Giving Back to Our Community: SHARE Delivers Donations to North High
After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September of last year, 50 students whose schools could not remain open came to Worcester to be hosted by Worcester Public Schools. About 30 of them have joined the community at North High, and they were in need of supplies such as toiletries and warm clothing for the winter. For the SHARE 20th Anniversary celebration at Memorial Hospital, our party planning committee and Executive Board decided to raise money for the North High students with our raffle at the party!
With the generosity of everyone—SHARE members, HR business partners, managers—who donated baskets and bought tickets, we were able to raise $521. We used the money to create toiletry kits and buy warm socks and gloves for the students. The Worcester Teacher’s Association (WTA), the union for the teachers at North High, generously donated gift cards for the students as well.
On February 12, SHARE members and SHARE organizers took a trip to North High to drop off these donations. We were able to meet some of the students from Puerto Rico, their teachers and guidance counselors, and the person who has been coordinating all aspects of the students’ time here in Worcester. It was so powerful to meet and spend time together, and we had a good time, too!
SHARE members know that our community is strong when we take care of each other, and we were so happy to work in solidarity with members of the WTA at North High. Caring for our community helps keep unions strong in Worcester!
UMassFive Credit Union Scholarship
A new scholarship opportunity!
UMassFive is pleased to announce The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the Massachusetts Credit Union League's Scholarship Program is accepting applicants for six $2,000 scholarships and one $1,500 scholarship to be awarded in 2018.
In order to apply, students must:
- Be members or have a parent/guardian who is a member of a participating credit union (UMassFive College Federal Credit Union)
- Be a high school senior who will be enrolled in an undergraduate college degree program during the 2018-2019 academic year.
- Carefully review and complete all requirements in the instructions linked below.
Scholarship Instructions - click here
Scholarship Application - click here
Members can also obtain an application either by stopping by any branch or calling 800-852-5886 All applications must be turned in or post marked no later than March 2, 2018.
2018 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Announcement
We just received the following Scholarship announcement in the SHARE office. College-bound high-school seniors in SHARE families have received this award in previous years, and we're looking forward to more. Download a .pdf of the application form HERE, and read on for full details . . .
Pathway to College program
We recently received the following information from UMMHC Human Resources about a new opportunity for UMass Memorial caregivers to prepare for further healthcare education. Questions can be directed to Christine Staub, HR Organizational Development Specialist, 508-793-5637
The Pathway to College program provides caregivers with the foundation needed to enter a number of degree programs including health education, nursing, occupational studies, business, psychology, and sociology. This collaboration with Worcester State University is a revised version of the Direct Care Pathways program, but expands beyond healthcare specific roles.
Cherie Comeau, Director of Worcester State University’s Center for Business & Industry will be on campus to share information and answer questions
- University: Tuesday, February 6th Noon-2 pm Outside Pharmacy near the cafeteria
- Memorial: Wednesday, February 7th 6:30 - 8:30 am Across from cafeteria
- Hahnemann: Wednesday, February 14th 11:30 am-1 pm Main Lobby
Program Highlights
- A 9-month program designed to prepare participants for admission to an associate’s degree program
- Begins with an Academic Success Seminar followed by three core classes delivered with individual attention from the instructor and support from an advisor
- Three (3) cohorts of up 20 students, the first group starting in March
- One evening per week (Cohort 1 will meet on Tuesdays)
- Low out-of-pocket expenses for those eligible for tuition assistance benefits
New Memorial Campus Co-President
Jay Hagen (center front, blue scrubs) with participants from the most recent SHARE-UMass Memorial Contract Negotiations
Congratulations to Jay Hagan, the new Memorial Campus co-president for SHARE. He has been appointed by SHARE's Executive Board to hold the position until the next presidential election. Jay fills the role previously held by current SHARE staff member Bobbi-Jo Lewis.
Jay has worked as a CT Technologist at our hospital for over 30 years. He has been serving as the Executive Board member for the Technical Region at Memorial, including on the Contract Negotiating Committee. We are excited for his new role, and looking forward to another Contract Negotiations together later this year.
January Is National Blood Donor Month
SHARE members and UMass Memorial Blood Bank Technologists Sarah and Jen
The Blood Donor Center at UMass Memorial accepts the important gift of blood year-round, and January is a great time to resolve to give. Already in 2018, the American Red Cross has again issued an emergency call for blood and platelet donations in response to a severe winter blood shortage. Blood is required for a number of medical conditions, including, of course, transplants, cancers, and traumatic injuries.
