SHARE Updates: Poster Unveiling Event TODAY, New Negotiations Website, Spotlight on the Memorial Inpatient Pharmacy

Don’t Forget: 2022 Signature Poster Unveiling Event TODAY!

Over 2,400 SHARE members signed-on to our statement in support of a strong contract before it was time to send to the printer. Today we the reveal the poster in all of its glory. If you’re on the University campus, we encourage you to come to the big event. Come find your own signature on the poster, bring a copy back for your department, and enjoy a free sandwich. (More details on the flyer below.)

You can also pick up a poster at signature events including Memorial campus next Wednesday [[details]]. More sites, including for employees with work-from-home arrangements, will be announced soon.

New Contract Negotiations Website

The best way to find out about what’s happening in contract negotiations is to come to information meetings and talk with SHARE Reps and Organizers firsthand. So you can always have useful information at your fingertips, we’ve also dedicated a new section of the SHARE website to round up contract negotiation resources. On the new site you can find:

  • Links to negotiations updates & contract event announcements

  • Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about negotiations

  • “Always Essential” graphics (with directions about how to add them to your email signature or virtual meeting background)

  • And lots more ways that you can support a strong contract!

UBT Spotlight: Memorial Inpatient Pharmacy

Congratulations to the Unit Based Team in the Memorial Inpatient Pharmacy! SHARE members and other staff there are now experiencing smoother transitions among roles and shifts, thanks to a project designed to measure and improve communication. Learn more about how they did it in this UBT Spotlight post.

Memorial Inpatient Pharmacy Improves Department Communications

The Inpatient Pharmacy Unit Based Team on the Memorial campus recently completed a project to address communication within the department. The staff had been struggling to consistently convey necessary information within the pharmacy across roles and shifts. When the UBT committee members identified this issue as a project to tackle, they got to work.

First, the UBT committee members developed a survey for the Pharmacists and Tech staff to complete so that they could capture a baseline measure of communication. After brainstorming potential solutions, they came up with the following: they instituted daily huddles, standardized shift-change report-out, and mounted whiteboards for communicating key information. After implementing these changes, the UBT then resurveyed the staff to see if the changes had made a difference. The results showed a significant improvement, as you can see from these responses to individual questions:

  • “My shift works well together and communicates with each other effectively” — those who agreed improved from 64% to 74%

  • “My Co-workers share with me the information I need to do a good job and I have an easy time sharing with them the information they need to do a good job” — those who agreed improved from 52%-68%

  • “My shift cooperates with other shifts effectively, and shift to shift communications are constructive” — those who agreed improved from 27% to 61%

The staff now describe smoother transitions among roles and shifts as a result of their new ways of communicating. The project improved collaboration within the department, as well as increasing patient quality and safety.

Way to go, Inpatient Pharmacy!

SHARE Updates: 25th Anniversary!

SHARE Is 25!

In September of 1997, staff at UMass Memorial voted decisively in favor of having their own union. And look at us now! We’ve negotiated solid raises every year since. We still have good health insurance at an affordable price. Every SHARE member still has a real pension . . . an uncommon benefit that provides stable, consistent income after retirement. Just as importantly, SHARE has developed an engaged community of members. We take care of ourselves and one another. And we have a say about where UMass Memorial goes from here. Happy Anniversary!

Rad Onc is wearing red to support a strong contract!

Negotiations Update

SHARE and UMass Memorial's negotiating teams continue to meet each Thursday. During our most recent session, management put on the table another counter-proposal for raises. SHARE's team can see that management's proposal moves closer to what members need, but believe that it's still not enough. SHARE's team again described the need for raises that meaningfully address the pressures of inflation, and provide wages that make hiring (and staying) at UMass Memorial more attractive.

SHARE and UMass Memorial have a tradition of reaching agreements that keep our members' wages ahead of the market. SHARE aims to continue that. The pandemic's extraordinary pressures shifted the job market significantly, and our next agreement requires more.

Negotiating side-tables continue to discuss career development as well as attendance. In our most recent session, management described their interest in absenteeism and curbing call-outs. SHARE agreed that staffing levels matter deeply to members -- especially as departments are now fatigued and short-staffed. SHARE made clear our interest in ensuring members can get time off without putting a burden on co-workers.

How You Can Help

It’s time to show some SHARE strength! Our negotiating team is making a strong case at the negotiating table, bringing forward thoughts and ideas you’ve shared. SHARE’s strength at the negotiating table comes from 3000 members staying informed and keeping connected. SHARE Signature events start next week — more details soon. Additionally, you can:

It’s always a good time to wear your “Always Essential” SHARE button to show that we’re sticking together! (Need some for your department? Call or email and we’ll get them to you!)

