Member Meeting Recap- January 21st

On Wednesday, January 21st, SHARE held back-to-back half-hour meetings for members, at 12:00, 12:30, and 1:00. People dropped in on their lunch break. For those who were not able to attend, below are the agenda topics (numbered) and some of the things that came up in discussion (the bullets). Please let us know if you have any questions.

Next series of Member Meetings: Wednesday Febuary 18th, beginning at 12pm

1.  Contract Priorities- Developing a “Steps” pay system

  • The bulk of the meetings on Wednesday focused on developing a Steps raise system, and what that would look like for our members.

  • A system like this involves 2 raises per year. The first would be a smaller raise, based on your anniversary date in addition to the yearly ATB (across the board) raise. That second ATB raise is the normal contractual raise that usually comes in July.

  • These two raises would result in a larger annual increase for our members as the two raises combined would equal more than our normal July raise.

  • Steps are widely used by other unions, and throughout the UMass system.

  • Even though this may cost more money for the university, this streamlines the process and makes things easier for payroll.

2. Contract Survey

  • We talked about shortening the contract survey this year, since we had an in depth survey completed by SHARE members at this time last year.

  • The survey will be out in February, and we hope you all complete it as your input is essential to contract negotiations.

3.   Reclassification Requests

2026 Dues Rates

AFSCME, SHARE’s parent union, has announced a small dues rate increase for the upcoming year. The new bi-weekly rate for most SHARE members will be $23.13. This increase is a little under one cent per hour. For SHARE members who work 20 hours/week, the new bi-weekly rate will be $17.33. The new rates are effective January 1, so they should be reflected in the January 16th paycheck.

WHY SHOULD I PAY DUES?

Dues are an investment that SHARE members make in themselves and their coworkers. Without a union, employees have very little leverage to make change, or even to hold onto what they have.

SHARE members want respect for the work that they do, fair treatment, opportunities for advancement, and good raises so that they can take care of themselves and their families. SHARE gives employees a voice in various ways:

  • In contract negotiations, we have a voice in our pay, benefits and work policies.

  • In union meetings and individual conversations, we have a voice in the direction and priorities of the union

  • Through the problem-solving process, we have a voice when individual problems/conflicts come up at work

  • In union elections, we have a voice in who our representatives will be

  • Through committees, department-based Joint Working Groups, and ad-hoc negotiations, we have a voice in issues that face groups of SHARE members

When it comes down to dollars and cents, dues pay for themselves. SHARE has consistently negotiated raises each year that our union has existed - 29 years now. Those increases have resulted in better raises than our non-union counterparts and policies that reflect SHARE members’ needs.

Working together through the union, SHARE members can continue to make progress in all these areas. And dues support the staff who support this work.

Does the dues increase eat my pay raise?

When you subtract the dues increase from the raise, you are still earning $1,873.82 more this year than last year.

No.

Your raise was 91 cents per hour, or $1,892.80 per year for a 40-hour/week position.

The dues increase will be less than 1 cent per hour, or $18.98 per year.

When you subtract the dues increase from the raise, you are still earning $1,873.82 more this year than last year.





HOW ARE DUES CALCULATED?

Any annual increase is calculated by the AFSCME International office based on the average percent increase of AFSCME members’ pay rates across the country in the previous year. It is usually small.

WHERE DO MY DUES GO?

The short answer is that dues mostly pays for SHARE staff.

The longer answer is that SHARE members at UMass Chan Medical School pool their dues money with members of three other unions locals: SHARE at UMass Memorial and Marlborough Hospital, HUCTW at Harvard University, and USW at Cambridge Health Alliance. The four union locals together are called the New England Organizing Project (NEOP). All their dues together pay for the union staff for all the locals, union offices, phones and utilities, mailings, etc. About 75% of the budget is for staff.

The staff spend their time gathering information and opinions from members, sharing information with members, developing and supporting SHARE Reps, helping members with questions or problems, negotiating contracts, organizing events, researching issues, writing blog posts, etc., all on behalf of SHARE members.

MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more, please talk to a SHARE Rep, email share.umms@theshareunion.org, or leave a message at 508-929-4020. You can also learn more about what our union does, and the benefits of union membership, by exploring www.shareumms.org.

SHARE Executive Board and Reps

2025-2026 SHARE Executive Board

Samantha Jimenez – Co-President

Eileen Fraioli – Co-President

Henry Valcour – Secretary

Chris Snyder – Treasurer

Karen Tilli – at-large

Thelma Baddoo Abaka Mensah – at-large

Nilsa Colon – at-large

Craig Warman – at-large

 

2025-2026 SHARE Reps

Alex Oard – DCS

Alli Logan – DES

Amanda Laukaitis – DES

Daphne Haddad – DES

Dineia Williams – DES

James Green – DES

Nina McQueeney – Outreach Program

Jessica Coat – Pharmacy

Kathy Wood – Pharmacy

Sherrie Carey-Rich – Estate Recovery

Now Accepting Reclassification Requests. Deadline January 30th

Reminder for Reclassification Requests - Deadline January 30

Dear SHARE Members, 

SHARE recognizes that employees are often asked to temporarily take on additional tasks and responsibilities to help fill the needs of a department. Sometimes that need extends beyond temporary and those additional tasks and responsibilities become part of your job. SHARE has negotiated a process with UMass Chan called reclassification where SHARE members in these situations can look to be compensated.

WHAT IS RECLASSIFICATION?

Reclassification means changing the grade level for a job. If the grade level assigned to a particular title no longer seems to match the level of work responsibilities, a job may need to be reclassified. UMass Chan has agreed to do some reclassification reviews that are not initiated by a department manager. SHARE can submit up to 10 individual reclassification requests per year to HR for review. The deadline to make a request is Friday, January 30th.

Example: Someone was hired as an Administrative Assistant I. New responsibilities were added, and they now fit better in an Administrative Assistant II job description. They can request a review of their job and present arguments for changing the grade.

HOW WILL THE TEN INDIVIDUALS BE CHOSEN?

Because our unit is big, and our slots are limited, preference will be given to people who:

1.      have already tried to use the UMMS Job Evaluation process but been unsuccessful; and

2.      have the strongest business case for reclassification of their job

I THINK MY JOB SHOULD BE RECLASSIFIED. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

1.      Do your research: Ask HR for copies of the job descriptions for your job title and for any job titles you think would better match your job responsibilities. What job title do you think you should have? How does the job description match up?

2.      Talk to your manager: Tell them what you are thinking, and why. Show them the job descriptions. Ask what they think, and why.

1.      If they agree with you, that’s great. See if they will submit your job to HR for review. There is no deadline for managers submitting these requests, and no ten-person limit.

2.      If they disagree, try to get a clear understanding of where you and they disagree.

3.      Apply immediately: If your manager isn’t going to submit your job for reclassification review but you still think it should be reviewed, fill out a Reclassification Review Request application and email it by January 30th to these people:

1.      Matthew.Lyford@umassmed.edu (Human Resources)

2.      Jameal.Jackson@theshareunion.org (SHARE) and

3.      Please cc your manager

If you would like help thinking about this, you can talk to a SHARE Rep, call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020, or email SHARE.UMMS@theshareunion.org.

 

Now Accepting Applications for the Childcare and Academic Enrichment Funds (Copy)

SHARE/UMass Chan Medical School Childcare Fund

The SHARE Childcare Fund is now accepting applications for the Fall 2025 cycle. All SHARE union-eligible staff at UMass Chan are encouraged to apply and receive financial assistance for daycare, after-school programs, in-home childcare, vacation, snow and summer camps.

(***Current recipients NEED to REAPPLY.***)

Click Here For The Childcare Fund Application

*If you prefer a printable version of the application, please click HERE You can mail this application to the SHARE Union, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester Ma 01604 Or Fax it to: 508-929-4040

The Academic Enrichment Fund

The Academic Enrichment Fund is a negotiated fund that helps SHARE employees with the costs of supplemental academic activities for their children, ages 5 to 18. This includes activities such as tutoring, summer classes, SAT prep courses, and college application fees. 