UMass Memorial uses about 31,000 blood products each year to meet the needs of patients. The Blood Donor Center is located on the University Campus, downstairs from the Emergency Department. Walk-ins are welcome for whole-blood donations, or to schedule an appointment, please call 508-421-1950. To find other locations to give, visit the Red Cross website.
SHARE Staff Organizer Will Erickson, donating platelets
2018 Dues Increase
How much will SHARE union dues be in 2018?
For 2018, dues will increase for most members by 23 cents per pay period. Below are the old and dues new rates. The new rate will be effective on the first paycheck you receive in January 2018.
Per Pay Period (1 week) 2017 rate 2018 rate
Regular dues rate $8.74 $8.97
20-hours/week $6.55 $6.72
That's a total annual increase of $11.96 ($8.84 for employees working 20 hrs/week).
Where does the money go?
The money from dues supports the work that SHARE does. It pays for the organizers' salaries, office rent and supplies, phones, website hosting, printing costs and postage for mailings – all the things we need to negotiate good contracts, keep people informed, help members to solve problems if they come up, and to support members in having a voice in the workplace. A portion of the dues also goes to our national union, AFSCME, in Washington, and helps to pay for other groups of employees forming unions in their workplaces, and for research and lobbying.
How is the dues increase determined?
Our national union, AFSCME, calculates the annual increase based on the average raise for AFSCME members across the country. The new rate goes into effect each January.
Are my SHARE dues eating my raise every year?
SHARE members gain more than non-union employees even taking the cost of dues into account. In fact, from the end of June 2012 to the end of June in 2017, SHARE members got more raises than non-union employees. SHARE members get bigger raises (the difference in any particular year between a union raise and non-union raise is small, but the difference adds up). And each year the advantage of being in SHARE grows by having a voice in issues that affect us.
In what ways does having a union give SHARE members a voice?
- 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 and ad-hoc negotiations, we have a voice in issues that face groups of SHARE members
Questions?
You can talk to any of our E-board members or local reps who are active with SHARE, call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020, or email us at share.comment@theshareunion.org
2017 IHI National Forum Field Report
At the 2017 Institute for Healthcare Improvement National Forum, I was struck by a statement that I heard early-on: patients want caregivers to care about one another. Patients know that, otherwise, their treatment is compromised.
"Personal burnout" is the key indicator of a group's performance. And it can be reversed.
Personal Burnout Makes It Hard to Care
Bryan Sexton, Director of the Patient Safety Center for the Duke University Health System, pointed to data that indicate that the best predictor of patient care is the level of "burnout" among that patient's caregivers. Did you catch that? That's a Patient Safety director . . . saying that personal burnout has a greater impact on healthcare outcomes than, say, "safety climate," or "teamwork," or any of the more traditional measures. Sexton points out that 50% of physicians are are burned out. As is 30% of healthcare administrative staff.
Joy at Work?
This year, my second trip to IHI’s annual event, provided lots of learning and smart tools for healthcare improvement. (I blogged from the plane last year, too, if you want a look back.) Beyond the patient care subjects that one might expect from a national healthcare conference, the IHI has adopted a curious and heartening focus on the personal happiness of the people who work in healthcare. Or, as they refer to it, "joy."
Care among Caregivers
I suspect it's always an inspirational event. Definitely the 2017 IHI Forum included some impressive and brave thinking, things that stoked my optimism, examples of people who had figured out useful ways to keep caring central to their jobs as healthcare providers, including:
IHI CEO Derek Feeley with Patient Advocate Tiffany Christensen and Dr. Awdish
- A physician, Rana Awdish, who, on the last day of her residency, had a tumor rupture in her liver. This lead to a scene on the operating table. There, in her own hospital, through her stupor, she could hear someone say that she was “circling the drain.” She pulled through that event. But days later, still in the hospital, all by herself and unable to call out, she had to reach out to press the button and call a code blue on herself, as she lay in her bed, drowning in her own fluids as they redistributed into her lungs. She said she believes her wound was “a gift,” and has given her a keener eye for the system problems that demoralize caregivers and threaten patient health.