Federal Student Debt Relief Update

Good news for federal student loan borrowers: Last month, the Biden administration again extended the pause on student debt repayment. The new extension includes a “fresh start” program, which erases the default and delinquency status on late payments for millions of borrowers.

Please note: to take advantage of this debt relief, some borrowers will need to take steps before Oct. 31, 2022.

Visit AFSCME’s Student Debt Resource Center to learn about federal student debt relief programs.

  • You can read the full SHARE blog post about federal student debt relief here.

  • You may also have seen that UMass Memorial recently announced a partnership with tuition.io for student debt relief management. In case you missed it, SHARE has reprinted the hospital’s announcement, which includes a list upcoming virtual information sessions about the program.

Labor Day Roundup

We hope that everyone had a meaningful Labor Day this year, with special thanks to those of you who were working on the holiday to take care of patients and our hospital. AFSCME President Lee Saunders marked the occasion with this thoughtful op-ed in Newsweek describing reasons that working people have to be optimistic now.

One of our own SHARE families joined SHARE organizers at the annual Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Labor Day Rally this year . . . to be awarded a college scholarship! Congratulations to Adela Vasili, daughter of SHARE member Erlinda Vasili, and recipient of the $1000 prize. Adela is attending Holy Cross University.

ICYMI: UMass Memorial Debt Management Resources & Federal Student Loan Forgiveness

TO:                  UMass Memorial Health Benefits-eligible Caregivers
FROM:            Tod Wiesman, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer
                        Adriana Florez, Vice President, Benefits and Wellness
DATE:             September 9, 2022
SUBJECT:      UMass Memorial Health Partners With Tuition.io for Student Debt Relief Management
 
As part of our efforts to support your professional growth and financial wellness, we are excited to announce our partnership with Tuition.io, our new student loan debt management administrator. Tuition.io will provide support to assist our caregivers with managing student loan debt, including the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. 
 
Time-limited Opportunity for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program
Caregivers who work at a non-profit organization such as UMass Memorial Health for a minimum of 10 years and who meet specific requirements may qualify for forgiveness of their remaining federal student loan balance through the PSLF program. The U.S. Department of Education is offering a time-limited waiver for this program now through October 31, 2022 that allows borrowers to receive credit for past student loan payments that would not otherwise qualify for PSLF.
 
On September 15, you will receive further details about the limited PSLF waiver opportunity from Tuition.io, as well as more information on how to begin using all the tools available to you through the Tuition.io website. Even if the PSLF program isn’t right for you, Tuition.io can assist with finding other strategies for your specific student debt goals.
 
More information
Join us for an upcoming webinar covering the new Tuition.io benefit at UMass Memorial Health! We'll use this time to walk through the benefit details, platform information, a live demo of the features and a  Q&A period. Preregistration is not required.

Tuesday, September 13, noon to 1 pm via Zoom (Meeting ID: 830 9458 8073; Passcode: 689899)

Tuesday, September 20, 1 to 2 pm via Zoom (Meeting ID: 818 8826 1655; Passcode: 330839)

Monday, September 26, 7 to 8 pm via Zoom (Meeting ID: 846 1328 4307; Passcode: 732928)

 
If you are unable to join, these webinars will be recorded and shared in an upcoming communication. 
 
To learn more about the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, visit the Federal Student Aid website and read these frequently asked questions detailing how Tuition.io can help with the application process.
 
We hope you’ll find these new student debt management tools and programs helpful and we look forward to sharing more information about these new offerings in the coming weeks.

Message about Federal Student Debt Relief from AFSCME

The SHARE office recently received the following good news from our parent union, AFSCME. In addition to the resources named below, you can learn more about student debt relief, including eligibility requirements, at the Federal Student Aid website.

Good news for federal student loan borrowers: This month, the Biden administration again extended the pause on student debt repayment — this time through Aug. 31. That means, instead of federal student loan payments resuming after May 1, borrowers have four more months of reprieve with payments set to start Sept. 1. And the new extension includes a “fresh start” program, which erases the default and delinquency status on late payments for millions of borrowers.

Visit AFSCME’s Student Debt Resource Center to learn about federal student debt relief programs.

Once again, President Joe Biden is showing that he understands the everyday challenges facing working people who are struggling to make ends meet while being saddled with the crushing burden of student debt.

While the pause on student debt repayment is helpful, especially given the economic and health crises caused by the pandemic, more people need relief. Public service workers and all working people struggled to repay mounting debt even before COVID hit. That’s why AFSCME pushed for changes made by the Biden administration in October to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The changes dramatically increased the number of public service workers eligible for student debt relief. More than 100,000 public service workers have already had their debts forgiven.