 Click Here For The Academic Enrichment Fund application 

Adoption Subsidy

If your family is exploring adoption, you may wish to consider the SHARE Adoption Subsidy, which provides financial assistance for adoption costs. The award can only be used for expenses directly related to the legal adoption of a child. (See contact info below)

For more information about the Childcare Fund, Academic Enrichment Fund or Adoption Subsidy, please contact:
Jameal Jackson
Jameal.Jackson@theshareunion.org
617-429-1194

For More info about other SHARE member benefits click below: https://www.shareumms.org/why-membership-matters

Raise and Retro Info and Parking increases

The Good: On December 5th, SHARE contract raises will be visible in your paycheck. With the SHARE raise of .91 cents per hour, a 40-hour employee will receive an increase of $72.80 before taxes in their bi-weekly paycheck. The bi-weekly increase amount will be prorated, meaning it will be less if you are budgeted for less than 40 hours. SHARE members’ pay rates will change to their new rates on 11/16, reflected in the 12/5 paycheck.

Retro: In addition, the raise will be paid retroactively for all hours worked from 7/13 through 11/15, a total of 18 weeks, and will be included in your 12/19 paycheck.

 

The Not So Good: Parking increases are coming in the same 12/5 paycheck as your raise. While many will see a pay increase of $72.80 in this and future paychecks, some will also see an increased parking cost from $2.00 to $16.00 bi-weekly, depending on where you park.

As many of you know, SHARE had challenged this and every previous annual parking increase. We understand that this additional cost is a burden to a significant number of SHARE members. We believe that the arguments we made against parking increases, this year in negotiations, helped us to negotiate a larger raise.

In addition to this annual increase in parking costs, it appears that UMass Chan failed to implement the annual parking fee increase last year for some employees. Because of this error, anyone whose parking rates had not been adjusted last year will see both increases in this paycheck.

 

Plantation St. Garage parking rates were supposed to go up in July 2024, from $18 to $20 per check. If you are still paying $18, your rate will increase now to $20. If you were already paying $20, there is no additional increase this year.

Pine Tree Lot rates were supposed to go up in July 2024, from $22 to $26 per check. This increase was implemented for some people, but other people were missed. The new rate for this year is $32 per check, whether you have been paying $22 or $26.

West & South Garage rates were supposed to go up in July 2024, from $44 to $52 per check. This increase was implemented for some people, but other people were missed. The new rate for this year is $60 per check, whether you have been paying $44 or $52.

 

How does the raise compare to the parking increases (for a 40-hour employee)?

It depends on where you park, but here are some examples:

Nominations for SHARE Rep & Executive Board

reminder

Nominations close at noon on Wednesday, November 26.

Online Elections for any contested positions will be December 3-5, 2025. 

It is time to elect SHARE Reps and Executive Board members! We’re looking forward to having as many members as possible participate to keep our union strong. 

You must be a dues-paying SHARE member to vote or to nominate someone. You must have been a member for at least 6 months to run for a SHARE leadership position. If you have not yet signed a SHARE membership card, please go to www.shareumms.org/join-share or talk to a SHARE Rep or Organizer. 

ABOUT REPS AND THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 

Descriptions of the different roles 

Below are brief descriptions of the roles of Union Reps and Executive Board Members. If you want to talk about what it would be like to be a SHARE Rep or to be on the Executive Board, or if you have other questions, please call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020, or talk to someone you know who is involved with SHARE. 

SHARE Representatives: A Rep is a contact person for their area. SHARE Reps get training from SHARE to relay information between co-workers and union leadership. The scope of the role can be as big or small as you want. 

SHARE Executive Board Members: Executive Board members have responsibility for the whole union. They make decisions about the direction of our union and participate in contract negotiations. There are 4 officer positions (President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and four At-Large positions. 

Reps are elected for 1 year. Executive Board Members are elected for 2 years, half in even numbered years and half in odd numbered years. If there are open seats with partial terms left to serve, they will also be up for election. Elections are usually held in the fall. 

