Contract Corner - Weather FAQ

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about Severe Weather, with the relevant language from the SHARE contract. Key points are underlined for emphasis.

1) How do I find out what I am supposed to do if there is a state of emergency or other severe weather?

The SHARE contract encourages each department to develop a plan that fits their department’s needs – obviously a nursing floor has different staffing needs than a billing department. Both jobs need to get done, but you can catch up with billing the next day; you can’t do that with patients. The contract says:
Department severe weather plans could include: what staffing level is required in the case of severe weather (such as full staffing, skeletal staffing, or no staffing necessary); how employees will find out if they are required to be at work that day, who to call and how to reach them; and whether there is a difference in their department between the plan for severe weather and the plan for a declared state of emergency. Department managers should review the severe weather plan for their department with all employees annually before winter weather begins. (Staffing plans, p.103)
If your department does not have a plan, talk to your manager, or call the SHARE office for help in approaching your manager, to discuss creating a plan.

2) What if my department is closed?

SHARE members in departments that close, or that allow some or all employees to stay home, have a few options. The contract says:
…employees may use earned, vacation or personal time, or choose to go unpaid for the hours they missed. When appropriate, an employee may make up the time that week, by mutual consent between the employee and the supervisor. Made up hours will be paid at straight time unless weekly hours total more than 40. (Pay for missed hours, p.104)
3) What if I don’t want to use my own time?

You can volunteer to work in another area. In negotiations, the Hospital has always taken the position that all positions are “Essential” in severe weather or a state of emergency. Part of their argument is that on these days they need all the help they can get and would happily put to work anyone who can get in. SHARE has always taken the position that no one should be forced to take time without pay, or use their own time, if they are available to work. This applies to severe weather, a low census, flooding, or other reasons a department might be inclined to send employees home. So, the contract says:

If a department is closed for all or part of the day due to severe weather, employees may go home (see pay for missed hours) or choose to report to/remain at work. The hospital may assign people who stay at work to perform different functions than their normal job. For a work assignment in an area other than your own, page the nursing supervisor/bed management: for the University campus, pager #2044; for the Memorial campus (on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays) pager #3318. (Department closing, early dismissal, p.104)

And:

No SHARE unit member shall be required to take TOWOP. When all other options have been explored, and there is no need to float, the SHARE unit member may take TOWOP or may use earned time or vacation/personal leave, whichever is applicable. If the SHARE member does not want to leave work (either unpaid, or using their own ET, or vacation/personal time whichever is applicable), the employee may choose to stay and be assigned reasonable other duties for which they are qualified (in this case, contract and practice restrictions on cross-campus and/or intra-campus floating will not apply.) If there are no such duties, and the employee is sent home, the employee will be paid. (TOWOP, p. 103)

4) Can’t they just send me home and pay me without having to use my time?

UMass Memorial could choose to send/keep employees home and pay them rather than finding other duties for them (see TOWOP, p.103), but it is very unusual for them to do so. Many years ago, at both UMass and Memorial, in cases of severe weather like last week’s state of emergency, it was more common for employees who were not required to be at work to be sent/kept home with pay, and employees who were required to be at work to be given additional pay or comp time for having to work. That has not been common practice for a while.

It is not a violation of the SHARE contract for the leadership of UMass Memorial Medical Group and/or UMass Memorial Medical Center to send employees home with pay. But it is not required by the contract either. (See question #3 for what the contract requires.) When there are inequities it has a negative impact on morale. SHARE is discussing this with hospital leadership.

5) How am I supposed to get to work if there is a travel ban?
Human Resources has assured us that any employee on their way to or from work should be allowed passage if they show their Hospital ID. We have heard some stories about people being given a hard time by the police for being on the road. If anyone received a ticket or a warning, let us know. HR will help you get it sorted out.

If the roads are impassable, if you live at the top (or bottom) of a steep icy hill, or if you take the bus to work and buses are not running, you may have a problem getting to work even though the police would allow you to. There is not one simple solution to this. UMass Memorial no longer provides rides in a coordinated way for people who can’t get in to work. If you are required to be at work, or you want to come in despite the storm, you can start by talking with your manager and coworkers about whether there is someone you could carpool with, or if they have other ideas. We will be discussing this further with management.