A heartening story of a hospital that pays for groups of caregivers to go to dinner together every couple of months so that they can talk with one another about their experiences. The dinners were described as a kind of symbiosis--commensalism--and this eating together has brought these employees to care for each other, as well as their patients, in ways that they hadn’t before.
Helen MacFie and Lorra Brown, who lead Lean projects at the MemorialCare network of hospitals in Southern California. They spend their work days talking about systems. AND, their concern for others was palpable. MacFie and Brown believe an improvement project is probably incomplete unless it has lead someone to cry happy tears. The pair led a session with an audience of hundreds, encouraging hospital leaders from around the country to hand the tools over to front line employees, the ones who really know how to make meaningful change where it matters.
Your Personal Burnout Assessment
Can you make your workday happier with only a smidgen of effort? It does seem that some small interventions can go a long way. Together with researcher K. Carrie Adair and others at the Duke Patient Safety Center, Bryan Sexton directs the WISER study, which is designed to assess burnout and increase emotional resilience among healthcare workers.
Online, you can access their free, HIPAA-compliant Stress-Reduction Assessment and Resilience Program. For a peek into their hypothesis about strengthening resilience, check out this seven-minute video. (WARNING: this video is pretty fun.)
What else?
This quick summary only scratches the surface of the things I learned at this year's conference. If you'd like to know more about what I learned, and about how SHARE is applying new ideas, let's talk. Drop me a line: kirk.davis@theshareunion.org. As always, thank you for reading . . .
Flu Season Reminder
UMass Memorial is currently encouraging employees to comply with the hospital flu vaccination policy. At our hospital, whether you get the shot or decline, you are supposed to turn in one of two forms to Employee Health: either the hospital flu vaccine form, (which you can bring with you when you get your shot to have completed by your own regular care provider, drugstore clinic, etc.) OR, the declination form, if you choose not to be vaccinated.
Hospital-sponsored flu clinics are listed below. The Centers for Disease Control recommends vaccination for most individuals over six months of age, especially those who work in healthcare. This short video featuring UMass Memorial physician Dr. Fozia Qamar addresses some of the most common questions about the vaccine.
As in previous seasons, when flu season hits, the hospital plans to require unvaccinated employees working in patient care areas to wear a mask.
UMass Memorial Flu Clinics 2017
Remember to bring your Kronos' Badge --OR-- Driver’s License with you.
Monday 12/18 University Campus RM HB 376 7:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m.
291 Lincoln St Suite 100 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday 12/19 University Campus RM HB 376 6:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m.
291 Lincoln St Suite 100 7:00a.m. -5:00 p.m.
Wednesday 12/20 University Campus RM HB 376 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
291 Lincoln St Suite 100 7:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 12/21 University campus RM HB 376 6;30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Memorial Campus RM MB 2624 12:30p.m. – 3:30p.m.
291 Lincoln St Suite 100 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday 12/22 291 Lincoln St Suite 100 7:00 a.m -5:00 pm
AFSCME Free College Benefit: Register Now for January Classes
 It’s a great time to be online with AFSCME's Free College benefit.Spring 2018 classes start January 16th, so don't delay.
Get started right away to take advantage of this opportunity for you and your family, and you won’t have to pay a penny out of pocket.
Thousands of AFSCME members have already signed up for classes and are sharing this benefit with their spouses, children and grandchildren as well. Spouse to spouse, parent to child or grandparent to grandchild, AFSCME’s partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College allows members to share this valuable college degree opportunity awhere it means the most. Right in your own home with your own family!
Eastern Gateway Community College is a public, fully accredited, open-access college in Ohio, and credits are transferable. No entrance exam or placement test is required; you only need to complete the EGCC application, send in your high school or GED transcript, and apply for and use any available federal financial aid. AFSCME Free College will cover the difference for tuition, fees and e-books.
The AFSCME Free College benefit is bigger and better than ever, so spring into action with us this January.
Visit us at FreeCollege.AFSCME.org or call toll free at 1-888-590-9009 to take the next step to a brighter future. |
Career Counseling Appointments for SHARE Members
Brought to you by The SHARE-UMass Memorial Workforce Planning Partnership Committee
Are you interested in professional growth and development?
Quinsigamond Community College’s Center for Workforce Development and Continuing Education will be offering career counseling to interested SHARE members.
Benefits of Individual Career Counseling
- Discover personal interests, skills, and work values
- Identify factors that influence career development
- Explore career options
- Locate sources of career information and support
- Determine next steps and develop a plan to achieve goals
Meet privately with a certified career counselor who can guide you through a step-by-step process to explore options, set goals, and take action.