Visit AFSCME’s Student Debt Resource Center to learn about federal student debt relief programs.

We encourage you to review the requirements for loan forgiveness programs, including these temporary changes to PSLF. To benefit from the changes to PSLF, some borrowers will need to take steps before Oct. 31, 2022.

If you have questions or concerns about your student loans, you should contact your student loan servicer for free help. Contact information for loan servicers is available on AFSCME’s Student Debt Resource page.

Our union will continue to advocate for increased relief for public service workers and all working families. To support AFSCME’s ongoing advocacy work, make sure to visit the AFSCME member student debt resource page and share your story.

We’ll raise our voices together.

In Solidarity,

Nicole Pollard
Executive Assistant to the President, AFSCME

SHARE Updates: Negotiations, Signing On, Wearing Red, and More

YOU Can Help SHARE Bring Home a Strong Contract!

Through countless conversations and survey responses, you’ve told SHARE what matters to you. Our negotiating team is making the case to the hospital that it needs to invest more in SHARE members. We need meaningful raises. Here are some ways to support SHARE now:

  • Sign-on to the 2022 SHARE Poster for a Strong Contract. If you already signed — thank you! If you haven’t already, we urge you to do that asap! Just talk to the SHARE Rep in your area, or call or email the SHARE office.

  • Wear red on Thursdays to show solidarity with the negotiating team as they meet with management.

  • Every day is a good day to wear your SHARE “Always Essential” button!

  • Stay informed! Read on below to learn what’s happening now. For a look back at recent updates, check out posts marked #Negotiations

SHARE members in Urology are wearing their red! Pictured here are SHARE Union Rep Miranda Leger, LPN; SHARE Union Rep Yvonne Ashworth-Thayer, LPN; and SHARE member Alexandra Towouh, LPN

Negotiations Update

Our negotiation sessions are still all about the money. After presenting initial proposals, both teams have made adjustments to their positions in response to the interests we’ve heard from each other. In case you’ve missed it, SHARE’s proposal is designed to:

  • Take inflation and the rise in cost-of-living expenses into account.  

  • Make sure SHARE members make progress every year as their experience grows.

  • Catch up to what other employers are paying so that UMass Memorial can hire and fill positions, so SHARE members aren’t so short-staffed.  

  • Deal with the fact that the rising minimum wage in Massachusetts, added to the national staffing shortage, makes it especially hard to retain staff.  

  • Recognize SHARE members’ hard work during COVID and now – SHARE members are Always Essential!  

Negotiations Update: Side tables

While the main Negotiations is all about the money, two side tables are focused on other good things for SHARE members. The “Leaves & Absenteeism” side table continues to work to streamline the Leave of Absence programs. SHARE wants to make it easier for you to understand what programs are useful to you, while at the same time retaining the job protections currently available.

The “Career Advancement” side table is exploring ways to make it easier for you to get the education you want and to grow in careers at UMass Memorial. SHARE and management members had an exciting meeting with representatives from the Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust (BHMT) at Kaiser Permanente, a nationwide healthcare provider network based on the West Coast engaged in Labor Management Partnership. The BHMT has developed over the years to help over 110,000 union members have access to training and academic degree programs with zero out-of-pocket costs. Their system provides a useful model for what our hospital and union could do right here.

SHARE Testifies for Bed Expansion

SHARE testified in support of adding beds at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health virtual hearing about UMass Memorial’s application to add 91 new inpatient beds: 72 at the “NIB” (New Inpatient Building, the old Beaumont nursing home building next to University Campus), and 19 at Memorial.

In her testimony, SHARE Organizer Janet Wilder described how difficult it is for SHARE staff to provide care in these circumstances: feeling bad for making patients wait, always juggling, always running – it’s exhausting! Read the full post here . . .

Updates from the SHARE-UMass Memorial Partnership Office

SHARE’s Unit Based Teams continue to expand and make important strides toward improving how it feels to come to work in our hospital. And the SHARE-UMass Memorial Partnership Office continues to develop new ways to support those teams. We’re excited to hear these new updates from them . . .

PCA Committee Off to a Strong Start

Congratulations on launching your team!

Already got a UBT? Check this out . . .

SHARE Testifies in Support of Adding Beds at DPH Hearing on UMass Memorial Bed Expansion

On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health held a virtual hearing about UMass Memorial’s application to add 91 new inpatient beds: 72 at the “NIB” (New Inpatient Building, the old Beaumont nursing home building next to University Campus), and 19 at Memorial.