Leadership positions up for election this year 

SHARE Representatives – 40 Rep positions (terms expire October 2026) 

  • Reps at Main Campus, ForHealth Consulting, and Offsite Locations 

SHARE Executive Board Members – 4 positions (terms expire Oct 2027) 

  • President 

  • Secretary 

  • Two at-large Executive Board members  

ABOUT NOMINATIONS 

To run for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member 

  • You must be nominated in writing by a SHARE member (a co-worker or yourself). 

  • You must be a dues-paying SHARE member for at least 6 months prior to the election. 

  • Current SHARE Reps who wish to continue as Reps need to be nominated again for the new term. 

To nominate someone for SHARE Rep or Executive Board member 

  • You must be a dues-paying SHARE member. 

  • Please send written nominations: 

    • by email to share.elections@theshareunion.org; or

    • by fax to (508) 929-4040; or

    • by U.S. mail to SHARE, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 01604. 

  • Nominations should include

    • the name, department and phone number of the person being nominated; 

    • the position for which they are being nominated; and 

    • the name and phone number of the person submitting the nomination. 

  • Nominations must arrive at the SHARE office by noon on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. We cannot accept late nominations. 

ABOUT ELECTIONS 

Determining whether there will be an election 

After the close of the nomination period, all eligible nominees will be offered the opportunity to decline the nomination. Anyone who does not decline is then a candidate. If there are more candidates than positions to fill, then we will hold an election from noon on Wednesday, December 3, to noon on Friday, December 5, 2025. If there are enough positions for all nominees, then they are considered elected. All SHARE members will be notified about whether any elections are contested. 

How voting works if there is an election 

The election will be held by electronic ballot, hosted professionally by ElectionBuddy.com, an online voting service that meets the standards set by the U.S. Department of Labor and by our parent union, AFSCME. 

ElectionBuddy will send a link to your cell phone and/or email account for you to vote securely online. You can provide your cell phone number and/or personal email address, or request a ballot by mail, by emailing SHARE.Elections@theshareunion.org or talking to a SHARE staff organizer. The SHARE office phone number is 508-929-4020. 

The votes will be counted by ElectionBuddy and results will be available online to all SHARE members immediately after voting ends. 

Contract Raise and Retro Implementation Schedule

We now have a tentative implementation schedule for our contract raise and retro payment:

Raise ($0.91 or 2.5%) and Retro

  • New pay rates will appear on the 12/5/25 paycheck.

  • Retro will be on the 12/19/25 paycheck.

  • This affects people who were out of their probationary period on 7/13/25.

Changes to Grade Minimums are in effect now

  • Grade minimum pay rate changes and corresponding retro will appear on the 11/21/25 paycheck.

  • This impacts people with pay rates at or near grade minimum.

Structural Pay Increases

  • Both the pay increase and retro will appear on the 01/02/26 paycheck.

  • This affects people whose pay rate is below benchmark for their years of service.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback.

Contract Raise Update

Early in October after months of negotiations, SHARE and UMass Chan Medical School reached a tentative agreement for a one-year contract. Once a tentative agreement is reached, there are a few steps to completing the contract:

  1. Ratification

    Later that month (October 17th) SHARE members overwhelmingly voted to ratify and approve the proposed contract.

  2. Signatures

    The next step was for the ratified contract to be signed by the SHARE negotiations team, representatives of UMass Chan, and the University of Massachusetts President’s office. The President's office signed off on November 3.

  3. calculation - This is where we are currently

    Compensation is doing some final calculations to ensure everyone gets their full raise and retro.

  4. Implementation

    Once final calculations are completed, Payroll will issue the raise and retro to SHARE members in their paychecks.

At this moment we are not sure how long callculations step will take. As we do not want to set an unfair expectation, we will gather more information prior to providing a more specific timeframe. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback.

Proposed Contract Ratified

SHARE members voted overwhelmingly to approve the tentative agreement made by the SHARE negotiating team and the UMass Chan negotiating team.

Thank you to all SHARE members who came to meetings, shared their opinions, kept their coworkers informed, brainstormed new ideas to shape the agreement, and then voted to approve it. Your participation made this agreement possible!