To Register for an afternoon appointment on Wednesday, December 6 at University Campus or Wednesday, December 13 at Memorial Campus:
- Contact Jackie Kaczowka, Administrator Center for Workforce Development at QCC at 508-751-7911.
- You will be asked to provide your name, address, date of birth, and email address.
- Complete an online* assessment prior to your meeting. Instructions will be emailed to you upon registration. The assessment takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
- After meeting with the counselor and reviewing your report, a follow up meeting will be scheduled.
*If you do not have access to a computer, please contact Christine Staub in Human Resources at Christine.staub@Umassmemorial.org
SHARE Members Featured in Upcoming Art Exhibition
We're excited to announce that artwork by two SHARE members, Bayda Asbridge and Elsa Benavides, is being displayed during the month of November. Scroll down for the exhibition flyer, or visit the Healing Fibers website to learn more about the show, as well as the organization's mission, including its support of refugee artisans in Worcester.
SHARE Supports Raise Up for a $15 Minimum Wage and Paid Family/Medical Leave
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SHARE Organizers Jihelah, Eve, and Dylan collected signatures outside the White City Trader Joe’s this week! |
This Fall, some SHARE organizers have been supporting the
Raise Up coalition to bring two questions to the public on election day
2018. We have been working on gathering the number of signatures required to
get a $15 minimum wage (phased in slowly over four years) and paid
family/medical leave on the ballot next year so that we, as citizens of
Massachusetts, can decide if we want these changes in our state.
Raise Up is a group of unions, churches, and small community
organizations from across the state who are committed to positive changes for
working families here in Massachusetts.
At SHARE, we see how valuable these changes would be for our
members, and for all working people in MA. Many SHARE members have family and
dependents at home who make the minimum wage. We believe that everyone deserves
the ability to support themselves and their family, and right now, working 40
hours a week for the current $11 minimum wage just isn’t cutting it. And we
know that a raise in the minimum wage helps to support solid raises for SHARE
members when we negotiate with hospital management.
The Paid Family/Medical Leave proposal is also a better deal
for working families. That proposal would provide up to 26 weeks of
job-protected medical leave at 90% of pay if an employee is sick, and up to 16
weeks of job-protected family leave at 90% of pay if they have to care for
a family member or have a new baby at home. A higher standard would help SHARE as
we negotiate leaves-of-absence in our own contract in the future.
Some of our SHARE reps have been volunteering their time to
collect signatures so that we will have the chance to vote on these two
important issues next fall. If you are interested in joining that effort, or if
you have questions about these two initiatives, please email eve.feldberg@theshareunion.org or
call/text (617) 620-4091.
SHARE Raise Delivered in October 13 Paycheck
UMass Memorial Human Resources has confirmed that the SHARE raises will be on time. SHARE members started earning their new rate on Sunday, October 1st. That new amount will show up in paychecks next week, October 13, and should be visible on-line starting on Saturday.
Most SHARE members are getting a 2% across the board raise, plus the annual SHARE platform movement amount. The across-the-board raise keeps you up with inflation, and the platform movement gives you credit for another year of experience and moves you up toward the grade max.
Most SHARE members are getting a 2% across the board raise, plus the annual SHARE platform movement amount. The across-the-board raise keeps you up with inflation, and the platform movement gives you credit for another year of experience and moves you up toward the grade max.
This is the final raise negotiated under our current contract. We expect to begin negotiating the next contract, including raises, in the Spring-Summer of next year.
MEMBERS at their GRADE MAXIMUM
. . . will receive the entire raise to their base pay, unless their raise would put them over the new higher Max Cap. (Only eleven SHARE members will be at the Max Cap for their grade. They will be contacted directly by SHARE staff about their raise, a portion of which will be paid-out as a bonus.)
MEMBERS in PEER-BASED POSITIONS
We have completed a great amount of the work involved to slot individuals onto platforms. Thank you to everyone affected for your help in making sure that the hospital has the correct experience data on record for you. We are still working with management to finalize the process, and will contact you all with a further update.
DETERMINING your NEW RATE of PAY
For most SHARE members, those whose current rate of pay is already on a platform, you can identify your new rate by locating your current rate in the online Pay Grids, then moving one column to the right and one row down.