Leaders from UMass Memorial, legislators and Worcester city leaders, providers from inside and outside UMass Memorial, and community organizations testified about why the additional beds are needed:

  • Central Mass. is “under-bedded:” Both Western Mass and Eastern Mass have more beds per capita than Central Mass, and we are substantially below the national average.

  • As the state’s only academic medical center outside Boston, UMass Memorial Medical Center is the only provider of a wide range of highly specialized care in Central Mass. If there aren’t enough beds at UMass Memorial, patients have to go to Boston, which can be very difficult for them and their families.

  • The Medical Center’s Emergency Department (ED) is the second busiest in the state and has a high patient acuity level. Because there aren’t enough beds, admitted non-psychiatric ED patients wait an average of 17 hours as ED “boarders” before they get a bed. A typical day begins with 50-70 patients boarding in the ED.

  • From February 2021 through February 2022, the Medical Center had to decline approximately 43% of requests for patient transfer from community hospitals – 3500 patients declined total.

  • In her testimony, SHARE Organizer, Janet Wilder, described how difficult it is for SHARE staff to provide care in these circumstances: feeling bad for making patients wait, always juggling, always running – it’s exhausting!

The only speakers in the hearing who were against the bed expansion at UMass Memorial were from St. Vincent’s hospital.

SHARE Updates: Virtual Info Meeting, Negotiations, and More . . .

Contract Negotiations Update: It's All about the Money 

As SHARE Members made clear in the 2022 Contract Surveys, raises are SHARE’s top priority for negotiations. Last week, the SHARE Negotiating Team put our first raise proposal on the table to the hospital. Our proposal aims to:  

  • Take inflation and the rise in cost-of-living expenses into account.  

  • Make sure SHARE members make progress every year as their experience grows.

  • Catch up to what other employers are paying so that UMass Memorial can hire and fill positions, so SHARE members aren’t so short-staffed.  

  • Deal with the fact that the rising minimum wage in Massachusetts, added to the national staffing shortage, makes it especially hard to retain staff.  

  • Recognize SHARE members’ hard work during COVID and now – SHARE members are Always Essential!  

Read more about what’s happening SHARE and UMass Memorial negotiations, including our wage discussions, in this blog post.

Virtual Information Meeting on Wednesday

Informed members keep our union strong. The SHARE Organizing staff invites all members to join online in the next of our series of information meetings to talk about how contract negotiations are going. We encourage you to bring your questions, enjoy your lunch if you want, and appear on camera if you can.

What: Negotiations Update, with a special focus on remote work

When: Wednesday, August 17, 11:30am-1pm

Where: Online, via Zoom: link here

The Inflation Reduction Act & Healthcare Savings for Americans

President Biden is soon expected to sign into law a set of reforms known as the Inflation Reduction Act that promise some good news for American workers. According to the Washington Post, the new rule would, among other things, “prevent huge spikes in the cost of health insurance for roughly 13 million Americans. It would limit seniors’ drugs costs at $2,000 a year. And it would place a cap of $35 a month on how much diabetics enrolled in Medicare would pay for insulin, a lifesaving medication.” Read what AFSCME President Lee Saunders says about the package, and why it’s good for union members, here.

Support a Strong Contract: Sign the SHARE Signature Poster

So many SHARE members have already signed the 2022 SHARE signature poster in support of a strong contract. Thank you! To ensure the best possible raises and contract, we encourage all SHARE members to sign on to this statement of our needs and values. SHARE Reps and Organizers will continue to bring signature forms through the hospital buildings and answer questions about negotiations. You can also call the SHARE office (508-929-4020) to make arrangements to sign.

About the Federal Inflation Reduction Act: A Letter from AFSCME President Lee Saunders

AFSCME Family:

On Sunday, Senate Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – a massive and historic win for working families and the country. This law is also the capstone of two years of progress, from investments in states, cities, towns and schools to the lowest unemployment rate in fifty years to lowering prescription drug costs.  

We expect the House to pass, and President Biden to sign, the Inflation Reduction Act in the coming days. Once it is law, we will provide an update with factsheets addressing the specifics of the new law.

In the meantime, here are a few toplines from the Senate-passed bill:

  • Lowering Health Care Costs – The Inflation Reduction Act will make prescription drugs cheaper for seniors by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower Medicare drug prices and penalizing prescription drug corporations for hiking drug prices in Medicare by more than the overall inflation rate. It also will cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors under Medicare Part D at $2,000 per year and limit their out-of-pocket insulin costs to $35 per month. For people who buy individual health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, it will lower health insurance premiums by an average of $800 a year.

  • Tackling Climate Change and Improving Energy Security – The law makes historic investments in fighting climate change, improves our energy security and tackles the climate crisis by providing tax credits for and investments in energy projects, thereby creating thousands of new good union jobs and helping lower energy costs.

