The 2019 regular weekly dues rate for SHARE members will be $9.17. That is an increase of twenty cents per paycheck, or about ½ cent per hour. For members working 20 hours/week, the 2019 weekly rate will be $6.87. The new rates are reflected in the 1/10/19 paycheck.
HOW DO THE DUES INCREASE EVERY YEAR?
The annual increase is calculated by our parent union, AFSCME, based on the average percent increase of AFSCME members’ pay rates across the country in the previous year.
WHERE DO MY DUES GO?
The short answer is that dues mostly pays for SHARE 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.
The longer answer is that SHARE members at UMass Memorial pool their dues money with members of three other unions locals: SHARE at UMass Medical School, 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.
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. 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.
MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to know more, please talk to a SHARE Rep, email share.comment@theshareunion.org, or call 508-929-4020. You can also learn more about what our union does, and the benefits of union membership, by exploring www.sharehospitalunion.org.