For more detailed instructions about using the pay grids -- or if you current pay is between platforms, at max or over max, or in a grade without platforms -- please contact the SHARE office for help. 508-929-4020
For more detailed instructions about using the pay grids -- or if you current pay is between platforms, at max or over max, or in a grade without platforms -- please contact the SHARE office for help. 508-929-4020
So Fun! 20th Anniversary Celebration on the University Campus
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| SHARE: 20 Years Old & 3200 Strong |
Nine hundred attendees, give or take a few. That’s how many people popped in last for SHARE’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on the University Campus. SHARE members came down during lunchtime to the Faculty Conference Room from desks and bedsides and lab benches, and even bussed over from other campuses. Thank you to everyone who made time to make the event such a success!
It was a pretty good day for two unions recognizing a shared anniversary. And in other nifty statistics, our celebration had nine raffle winners. More importantly, altogether, the raffle participants contributed $535 to the UMass Medicine Cancer Walk and Run.
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| SHARE Rep Rich Leufsted reprises his famous "SHARE Song" |
We were excited to catch up with old friends: SHARE retirees, SHARE members who have been promoted to management positions, and some beloved SHARE members who have moved on to other careers. Joining us, too, were many guests, including students, nurses, executive leaders from our Hospital and Medical School, members of sister unions, and even a few folks who just wandered in wondering what the hubbub was about.
We ate. We sang. We marveled a bit at how SHARE’s values of kindness and respect have translated into policies and work systems that enable SHARE members to participate at work. We did an awful lot of smiling.
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| SHARE-UMMS EBoard Member AJ Iaconi describes how a Joint Working Group at the Critical Care Unit has improved working conditions and patient care |
Support from an Old Friend
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| Congressman Jim McGovern commended the courage of employees who voted to unionize |
As he looked over the crowd, Jim McGovern noted members of the senior leadership team participating in our big day. He called it a testament to SHARE's commitment to partnership and non-adversarialism. As he pointed out, especially in those earliest days, University and Hospital management have not always recognized the value of our union. He praised our union's earliest pioneers, who didn't know how management would react, and had to believe that we could create the kind of union that would make our community stronger.
Congressman McGovern remembered our earliest days so well that he even teased us about the unscoopable frozen-solid ice cream that we chiseled into servings at that ice cream social, back-in-the-day. And he encouraged us to continue being brave in our efforts, saying that SHARE members were not only important to one another in the room, and to our hospital, but because we’re a vital union that makes the middle class possible.
More to Come in SHARE’s 20th Year
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| SHARE Rep and PCA Kona Enders describes how SHARE members stick together |
In the coming year, at anniversary events throughout our campuses, we’ll continue celebrating, and reflecting, and thinking ahead together. To keep up, be sure to subscribe to the SHARE blog, and check in to learn about developments at www.theshareunion.org/20years
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| SHARE Hospital Treasurer Kathy Girouard and Organizer Dylan Goodman tended the photobooth--until the crowds took over the space |
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New SHARE/JOIN Fellow Eve Feldberg explains
how an increased minimum wage
benefits SHARE members and other members of our community
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| Nice shout-out from Congressman McGovern on his Facebook page! |
Twentieth Anniversary Celebration This Thursday
It's here! Happy anniversary! This Thursday, we kick off a year of celebrating throughout our campuses with a bash on the University Campus. Join us for some fun!
SHARE 20th Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, September 21st
11:45-1:15
UMMS Faculty Conference Room
- Food! Including sub sandwiches, homemade treats, and -- of course -- chocolate!
- Songs! New and old, written by SHARE members
- Special guests! Including Congressman Jim McGovern, returning to congratulate our union, which he championed on our campus 20 years ago
- Raffle! Enter to win one of several baskets. All proceeds go directly to support the Cancer Walk
- Memories, Friends, and More! Including free SHARE Union schwag!
Both our Hospital and Medical School unions will enter contract negotiations in the coming year. This is a perfect time to show off the good things our unions have done, to highlight our goals, and to demonstrate to the community our strength and aspirations. Let’s eat, and laugh, and enjoy!
Developments, details, and other anniversary events can be found at www.theshareunion.org/20years
Help Keep Your Union Strong
Hi blog reader!
We really appreciate that you’re keeping tabs on your union’s news. There are now a few hundred subscribers to the SHARE blog . . . not to mention all of our unsubscribed readers. Thank you!