  • Requiring Corporations and the Wealthy to Begin to Pay Their Fair Share – The Inflation Reduction Act requires large corporations to pay a minimum 15% income tax and makes it harder for multinational corporations to avoid paying their fair share of US taxes. It also puts a 1% tax on corporate stock buy backs, which are often used by corporations and their wealthy shareholders to avoid taxes. The law also boosts efforts to ensure corporations and the wealthiest in our society pay the taxes they owe, with no tax increases for families making under $400,000 a year.

While we have made massive progress on the issues that matter most to AFSCME members, our opponents are hellbent on denying Americans of their rights and freedoms. As we head into the fall, it’s up to us to make the contrast clear and make sure AFSCME members know what’s at stake.

Lee Saunders

President

AFSCME

Contract Negotiations Update: It's All About the Money

As SHARE Members made clear in the 2022 Contract Surveys, raises are SHARE’s top priority for negotiations. Last week the SHARE Negotiating Team put our first raise proposal on the table to the hospital. Our proposal aims to:  

  • Take inflation and the rise in cost-of-living expenses into account  

  • Make sure SHARE members make progress every year as their experience grows  

  • Catch up to what other employers are paying so that UMass Memorial can hire and fill positions, so SHARE members aren’t so short-staffed.  

  • Deal with the fact that the rising minimum wage in Massachusetts, added to the national staffing shortage, makes it especially hard to retain staff.  

  • Recognize SHARE members’ hard work during COVID and now – SHARE members are Always Essential!  

To see slides from the presentation about the economics that SHARE members are living with, click here. 

As expected, UMass Memorial has made a counter-proposal. The good news is that UMass Memorial is also focused on retention and recruitment. Discussions are respectful and constructive – recognizing that SHARE and the hospital have common interests in retention and recruitment. That said, the SHARE Negotiating Team is not satisfied yet with the numbers on the table – so we’ll keep talking.  

SHARE and UMass Memorial will continue to negotiate about raises. Maybe an agreement is just around the corner, but maybe not. SHARE intends to be ready to make the point that this agreement matters to all 2948 SHARE members. That’s where you can help – we need all SHARE members to show that they are paying attention and ready to help get a strong contract. If you haven’t already, it’s particularly vital that you sign on now to the SHARE poster. (Lots and lots of SHARE members have already signed – thank you!)  

***  

Additionally this week, UMass Memorial Leave Program Coordinator Sandy Clougherty joined the “Absenteeism” negotiations side table to describe the many leave-of-absence options available to SHARE members, and how the various leaves interrelate and overlap. The hospital wants to look at the number of policies, try to simplify them, so that SHARE members can have the same level of job protections with a more tailored set of leave options.   

The “Careers” negotiations side table is discussing lots of ideas for helping SHARE members to learn new skills and different jobs, if they want. SHARE and UMass Memorial agree that creating a pipeline for caregivers to come into UMass Memorial in an entry-level job, and move up to build their career, is good for both SHARE members and the hospital. 

2022 SHARE Executive Board & Representatives

Voting in the 2022 SHARE elections is now closed. The only contested election this year was in University and Technical Region C, where Kelly Fournier won the vote and will join the SHARE Executive Board to represent the region. Gary Beauchemin, who was also nominated for that position, will serve this year as a SHARE Representative instead. Nominees from all other areas who accepted their nominations were not contested, so they automatically fill those positions. The full list of Officers, Executive Board members, and SHARE Representatives is listed below.

Thank you to all of our nominees this year for being engaged in the process, to the members who nominated your peers, and to those who voted. This democratic process is important for the strength of our union. 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!

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SHARE Updates: Info Table TODAY, Negotiations, Opportunity for PCAs

Reminder: University Campus Negotiations Information Table TODAY

Don’t forget! SHARE will have an information table set up outside the old main entrance to the University Campus hospital, near the Prescription Center today, Tuesday, August 9, from 11:30am-1:00pm. Please come by to talk with SHARE organizers about what’s happening in Contract Negotiations. And, please bring your co-workers to sign the poster in support of good raises and a strong contract.

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE: TALKING ABOUT MONEY 

SHARE and UMass Memorial negotiating teams continue to discuss money. The Medical Center’s Chief Financial Officer, Therese Day, recently made a presentation to both teams. Day described the hospital’s current financial status, addressing questions provided to her ahead of time by the SHARE negotiating team. She described recent financial losses, due largely to the increasing costs of running the hospital and evaporating COVID support from the government. She was clear that a big part of the problem is that travelers and incentives are pushing up labor costs, as well as inflation in supplies prices.  