Thanks also to the hard-working negotiating team, who put in long hours through a difficult negotiation to come up with the best possible deal for their coworkers!

The final vote count was:

134 YES

1 NO

2 Abstaining

Tentative Agreement for 2025-2026 Contract

We are very happy to announce that SHARE and UMass Chan Medical School have reached a Tentative Agreement for a 1-year contract with good raises and a few other changes.

SHARE members will vote Yes or No on October 15th – 17th.

We are holding information meetings to answer questions and discuss the proposal. You should have received an email with the details. Please contact SHARE if you want more information.

Below is a link to the Tentative Agreement and below that are the highlights.

Tentative Agreement - full language

Click here for the full language of the tentative agreement: https://theshareunion.net/2025SHAREUMassChanCBAMOA.pdf

Highlights 

Duration:

·         One-year contract July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026.

·         Negotiations for next contract will begin by February 2026.

 

Raises

·        $0.91/hour or 2.5%, whichever is greater, for SHARE members who are past their probationary period. Retroactive pay back to 7/13/25.

·        SHARE members who were in their probationary period on 7/13/2025 will receive a 1.5% raise after completion of the 6-month probationary period.

 

Important Notes about Raises

·        Maximums: All SHARE members will receive a full raise added to base pay even if they are at or over the maximum of their grade.

·        Minimums: The minimum of each grade will move by 1.5%. SHARE employees below the new grade minimum move up to that minimum before getting their raise.

·        Structural Raises will continue as before.

·        Eligibility: To get the raise and retro, SHARE members must be on the payroll on 7/13/2025 and on the date the raise and retro are delivered.

·        There are exceptions for people who retire or are laid off after 7/13/2025.

 

Step Raise discussion

·         SHARE and UMass will continue to discuss moving to a step system and we will create the framework we would like to see. We acknowledge that the implementation depends on several factors, including the financial situation.

 

Reclassification Deadline

·         Following January 30, 2026, the deadline to file a request will be September 30th of each calendar year, with a hearing to be held within 90 days from September 30th. 

 

Performance bonuses

·         Bonuses will happen annually; don’t have to wait for a raise to be negotiated.

·         The University may change the performance appraisal process & form.

·         If that happens, we will discuss the changes, and bargain about any impacts to the performance bonuses. The highest lump sum award will be at least $250. 

 

Attendance & Punctuality:

·         Absences will not be considered unscheduled if they are pre-approved, covered by the law, or:

o   Justified by a doctor’s note or the direction of Employee Health Services.

o   When a supervisor/manager sends an employee home sick.

 

Bilingual Pay:

·         Bilingual employees in DES will have the bilingual differentials adjusted to $.60 for Group A and to $1.00 for Group B. 

·         The Pharmacy bilingual pay program will match the hourly differentials of the DES program.  All other applicable terms of the CPS (Pharmacy) agreement on bilingual pay will remain in effect.

 

Bereavement:

·         Bereavement time will be granted in the case of pregnancy loss.

 

Parking

·         Clarify that the Chancellor and VCAF make decisions about the parking program at UMass Chan, not the Board of Trustees.

Bargaining Unit Meeting Recap: Contract Update

SHARE Meeting for whole Bargaining Unit 8/27/2025 

Topic: Contract Update 

 

1. How we got where we are 

  • We hoped to be negotiating for step raises – 2 raises per year – we hoped would happen this year but it needs to go on our list for next contract 

  • Started negotiations with 0% raise 

  • Considered repurposing some of the childcare fund money to make sure no one was moving backwards with no raise and high insurance and other costs 

  • In June – non-union staff got notice of a 2.5% raise 

  • In July management team made 2.5% offer to SHARE team 

  • The idea of repurposing some of the childcare fund turns out to be difficult – it will take time and lawyers to figure out how to do this. Also may need these funds for next contract if financial situation does not improve. 

