Union membership

Union Benefits and Your 2022-23 AFSCME ID Card

New AFSCME cards have begun arriving in the home mailboxes of SHARE members. We’re reprinting this article from a couple years back about the perks involved with your card. It’s all still true. Plus, the AFSCME Advantage/ UnionPlus programs (including the free college benefit) have only expanded since then . . .

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Some SHARE members have recently been asking about the AFSCME union ID card they received in the mail. Why did I get this? you might wonder. What is it good for?

AFSCME is SHARE’s parent union. (SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900.) And, your Union membership comes with perks. Nationwide, AFSCME represents over a million members. That creates a lot of leverage in negotiating deals on things like:

And many, many other good things. Visit the Union Plus website to explore what’s available. For many of those deals and services, you’ll need to provide your union local number, and your personal union member number, which are both printed on the card.

If you don’t have a membership card and need your membership number, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020). We’ll be happy to help you track that down.

Our union takes a very grassroots approach. We’re focused on the issues in our hospital, on working so that SHARE members can always be moving forward financially, and on continually strengthening our community so that we can all do work that we’re proud of. But going out for a cheaper meal can be pretty nice, too.

AFSCME Free College Benefit: New Options in Healthcare and Business Management

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NOW ENROLLING FOR SPRING CLASSES MARCH 29, 2021 

Many SHARE members have already taken advantage of the Free College Benefit, offered by our parent union, AFSCME in conjunction with Eastern Gateway University. It’s a popular perk of union membership. Since it began in 2016, the program has expanded the variety of courses and degrees that it offers, The program now adds opportunities in nursing and other healthcare fields, as well as specialty certificates in the Business Management degree program . . .

New!  Health Services

Interested in nursing or another allied health specialty?  This program can help you get there faster!  This degree pathway offers the math and science you’ll need, as well as the general education and critical thinking courses, that a student will need in many healthcare fields. The Health Services degree is perfect for learning more about the industry or preparing to apply for nursing school.

Develop Your Expertise in These Business Management Specialties

  • Advertising

  • Cyber Security

  • Data Analytics

  • Digital and Social Media

  • Environment and Conservation Studies

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Finance

  • Hospitality: Food and Beverage Management

  • Hospitality: Hotel and Event Management

  • Human Resources Management

  • IT Help Desk

  • Labor Studies

  • Marketing

  • Operations and Logistics

  • Programming & Development

  • Project Management Fundamentals

Note that unemployed, furloughed, and laid off union workers and their extended family are all eligible to enroll in Free College.

Resources to Help SHARE Members Handle Hard Times

As you work the front lines, you are, as always, helping in invaluable ways to keep our community healthy and strong. Your commitment to what you do is as meaningful as ever. Thank you. 

However, each of us is also facing new personal hardships. Below is a current roundup of resources that may help you and your family now.  

Unemployment Resources 

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Massachusetts has expanded Unemployment Insurance Benefits. These benefits now extend to workers who have been isolated and quarantined, those who must be home to care for children as a result of school and daycare closures, and who must stop work due to “reasonable risk of exposure.”   

  • Mass.gov: The official unemployment site for Massachusetts states “You should apply for unemployment benefits during your first week of total or partial unemployment. Most claims are processed within 21-28 days after filing. It may take longer if there is an issue with your claim.” 

  • Changes to Unemployment Insurance, explained.   

  • How to apply: UFCW Local Union 328 has developed this handy step-by-step guide. 

Federal Stimulus Checks 

Last week, the Federal Government passed historic legislation to provide economic relief in response to COVID-19. Some key provisions of this 2 trillion dollar aid package developed are designed to help small- to mid-sized businesses, and don’t apply to UMass Memorial. However, stimulus checks are being delivered directly to qualified US residents and Americans living abroad. Here’s some things to know.  

More Ways to Find Help  

As a SHARE union member, you’re linked to a broad network of resources. Our grassroots union at UMass Memorial Hospital, SHARE, is AFSCME Local #3900, a member organization of the AFL-CIO.  

  • Hardship help is also available to union members at unionplus.org. This includes legal help, mortgage assistance, a medical bill negotiating assistance, and more. 

  • Community Health, developed in partnership with UMass Memorial, provides a searchable database of food delivery, job training, and other services centered in Central Massachusetts.  

  • Helpsteps also connects individuals to local health and human resources to alleviate disparities in health and social well-being in Massachusetts communities. Although the program was developed to provide resources to the greater Boston area, it has expanded to provide links to services throughout the state through Mass 211, including financial assistance, legal aid, food, mental health, addiction, education, elder care, and more.  

you can Help your union to Help Others

We’ll continue to round up links to services that could potentially aid you and your family. Sharing information helps keep our union strong. If you learn something useful from your experience with any of these services that we can help pass along to other members, please tell your area SHARE organizer, or give us a call (508-929-4020) and tell us your story.

Keeping Up-To-Date 

 The SHARE staff is working to keep up with news and information as it becomes available. For the latest, please see the news feed on the SHARE homepage, or follow the official @sharehospitalu1 and SHARE Organizer @sharekirk on Twitter.

Union Benefits and Your AFSCME ID Card

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Some SHARE members have recently been asking about the AFSCME union ID card they received in the mail. Why did I get this? you might wonder. What is it good for?

AFSCME is SHARE’s parent union. (SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900.) And, your Union membership comes with perks. Nationwide, AFSCME represents over a million members. That creates a lot of leverage in negotiating deals on things like:

And many, many other good things. Visit the Union Plus website to explore what’s available. For many of those deals and services, you’ll need to provide your union local number, and your personal union member number, which are both printed on the card.

If you don’t have a membership card and need your membership number, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020). We’ll be happy to help you track that down.

Our union takes a very grassroots approach. We’re focused on the issues in our hospital, on working so that SHARE members can always be moving forward financially, and on continually strengthening our community so that we can all do work that we’re proud of. But going out for a cheaper meal can be pretty nice, too.

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