Day was also clear that UMass Memorial must solve its staffing problems, though her role was not to talk specifics about raises. Because reimbursement rates aren’t rising as fast as costs, departments are looking for ways to make the difference for next year’s budget. She assured the SHARE Negotiating Team that the hospital’s approach is to grow in ways that increase revenue, rather than making cuts. She described ways that the hospital could expand some of its most profitable work to help offset losses.  

SHARE has since made an initial comprehensive wage proposal that aims to account for the surge in cost-of-living expenses, make predictable financial progress, keep SHARE jobs competitive in the market, and recognize the essential service SHARE members provide for our community. While discussions about money continue, negotiating teams subcommittees have begun to discuss in greater depth career opportunities for SHARE members, and attendance. 

Are you a PCA or MHC? Participate in This Conversation, Get A $75 Gift Card

Design Impact and ReThink Health are looking to understand the work experience of Patient Care Associates and Mental Health Counselors – what brings you joy and what makes it hard. In particular, their team is interested in when you feel like your dignity is being respected at work and when you feel like its not being respected. They aim to help people in jobs like yours to feel more strongly valued, at work and in the world. They’re pulling together some sessions on Zoom the week of August 22nd. The sessions will be 90 minutes long, and they will pay you $75 dollars for your time. You just need to sign up for one. We think participating will be a good experience, and that it could help PCAs around the country. You can contact the program directly (see the flyers below), or email Will Erickson (will.erickson@theshareunion.org) with questions or to connect with this opportunity.

SHARE Digest: CORRECTION!

SHARE really wants to know what you know so we can make our strongest case when it comes to negotiating wages. But, the link in today’s earlier email didn’t work. A big thank you to the SHARE members who reached out to let us know! Here’s that button again, this time with the corrected link:

SHARE Needs Your Info About What Other Employers Pay 

You can help SHARE in a way that no one else can: we need to know what you know about the job market for comparable jobs at other institutions. The SHARE organizing team is compiling stories and data about what we’ve heard about other employers, specifically how their pay, benefits, and culture compete with what UMass Memorial has to offer. We’re advocating for improvements that make it an easier decision to come to work here and a wise choice to stay. Let us know what you’ve experienced in your job search, or about things you’ve heard from your friends in the field. 

SHARE Digest: Negotiations Info Table, Help SHARE with Market Research, and More

University Campus Negotiations Info Table & Poster Signing

Tuesday, August 9, from 11:30am-1:00pm, SHARE will have an information table set up outside the old main entrance to the hospital, near the Prescription Center. Please come by to talk with SHARE organizers about what’s happening in Contract Negotiations. And, please bring your co-workers to sign the poster in support of good raises and a strong contract.

SHARE Needs Your Info About What Other Employers Pay 

You can help SHARE in a way that no one else can: we need to know what you know about the job market for comparable jobs at other institutions. The SHARE organizing team is compiling stories and data about what we’ve heard about other employers, specifically how their pay, benefits, and culture compete with what UMass Memorial has to offer. We’re advocating for improvements that make it an easier decision to come to work here and a wise choice to stay. Let us know what you’ve experienced in your job search, or about things you’ve heard from your friends in the field. 

SHARE Executive Board Election, University Region C 

Reminder to SHARE members at University in the Technical and Diagnostic areas (region C): please remember that your votes are due by August 9 at noon. Eligible voters have been sent a link to vote from ElectionBuddy at their work email address and cell phone number that SHARE has on file. Find more details, and a list of eligible departments, here. If you have questions, or if you believe you should be eligible but did not receive an email from ElectionBuddy on Friday, 7/22/22 at 12pm, please email share.elections@theshareunion.org.  

Free College Benefit: Continued Complications

Earlier, we reported on the SHARE blog that the AFSCME Free College Benefit was being discontinued. Although the program was briefly re-instated, the free college providers serving Union Plus and the AFSCME Free College Benefit have again suspended some programs. Current enrollees should contact their college for details. Thank you to the SHARE members who reported to the SHARE staff your difficulties contacting the program, and alerting us to a problem. SHARE has been posting more specific updates to the original SHARE blog post, here. SHARE will continue to keep our eye on developments, and to report about educational opportunities for members.

Let’s Keep Connected 

SHARE continues to receive reports that folks aren’t receiving informational emails like this one. Please help SHARE stay strong by making sure that we have good contact information for you and your co-workers.  If you don’t get email from SHARE regularly, please provide us with a cell phone number and/or personal email address (and pass along this notice to any co-workers who might not have seen this. Thanks!) Read more here.  