6) If I don’t come in during a storm, will it be held against me?
It depends on whether your department allowed you to stay home. If they did, then the absence will not count against you. The contract says:
If an employee does not work because the department is closed, or because they are not required to come to work, it will be considered an excused absence. Late arrivals covered by an established grace period will be considered an excused absence. Other absences from work on a severe weather day will be considered unexcused. (Excused and unexcused absences, p. 104)


To see the full contract language about Severe Weather and TOWOP, go to pages 103-104 of the SHARE contract. 

If you have other questions, or want to discuss any of this further, please call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020.


Did You Know? Under HIPAA, Your Medical Records Are Protected from Unauthorized Access (Even from You)

HIPAA has done a great deal of good to protect sensitive patient information. All the same, some members describe the advantages of the time before HIPAA, when patient information could come in handy, and be used for personal reasons. You might want to look up your own appointment time with a doctor, for example, or to figure out a co-worker's home address in order to send a birthday card. However, things are different now.

Sometimes, when SHARE members violate a hospital policy, they don't even think they've done so. While working to take care of themselves and their family, they might access protected information. SHARE members might not realize that their computer activity can be revealed in a routine system audit, and that unauthorized access can result in serious disciplinary action.

Most employees know that HIPAA guidelines permit an employee to access a patient's record only in one of two situations:
  1. For job-related reasons. Or, 
  2. If the employee submits a completed Employee Authorization for Electronic Access Form, which is filed with the Medical Records department. 
But, what about your husband's medical records? Or your children's? Or even your own? It's important to remember that the answer is: the same rules apply.

For example, even if you want to find out the results of your very own lab work, you must be authorized to do so through the Medical Records department, or contact your physician directly.

For more information, visit The US Department of Health and Human Services' "Understanding HIPAA" webpage 

Or, please feel free to call the SHARE office (508) 929-4020, or the UMass Memorial Privacy Office: (508) 334-5551


2015 SHARE Dues

SHARE weekly dues will increase in January 2015:
  • For full-time employees the new rate will be $8.39/week. (The 2014 rate was $8.24)
  • For employees budgeted for 20 hours/week, the new rate will be prorated at $6.29/paycheck. (The 2014 rate was $6.18)
The dues rates are set by our parent union, AFSCME (Ameircan Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), every year. If there's a rate change it happens in January and the new rate is based on the average salary raise that all 1.5 million members across the country got in the previous year. 

Where do the dues go?

Most of the dues pay for SHARE staff, the office rent, office supplies, mailings, etc. The money supports the work of the union here at the Medical School (and in our sister unions at UMass Memorial, Harvard University, and the Cambridge Health Alliance) helping members with issues at work, building connections across the campuses, supporting people who have been laid off, distributing information about issues of importance to SHARE members, negotiating contracts, etc. 

The remaining portion of the dues goes to the national union in Washington -- they spend that money on advocating for AFSCME members as a whole, including research and lobbying about issues. (Support for political candidates comes from AFSCME's Political Action Committee, not from dues money.) 

Questions?

If you have any questions about the 2015 dues rates, please contact the SHARE office at:
share.comment@theshareunion.org
508-929-4020

Quality Improvement: A Crash Course

If you've been to Lean training, or involved in Idea Board huddles, or just heard the chatter in certain circles of the hospital lately, you're probably aware that there are a lot of new Quality Improvement concepts circulating around UMass Memorial.

In the SHARE office, we recently came across a quick introduction to the general idea of Quality Improvement. I've posted this animated video below. I get the sense that many hospital leaders and QI aficionados are forwarding this amongst themselves, and it's a fairly painless introduction to some of their lingo.  

The video includes an interesting take on curiosity by Don Berwick, founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement  (and candidate for Massachusetts Governor during the last election.) 

The video also discusses the IHI "100,000 Lives" campaign, which our hospital participated in. 

The whole thing is just over ten minutes long. See what you think. . . . 




In the News: Nationwide Pension Policy Revision



Congress has recently reached a deal that would create an unprecedented nationwide reduction of pension benefits for some current retirees. The deal was tied to a 1.1 trillion dollar spending bill designed forestall a government shutdown.

 The change will not have any affect on UMMHC pensions.

SHARE leadership is taking note, however, because the retirees who will be affected have already been pledged--and begun receiving--a certain level of pension income. Thus far, all pensions have been guaranteed under the law (except in certain kinds of employer bankruptcies).

