.

The entire SHARE Contract Bargaining Agreement with UMass Memorial is online

Use the above link to zoom in, read, and print the information you need.

Make it easy, using your browser’s search tools and the SHARE site FAQ’s.



SHARE Labor Day Updates

Happy Labor Day! We hope you’re enjoying the sunshine today, and grateful to those SHARE members who are working on the holiday to take care of patients and our hospital.

Have We Lost the Spirit of Labor Day?

That’s the question asked in this short piece about the history and meaning of Labor Day, who points out that workers’ concerns and needs continue to evolve.

You still sometimes hear claims that unions have outlived their relevance. But SHARE members know that — even with good bosses, in good workplaces — concerns with working conditions continue. Only an independent source of power like a union can provide safe and effective ways for workers’ voices to consistently make a difference at work.

MassReconnect: Free Community College

Quinsigamond Community College is offering the opportunity to earn free Associate Degrees and certificates for adults twenty-five years and older. For more details, and to apply to learn more, visit QCC’s MassReconnect website.

Finding What You Need

The fully-searchable SHARE contract is now online, and distribution events for paper copies will be announced very soon. But do you know how to find what you want to know on the SHARE website?

The site is full of other useful information. We recently added a guide to applying for Leaves of Absence to the “Getting Help” page, for example. You can find that, and a whole lot more, by using the site’s search tools. Still have questions? Contact us!

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