COVID Test Kits Update 

If you still have older kits on hand, you may still be able to use them. The Boston Globe reports that the FDA has approved expiration extensions for several brands of rapid test kits, according to the agency’s website. Find a list of extensions and learn how you can get new test kits free on this SHARE blog post.

 

Covid Test Kits Update: Testing Options & Test Kit Expirations Extended

HOW TO GET COVID TEST KITS . . . WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEM

In case you missed it, US households are now eligible to receive an additional eight free Covid test kits from the federal government via USPS. Additionally, many health insurance providers offer a test-kit reimbursement program such as this one from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Local drugstores including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid offer direction for other insurance providers and in-store pickup. Walgreens also provides Drive-Thru PCR testing. You can also find Covid testing sites near you through the mass.gov website.

Test Kit Expirations Extended

If you still have older kits on hand, you may still be able to use them. The Boston Globe reports that the FDA has approved expiration extensions for several brands of rapid test kits, according to the agency’s website, including: 

SHARE Digest: Contested Election in Region C, Negotiations Update, Signature Poster & More

SHARE Rep & Executive Board Elections — Contested in Region C

The SHARE Rep and Executive Board nominations period has closed, and we are excited to see so many members actively engaged to keep our union running strong. There were sufficient openings for all of the nominated SHARE Rep candidates, and most of the open EBoard positions were uncontested. There is one contested election in University Technical & Diagnostic Region C. Eligible voters are being sent a link to vote from ElectionBuddy at their work email address and cell phone number that SHARE has on file. ElectionBuddy, a virtual voting platform, is compliant with Department of Labor standards for union elections. To learn more about this election, including whether you are in a department which is eligible to vote, read more here. We will post a full list of 2022 SHARE EBoard and Reps after August 9 when the election is finalized.

SHARE 2022 Signature Poster

As always, SHARE members are coming together this negotiations in support of our negotiating team and shared interests. One way we’re doing this is through our 2022 Signature Poster. You can find examples of posters from past negotiations in departments throughout UMass Memorial, with thousands of signatures and photos of SHARE members standing together. Our 2022 statement addresses the difficulties we’ve worked through and continue to face: working through Covid, working in short-staffed areas, and working while financially stressed. We’re calling on our hospital to agree to raises that will make it smart and sustainable to stay in our jobs at UMass Memorial, and to recruit and retain co-workers to help us keep our hospital running strong. Read the full statement, and learn how you can sign on, here.

Final SHARE Survey Report

SHARE members completed over 4000 surveys on 4 different subjects earlier this year to help steer the SHARE Negotiating Team’s priorities in our current contract talks. SHARE prepared this comprehensive multi-page Survey Report which served as the core of our opening statement in negotiations with management.

This is only the first page of the full report . . . to read the rest, click the red button below

Contract Negotiations

The central SHARE and UMass Memorial negotiating teams continue to work toward our next Contract Bargaining Agreement. Here are some highlights:

  • Given the primacy and urgency of wages in these negotiations, SHARE and UMass Memorial have taken an unconventional approach, agreeing to begin discussing raise-related issues early in our talks.

  • SHARE presented to management about the needs of SHARE members when it comes to wages, pulling together data about the spikes in living costs, informed predictions about things to come, and stories about hardships currently faced by SHARE members.

  • Management described concerns about absenteeism in the context of the hospital’s staffing shortage.

  • Delegates from both negotiating teams met together with leaders from the Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) to discuss how to better involve patients’ interests directly in our negotiation process. Although the PFAC will not be bargaining, we do want to recognize where their interests align with those of SHARE members and our hospital.

  • The next proposed negotiation subject will be a presentation by hospital management about UMass Memorial’s finances.

Equity Seed Program Now Accepting Applications

The Health Equity & Inclusion Seed Program is currently accepting grant applications from departments with ideas for projects that use “cutting-edge approaches to generate new findings and resources to eliminate health disparities.” Learn more about this program, including how your department can apply for funding. Grants are already being distributed.

AFSCME Free College Program Discontinued

The SHARE office has received the unhappy news that the US Department of Education now disallows educational programs such as the ones offered through the AFSCME Free College and UnionPlus benefits. Many SHARE members have benefitted from these programs over the past several years. It appears that currently-enrolled students can continue in their programs. Read more here.

Executive Board Election: University Technical and Diagnostic Region C

SHARE Representative and Executive Board nominations are now closed. There are sufficient openings for all of the Rep positions and all EBoard seats, except for one. A contested election will take place in the University Technical and Diagnostic Region C. Departments with eligible voters for this election are listed below.