The Washington Post explains: "The deal reached would apply to multi-employer pensions, where a group of businesses in the same industry join forces with unions to provide pension coverage for employees." Nearly 1.5 million retirees could see their regular pension payments reduced by up to 30%. The Huffington Post reports that "talks between Rep. John Kline, R-Min., and George Miller, D-Calif., were designed to preserve benefits of current and future retirees at lower levels than currently exist, but higher than they would be if their pension funds ran out of money."

The Defined Benefit Pension at UMMHC is provided to all SHARE members once they have reached the three-year vesting mark, and will be unaffected by this legislation. UMMHC's Pension program is secure, well-funded, and continues to be protected by law. Still, SHARE will be attentive to these kinds of legal precedents, as we have worked hard to develop and negotiate a sustainable pension system in our own workplace, one that ensures reliable retirement income.

Clinical Engineering Contracting Out -- Update

As you may remember from last year, UMass Memorial had agreed to the BioMed Techs' proposal to save money while keeping the service in-house, rather than contracting out the service to save money for the hospital. The BioMed Techs worked on the process improvement through the year (while maintaining high level of service), saving over $800,000 by SHARE's calculations. (See prior post.)

However, this year UMass Memorial has decided that they need to take advantage of the savings to the hospital that contracting out provides, after all.

UMass Memorial has expressed interest in helping the Biomed Techs with this transition, beyond what the contract provides for layoffs, because of their work above and beyond the call of duty with the process improvement project. Dr. Eric Dickson has been clear that the hospital appreciates their all their efforts over the last year and the money that their ideas saved the hospital.

With SHARE, the Biomed Techs have a decision to make: Whether to object to the outsourcing, attempting to bring the question to the whole UMass Memorial community. Or, do they want to view the contracting out as inevitable, and focus on what appears to be a good faith effort on the hospital's part to help them with their transitions.

In general, SHARE opposes outsourcing. Outsourced companies typically pay their employees less and provide less good benefits. Employees of a vendor often do not have the same loyalty and commitment to the patients and to the hospital.We believe that this decision to out-source Clinical Engineering will have a negative impact on the quality of service to departments, which will impact patient care.

The hospital has responded that the impact to patients and the hospital will be worse if they don't take this opportunity to cut costs. The SHARE leadership also has an obligation to put these SHARE members in the best possible position going forward. SHARE will back the techs in either direction -- negotiating a settlement, or campaigning against the contracting out.

Currently, we are working on the idea of packages for the Biomed Techs, in discussions with management. We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to work something out that the Biomed Techs feels is a respectful and dignified end to their careers as UMass Memorial employees.

Can Idea Boards and Huddles Make Work Better for SHARE Members?

SHARE is interested in hearing about your experience with idea boards and huddles:

  • Does your department use an idea board and huddle regularly?
  • If so, do the idea board and huddles help make your day-to-day work experience better?
  • Do they help you and your co-workers to improve your work processes?

Come to a SHARE lunch-time information meeting about idea boards and huddles. We'll discuss what makes them work well in some departments, and not so well in others. We'll also talk about what kinds of help are available to SHARE members who want to improve their department's idea board and huddles.

The dates and times of the meetings are listed below. Come during your lunch break, and feel free to bring your lunch with you.

 Monday, Oct 20         11:30am - 1:30pm          University, room S2-351
Thursday, Oct 23       11:30am - 1:30pm           WBC, Thom McCann rm 1st floor 
Friday, Oct 24             12pm - 2:00pm                CBO, 4th floor conference room 
Thursday, Oct 30        11:30am - 1:30pm          Memorial 1 conf rm, near the caf.
Monday, Nov 3           11:30am - 1pm               Hahnemann 2nd floor conf room 
Thursday, Nov 6          11:30am - 1pm               Barre Health Center         
Thursday, Nov 13        11:45am - 1:30pm         Tri River Community room 

Clinical Engineering - Contracting Out

UMass Memorial leadership has decided to contract out the Clinical Engineering Department. There are thirteen Biomedical Technicians in the department, ten of whom are SHARE members. CEO Dr. Eric Dickson and President Patrick Muldoon met with the Techs and SHARE representatives Tuesday to announce the decision.

As you may remember, UMass Memorial had decided over a year ago to contract out the Biomed Techs' work in order to cut costs. Working together, we had persuaded the Hospital to give the department a chance to save money without contracting out. The Techs worked hard, and successfully, to find savings. Unfortunately, UMass Memorial leadership believes that it is in the best interest of the Medical Center to proceed with the contracting out..