  • Discussed other topics and made some progress on contract language 

 

2.What is happening now 

  • We are working on how big the floor will be – a floor is a fixed dollar amount – for example, last year we got 2% or a floor of $.75 

  • HR presentation: Financial context – still bad, layoffs every week 

  • Looking for a conversation with senior management – have previously met with John Lindstedt, VCAF 

  • Will fight for retro 

  • Did get performance bonuses 

  • People at max – we want to continue ignoring maxes because some members are over the max of their grade 

 

3. Contract campaign 

  • If we need to have a contract campaign to get to an acceptable agreement, what would we do? Solidarity days, Petition, Rally, Phots ops, Singing funny songs, etc. 

  • Is this the right time for a contract campaign because of layoffs and other cuts? 

  • Balancing best contract this year and how negotiations start in 6 months 

  • Uncertainty of next year too 

 

4. What happens next? 

  • Asked for a meeting with VCAF 

  • Next meeting with management team scheduled 9/10 

  • September Member Meeting 

  • contract campaign? 

 

5. What happens once we have a tentative agreement between SHARE negotiating team and management team 

  • Information snail mail and email to members 

  • Meetings for members to discuss 

  • Members vote 

  • Next contract – we will start negotiating in Feb 2026 

 

6. Questions and other topics 

  • What is the floor amount going to be? 

  • People at max? 

  • Contract campaign in the context of hardship 

  • We need to get at least what others got 

  • Retro? 

 

Update 9/19/25: 

a. We met last week with Patrick Gallagher, the new Chief Human Resources Officer. It was a productive meeting, and we felt that he was listening thoughtfully to what we had to say. We look forward to seeing what impact the meeting may have on contract negotiations. 

b.We postponed regular negotiating sessions for a couple of weeks while we wait to hear back. Our next meeting is scheduled for October 1st.

c.The next lunchtime meeting for SHARE employees will be Wednesday, September 24, 2025. 

Contract Update

Since our last update about contract negotiations, we have narrowed down what needs to be done to settle the contract. We will talk more about this at the Member Meetings next Weds, August 27. In the meanwhile, here are some things you might be wondering about:

  • We are talking about a % raise with a “floor” amount, like we usually have, so that each member gets the raise that is bigger for them

  • We are not going to be able to put a step system in place in this 1-year contract

  • We are keeping an eye on the retro owed because the raises did not take effect in July

  • We will make progress on some but not all of the other ideas we have raised

  • We will be back in negotiations for the next contract in 6 months time

Join us on Weds, August 27, at 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, or 1:30pm to discuss contract negotiations in more detail. Feel free to reach out to one of the SHARE staff organizers if you have questions.

In Solidarity,

A.J., Jameal, Jana, and Elisabeth

2025 Merit Bonuses

Hi SHARE members! We hope you are enjoying these cooler summer days!

The annual Merit Bonuses have been paid out to those who received an “Exceeds” or an “Outstanding” on their annual performance review. They should have been included in the last pay period, on August 15th.

If you achieved an Outstanding, the bonus is $250.00

For an Exceeds, the Bonus is $100.00

Over the years, SHARE has helped members who were entitled to a bonus but did not receive it due to clerical errors or other reasons. If you believe you are missing your bonus or are having another issue with your bonus payment, please contact your union organizer at SHARE.UMMS@theshareunion.org as soon as possible.

Thank you!

The SHARE staff

Contract Update: Bargaining for Raises

As many of you already know, SHARE began bargaining for our next contract in March. We knew going in that UMass Chan was facing huge financial challenges due to the loss of grant funding, which led to the furloughs and layoffs of a few SHARE members and of many other employees, so far.

Over the last several months, we have connected with our members through one-on-one calls and member meetings. We brainstormed options together which wouldn’t necessarily contribute to the financial difficulties the Med School was facing but would still mean something to SHARE members. Some of these included:

  • Increasing SHARE Members’ time off

  • ·Thinking of ways to offset costs for rising health insurance

  • ·Discussing the scheduled parking increases

  • Cashing out PTO time

On June 25th, UMass Chan announced raises of 2.5% for non-union employees. This is great news for SHARE members, since it indicates that unions will also be able to receive a raise this year. Because of this news, SHARE has shifted focus in negotiations to securing a meaningful raise for our members, while not abandoning the many ideas we have thought about over the last few months.