On Friday 7/22/22 at 12pm, eligible voters will receive a link to vote from ElectionBuddy at their work email address and cell phone number that SHARE has on file. The link will only work once for voting per eligible voter. ElectionBuddy, a virtual voting platform, is compliant with Department of Labor standards for union elections. Eligible voters can use that same link to get those results as soon as the election closes. SHARE will send a full list of 2022 EBoard and Reps following that.

If you have questions, or if you believe you should be eligible but do not receive an email from ElectionBuddy on Friday, 7/22/22 at 12pm, please email share.elections@theshareunion.org.

Departments Eligible to Vote

University Technical and Diagnostic Region C

ACC

EKG

OUTPATIENT INFUSION CEN PHARM

Biotech 3

ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY

ANPA ADMIN

ANPA CYTOPATHOLOGY

ANPA IMMUNOHISTOCHEMIST

ANPA PATH ASSISTANTS

ANPA SURGICAL PATHOLOGY

MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS

Fitchburg Cancer

RADIATION ONCOLOGY -HA

Marlboro Cancer

RADIOLOGY ONCOLOGY MARLBOROUGH

Univ

ANGIOGRAPHY

ANPA HEMATOPATHOLOGY

BLOOD BANK

CARDIAC SHORT STAY

CARDIAC ULTRASOUND

CAT SCAN

CRYOPRESERVATION

HEART & VASC INTVL LAB

MAMMOGRAPHY

NEUROINTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

NUCLEAR MEDICINE

PHARMACY

PHARMACY ADMINISTRATION

PRESCRIPTION CENTER UNIVERSITY

RADIATION ONCOLOGY

RADIOLOGY ADMIN

RADIOLOGY ADMINISTRATION

RADIOLOGY CLERICAL

RADIOLOGY DIAGNOSTIC

RADIOLOGY SHORT STAY

RESPIRATORY THERAPY

SURGICAL VASCULAR LAB

ULTRASOUND

AFSCME Free College Program Discontinued

8.8.22 Update: The free college providers serving Union Plus and the AFSCME Free College Benefit have again suspended some programs. EGCC most recently reported that “Students eligible for the Free College Benefit for the Fall 2022 term are students who had final grade for Spring 22 AND/OR active in courses for Summer 22 OR a new student who registered for Fall 22 courses on or before July 18, 2022.” 

Thank you to the SHARE members who reported to the SHARE staff your difficulties contacting the program, and alerting us to a problem. We will continue to keep our eye on developments and to report about educational opportunities for members. The largest of the free online programs, Eastern Gateway Community College, has been providing ongoing updates here: https://egcc.edu/press-release/

7.28.22 Update: SHARE has received word that currently enrolled students can contact the Student Resource Center, 888-590-9009, if they have questions about their status, including whether they are Pell eligible.

Please disregard the contact information that was included in SHARE’s original post. We apologize for any confusion we caused anyone with that.

The SHARE office has received the unhappy news that the US Department of Education now disallows educational programs such as the ones offered through the AFSCME Free College and UnionPlus benefits. Many SHARE members have benefitted from these programs over the past several years.

Note that in the message below, “By offering this benefit, we learned that a large percentage of our members are eligible for Pell Grants,” which will continue to be available and helpful to members and their families. SHARE will continue to seek out more educational and scholarship opportunities, and to post about them on the SHARE website. Look for the #Education tag.

Read on for the official notice . . .

AFSCME Family:

Today we learned that the US Department of Education notified our “Free College” partners - Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC), Central State University and Paul Quinn College - that they could no longer offer no-cost college to our members and their families. The Department indicated that the financing of the program for students not eligible for Pell Grants is inconsistent with federal requirements. As a result, new students may not enroll.

There is no financial liability owed by any former or existing students who participated in the program. We are engaged in discussions with the Department and EGCC concerning the continuing education of existing students. Continuation at no cost should not be an issue for any student who qualifies for a Pell Grant. For those who are not Pell eligible, and do not have an alternative source of funding, such as an employer or union trust funded tuition assistance program, we are seeking to continue Free College until their education is complete, but we do not now have an assurance that will be the case.

The Free College program is an outstanding benefit, in some cases life-changing, for AFSCME members and their families. I was proud that we could offer the opportunity to obtain a debt free education to our members and I am committed to finding an alternative program.

By offering this benefit, we learned that a large percentage of our members are eligible for Pell Grants. This federal program provides eligible students with up to $6,895 a year in education assistance depending on various factors such as income, cost of attendance, and full or part-time student status. The grants are portable and can be used at almost any accredited college or university. To find out if you are eligible, you will need to complete an application form and the college’s financial office will calculate your eligibility before you enroll. Click on this link to learn more.

I am sorry to report this disappointing news, but we will make every effort to at least partially fill the void left by the cessation of the Free College program.

Lee Saunders

President

AFSCME

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