The Biomed Techs and SHARE Organizers are continuing to talk as we evaluate our options in the wake of this decision.

SHARE Information Meetings -- Health Insurance: What's coming in the future?

Join us for a conversation about possible health insurance changes (for 2016), and what we think of them. Come for your lunch break -- feel free to bring your lunch. Hope to see you there!

Monday, Sept 15 -- 11:30-1:30 pm -- University S2-351
Thursday, September 18 -- 11:30-1:30 pm -- Memorial 1 conference room
Monday, September 22 -- 11:30-1:30 pm -- WBC Assumption room, 1st floor
Wednesday, September 24 -- 12:00-2:00 pm -- CBO 4th floor conference rm
Tuesday, September 30 -- 12:00-1:30 pm -- Biotech 3 room #227

We're setting up information meetings at more locations (PTC, 328 Shrewsbury St, Barre, Hahnemann). We'll be in touch with the details.

Coming soon: Keep your eyes out for the SHARE survey about health insurance!

SHARE Raises in October

Raises for SHARE members are scheduled to go into effect on October 5th. (That's a Sunday -- really they go into effect at 11pm on Saturday night, October 4th.) Payroll says that the raises will be in paychecks on October 16th.

For more information about the raise, look here.

Saving for retirement almost painlessly: This is a great time to start a 401K or to increase the amount you have deducted for your 401K. If you start the deduction at the same time as your raise comes, you won't miss the money! (At least not as much.) For more info, register on the Fidelity website, or call Fidelity at 800-343-0860. 

Changing the Culture to Listen to Your Good Ideas

Something really important is happening at UMass Memorial. Eric Dickson, the CEO, is leading a campaign to change the culture so that front-line employees’ ideas are welcomed in every department. This would be a big change in many areas, and a positive one for SHARE members, our patients and, we believe, the success of our hospitals.

As SHARE members have always said, we know our work, we know our patients, and we have good ideas about how to fix problems. We just need to be free to say them, and to know that we will be listened to.

That means changing how managers manage at UMass Memorial. In the past, I think that many managers learned a “command and control” model of supervising. When the manager’s only job is to tell employees what to do, employees learn to keep their ideas to themselves.

 In case you haven't read the Worcester Telegram and Gazette article about this, here's what I said:
"It's a process of changing the culture, from having managers tell the staff what to do, to one where the staff feel appreciated and listened to. The employees have good ideas, and they want to be respected partners in figuring out how to solve some of these problems." 
 Dr. Dickson said in the interview:
"Some managers have this feeling that good ideas can only come from the managers," he said. "That is the hardest thing, getting managers to believe that people on the front lines have better ideas than they do." 
To involve front-line staff in improving the patients’ experience, work flow, and the staff's own day-to-day work experience, Dr. Dickson is promoting idea boards with huddles in every department.

SHARE believes that idea boards and huddles are a great first step toward changing the culture. What I like best about idea boards -- when they’re done well -- is that everybody is equal at an idea board huddle. When the staff operates as a team, it changes how it feels to come to work. 

If you'd like to know more about idea boards and huddles, or you'd like some help with how to make them work well in your department, email Will at SHARE. 

2014 Employee Engagement Survey: Why It's Important

SHARE members in 30 areas and departments got emails last Monday asking them to fill out an Employee Engagement survey. UMass Memorial wants to measure how employees feel about their jobs, and about how UMass Memorial involves employees.

SHARE encourages SHARE members to fill out the survey. UMass Memorial has committed to sharing the results of the survey with SHARE, and with you. This is an opportunity for SHARE members to be heard, and to make this a better place to provide and receive care.

Confidentiality is a big question for many SHARE members. UMass Memorial hired an outside company, Avatar Solutions, to conduct the web-based survey and analyze the results. Avatar Solutions will give UMass Memorial results for groups only, not individuals. Small groups will be combined to help protect anonymity -- the smallest group will be 15 people. You have to enter your employee ID number to take the survey -- that's to make sure only employees take the survey, that each person only takes it once, and that your responses are grouped with your teams' responses.

We believe that most SHARE members want to be respected participants in fixing problems in their areas. SHARE members want to feel like they do a good job, in a productive department, where co-workers at all levels treat each other with kindness and respect. Some areas needs a lot of culture change to get to there. This is an opportunity to see what's working well, and what departments need more help engaging employees.