Historically, SHARE has always negotiated a substantial raise that didn’t only rely on the percentage increase, but instead provided a minimum amount, or “floor.” This floor gives many of our members more than what the percentage would result in. We understand that SHARE members are among the lowest paid at UMass Chan, and a raise like 2024’s 2% would only mean .50 cents for our member making $25.00 an hour. However, a floor like last years of .75 cents equated to 3% for that member making $25.00. These creative ideas around raises are what we are working on now, and beginning to talk about in negotiations with representatives from UMass Chan.

In our most recent member meeting, on July 23rd, we discussed the financial situation as noted above and received feedback from many who attended.

  • Members are concerned about maintaining the current Merit Bonuses and were happy to hear that SHARE intends to continue pushing to keep some sort of Merit Bonus in the next contract.

  • As our annual raise date has already passed, SHARE members are concerned about losing a portion of their raise due to the timing of the contract. SHARE reassured that we would continue to push for the raises to be implemented retroactively, to ensure everyone is “made whole” as we have consistently done in the past.

  • We discussed our traditional raise model, which includes a floor. We talked about how our members make much less than non-union staff, and that 2.5% is very little for most SHARE members. We explained that this floor provides a substantial raise for those making less money and that this is something we have always negotiated for.

  • During the meeting, the topic of a new pay structure, which would involve “step raises” on SHARE members’ anniversaries was talked about. As part our last contract negotiations, we made an agreement to discuss a new pay structure with Labor Relations which would involve these kinds of raises. At this time, we are pushing to make progress on this pay structure, but we are unsure if this could be included in this upcoming contract, given the financial constraints on UMass Chan.

As negotiations continue, we will pass along any information we can via, phone calls, blog updates, and continue to hold member meetings to keep everyone up to date.  

Now Accepting Applications for the Childcare and Academic Enrichment Funds

SHARE/UMass Chan Medical School Childcare Fund

The SHARE Childcare Fund is now accepting applications for the Fall 2025 cycle. All SHARE union-eligible staff at UMass Chan are encouraged to apply and receive financial assistance for daycare, after-school programs, in-home childcare, vacation, snow and summer camps.

(***Current recipients NEED to REAPPLY.***)

Click Here For The Childcare Fund Application

*If you prefer a printable version of the application, please click HERE You can mail this application to the SHARE Union, 50 Lake Ave, Worcester Ma 01604 Or Fax it to: 508-929-4040

The Academic Enrichment Fund

The Academic Enrichment Fund is a negotiated fund that helps SHARE employees with the costs of supplemental academic activities for their children, ages 5 to 18. This includes activities such as tutoring, summer classes, SAT prep courses, and college application fees. 

 Click Here For The Academic Enrichment Fund application 

Adoption Subsidy

If your family is exploring adoption, you may wish to consider the SHARE Adoption Subsidy, which provides financial assistance for adoption costs. The award can only be used for expenses directly related to the legal adoption of a child. (See contact info below)

For more information about the Childcare Fund, Academic Enrichment Fund or Adoption Subsidy, please contact:
Jameal Jackson
Jameal.Jackson@theshareunion.org
617-429-1194

For More info about other SHARE member benefits click below: https://www.shareumms.org/why-membership-matters

Member Meetings Weds June 18

SHARE will hold four meetings of 30 minutes each, Wednesday June 18th. Drop in any time you can join us. The agenda will start at 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, and 1:30. The 1:30 time has been added on as an experiment to see if we can attract any members that have a later lunch.

MEMBER MEETINGS – Weds, June 18th – at 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, or (NEW) 1:30pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81055196683?pwd=a9D7wjzSAOcabbRpSBr8fvMgxPe6qu.1

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Meeting ID: 810 5519 6683 and Passcode: 878575

The agenda will include:

  1. Contract Negotiations Update

  2. Anything else you would like to discuss

 

As we are currently in contract negotiations, membership is very important. There is strength in numbers! The larger our membership is, the larger our seat at the table is, the louder our voices are, and the more we can get accomplished. If you have not signed a SHARE membership card already, please let us know so we can get you signed up!