Never have our connections to one another been more important than now. Our unions have grown to include over 3,200 members. If you’re a faithful blog reader, or have been around our union for a bit, you know that person-to-person conversations make our union strong. That's a lot of conversations.
This Thursday, we’re hosting our first big event to celebrate SHARE’s 20 Year Anniversary. Throughout the year, we’ll be celebrating on all of the campuses, and we want to kickstart things right. We encourage everyone who can to come out to this one. Every member deserves to have a meaningful connection to their union, and we would love your help.
Here are a few things you can do now . . .
Ten Easy Things You Can Do this Week to Help Keep SHARE Strong
- Bring a plate of finger foods to that party.
- Email a photo of yourself, along with a quote about what SHARE means to you, to kirk.davis@theshareunion.org.
- Hand out postcard invitations to friends and co-workers (ask your SHARE organizer for some, or contact the SHARE office: 508-929-4020).
- Help plan to celebrate on your campus . . . contact your SHARE organizer for details.
- Warm up your voices and be ready to sing.
- Ask your co-workers to do any of the above!
SHARE at Fenway Park
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SHARE Union Co-President Bobbi-Jo Lewis
on deck to be recognized
during the pre-game ceremonies
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| HUCTW member Martha Vedrine singing the National Anthem |
At the Red Sox game at Fenway Park on Labor Day, over 220 of the seats were filled by members of SHARE and HUCTW. Union Night is designated to recognize what unions do to improve the lives of working people.
Our own SHARE Hospital union co-president, Bobbi-Jo Lewis, was recognized during the ceremonies. "I've been bringing my kids to watch the Red Sox since they were little. It was really special for them to be in the stands while I got a chance to wave up at the crowd from the field," Bobbi-Jo said.
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| Bobbi-Jo's kids at the game: SHARE member Emily Anderson and her brother Tyler |
In the meanwhile, most any time that you go to Boston to see the Sox, you can listen to the musical skills of HUCTW member Josh Kantor. Josh is Fenway’s official organist. He has negotiated a flex-time arrangement with his supervisors at Harvard University’s Loeb Music Library so that he can perform at all of the home games. Next time you’re at a game, you can even Tweet him a song request!
The Great SHARE Recipe Swap: Kathy Bateman's Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Looking for a festive party food that you can whip up quickly to bring to an event? Let’s say, for example, the SHARE 20th Anniversary Party? SHARE-UMMS President Kathy Bateman has you covered. Below is her recipe for Chocolate Covered Pretzels.
If you’re bringing your Nana’s secret-recipe fudge brownies to our big day, that’d be a welcome treat, of course. That said, we also would love to include everyone in the recipe collection. To learn more about our pot-luck event, and to access the Recipe Swap easy submission form, just visit the Great SHARE Recipe Swap website.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
About this Dish: This recipe is so fun and easy that children will enjoy rolling, sprinkling and designing their own pretzel creation. I make these during the holidays and they disappear in no time.
Ingredients and How to Make It:
1 container of Pretzel rods (about 48 rods in a container)
Melting chocolate – I use white and milk, but you can use whatever color/flavor you like.
Sprinkles for decoration
Parchment or wax paper
Preparation:
Have at least 4 large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper – this makes clean-up a breeze and the pretzels will not stick to the cookie sheet.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and turn the oven off.
Place the vanilla and chocolate on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and put into the oven to let the chocolate melt. Test for doneness by taking a toothpick, and swirl the chocolate through the middle.
While the chocolate is melting, place two of the parchment lined cookie sheets in the freezer so the chocolate will harden quickly after being dipped.
When the chocolate is melted, remove from the oven. Roll the pretzel rods in the chocolate to coat evenly and place on a frozen cookie sheet. This works up quickly. Once you have a whole sheet of pretzels, sprinkle with colored sprinkles and drizzle the different colored chocolate over the dark chocolate, same with the dark chocolate, drizzle over white pretzels. If you don’t have sprinkles, the drizzles will do just fine.
Place the decorated pretzels in the freezer for about 5 minutes. After removing from the freezer, place the pretzels on a plate or platter. Enjoy!
Additional Comments:
I purchase the white and chocolate flavored “Plymouth Pantry Almond Bark” at Wal-Mart, but you can use any kind of melting chocolate.
Submitted By: Kathy Bateman
Department: Pathology