Departments will be surveyed in three phases. The first phase includes the Admissions Unit, Patient Access Services (Registration and Scheduling), Dermatology, Renal Division, GI Clinic, Cardiology Clinic, Anticoagulation, and Physician Billing (Medical Group). The second phase will include inpatient departments, and the third phase will include more ambulatory departments, administrative areas, and the community hospitals. (Not all departments will be surveyed this fiscal year.)

Managers will be responsible for creating action plans to fix problems identified by the survey in their areas. Areas will be surveyed again in 90 days to see how well the action plans worked.

Here's what UMass Memorial tells managers that success with this survey looks like:
  • Employees understand how their experience supports our success.
  • Teams have reached the survey participation goal of 90%.
  • Employees are actively involved in improvement efforts.
  • Fun and enthusiasm are an everyday part of creating goals and monitoring success.
  • Teams have celebrated their success.
If you have any thoughts or questions about this survey or SHARE's participation with it, give the SHARE office a call. 508-929-4020. (If you get the answering machine, my extension is 13 -- Janet.)

SHARE Dues Increase Delayed -- Small Retro Next Week

There was a snafu with implementing the SHARE dues increase this year for SHARE members at UMass Memorial. We notified UMass Memorial Payroll of the 12 cent increase at the beginning of this year, but the new amount didn't start being deducted from members' paychecks until last week.

Payroll will deduct the small amount of retro from SHARE members' paychecks next week, March 13th. For most SHARE members, the amount of the one-time catch-up retro will be $.72. (It will be less for those SHARE members budgeted for 20 hours.)

We're sorry for the confusion, folks.

Scholarship Opportunity

SHARE got a letter recently announcing scholarships that SHARE members can apply for, and an application form to make available to you. Check it out, if you have a child or a grandchild are headed to college!


To: All Affiliated Locals of the Central Mass AFL-CIO, 

 We are pleased to announce that we will be awarding six $1000.00 scholarships as well as a number of $500 Platinum sponsored scholarships.

The scholarship recipients will be drawn by lottery at the May community services committee meeting and the winners will be announced at the Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament on Friday, June 6, 2014.

The scholarships will be presented at the Labor Day breakfast, September 1, 2014.

To be eligible, the student must be a 2014 graduating high school senior going on to college and a child, grandchild or member whose local is affiliated with the Central Ma. AFL/CIO. Union members must live or work in the jurisdiction of the Central Ma. AFL/CIO.

All names must be submitted by April 25, 2014 and returned to:
Paul Soucy
AFL/CIO Labor Community Services
Central Ma. AFL-CIO
400 Washington St
Auburn, Ma. 01501


If you are a SHARE member at the hospital, you are a member of SHARE / AFSCME Local 3900. If you are a SHARE member in the Medical School, you are a member of SHARE / AFSCME Local 4000. Both SHARE locals are affiliated with the Central Ma. AFL/CIO.

Please click here for a printable .pdf version of the application form to send to Paul Soucy at the above address.




Dues Increase for 2014

SHARE dues will increase in January:

  • The regular dues rate for 2014 is $8.24/week. (The 2013 rate was $8.12.)
  • For employees budgeted for 20 hours/week, the 2014 rate is $6.18/week (the 2013 rate was $6.10)

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about dues:

Why are the dues going up now?

The dues increase is set by our national union, AFSCME. If there's a rate change it's in January.

How much do the dues increase each year?

The dues increase is calculated by AFSCME (our parent union) based on the average raise that all 1.5 million members across the country got in the previous year. Many AFSCME members have had small, or no, raises over the past few years, and some have had pay cuts or unpaid furloughs. This has resulted in small, or nonexistent dues increases over the past few years, even though SHARE members at UMass Memorial were getting raises.

dues rates stayed the same from 2010 to 2012

Where do the dues go?

Most of the dues go to pay for the SHARE staff, the office rent, office supplies, mailings, etc. The money supports the work of the union here at the UMass Memorial (and in our sister unions at UMass Medical School, Harvard University, and the Cambridge Health Alliance) helping members with issues at work, building connections across the campuses, supporting people who have been laid off, distributing information about issues of importance to SHARE members, negotiating contracts, etc. 

A portion of the dues goes to the national union in Washington -- they spend that money on advocating for AFSCME members as a whole, including research and lobbying about issues. (Support for political candidates comes from AFSCME's Political Action Committee, not from dues money.) 

SHARE Prepares for Possible Layoffs

As communications from UMass Memorial CEO Dr. Eric Dickson and President Patrick Muldoon make clear, there are changes coming for our hospitals, probably including layoffs. Programs that aren't making money may shrink or close, and technology is eliminating the need for some jobs. SHARE is preparing to help members with whatever is coming.

Do You Want to Volunteer to be Laid-Off?

Whenever there is a layoff, SHARE Reps work to help our members find other jobs, either in an open position or by "swapping" with someone who volunteers to be laid off. If we can find the right match for a swap, then person who was going to be laid off takes the volunteer's job. The volunteer gets the SHARE layoff benefits:
  • Severance (one week of pay for each full year that you've worked here, minimum 2 weeks, maximum 8 weeks)
  • Earned time/vacation time paid out weekly so that you stay on UMass Memorial health insurance until your time is used up
  • Unemployment benefits
  • Access to the SHARE training fund (up to $1500 per semester for 2 semesters with a possibility of an additional semester)
If you would like to know more about what volunteering for layoff might mean for your, please call the SHARE office. Leave a message for Carol -- 508-929-4020 x17.

How Layoffs Work in SHARE

Our contract says, "SHARE and UMass Memorial agree that we will do everything possible to avoid lay-offs. In health care today, change is the prominent feature of the landscape. By making this agreement about work security, our goal is to find alternatives to lay-offs whenever possible, and when a lay-off must occur to provide help and support to the employee in finding a comparable position."

UMass Memorial notifies SHARE about the possible layoffs ahead of time and SHARE and UMass Memorial meet to try to find an alternative to the layoffs. If there is no alternative, the SHARE member gets 30-60 days notice ahead of the layoff date and becomes a "work security candidate." 

 Layoffs are done by seniority. UMass Memorial identifies the department or cost center and title where they need to cut a position, and the least senior person gets the layoff (unless there's a volunteer in the department).

During the notice period, SHARE works with the work security candidate to help them find a job (if they want one). Work security candidates have hiring preference over other internal applicants for internal jobs, and access to the layoff swaps. SHARE reps help provide information about unemployment, and outside job opportunities and resources.

To see the full SHARE and UMass Memorial contract section on Layoffs and Work Security, click here. If you have questions, call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020. If you get the answering machine, press 10 to leave a message on the general voicemail.




Raising the Minimum Wage: For our Families and our Community

Around the country, people are working to raise the minimum wage. California and New Jersey just voted to raise their minimum wages, and there's an effort to raise the federal minimum wage. SHARE is working with other unions, churches and faith organizations, and community groups to raise the minimum wage in Massachusetts. If we get enough signatures on petitions, the question will be on the ballot in November 2014 for voters to decide. The question would raise the minimum wage to $10.50 over a few years, and minimum wage would go up with inflation after that.

Everyone in SHARE makes more than $8.00 per hour, the Massachusetts minimum wage.  Raising the minimum wage would not directly affect SHARE members. However, it's still good for us and for our communities:
  • Many of us have children, friends and neighbors making minimum wage -- we're doing this for them.
  • Many economists say raising the minimum wage helps the economy because regular people have more money to spend.
  • A rising tide lifts all boats: When the minimum wage increases, people making more than minimum tend to get raises too. That would be a big change from the "race to the bottom" we've seen recently, with employers around the state and the country focusing on cutting wages, pensions, and healthcare, which makes our contract negotiations more difficult.
  • It's just keeping up with inflation: The minimum wage of $1.60 an hour in 1968 would be $10.50 today if it had kept up with inflation. The Massachusetts minimum wage has been stuck at $8 since 2008 -- that's five years without a raise for those folks, while costs for the basics keep going up, as we all know.


We Need Your Signature!
You can add your name to the petition to get the minimum wage question on the ballot by stopping by:

  • Tuesday, November 12th, 12-1:30, University Cafeteria -- We'll be at a table to the left. Look for the Raise Up Massachusetts sign.
  • Thursday, November 14th, 12-1pm, Memorial 1 conference room, toward the ED from the cafeteria 
  • Or email us, and we'll bring a petition to you to sign this week: share.comment@theshareunion.org

For more information about the effort, see Raise Up Massachusetts.

Details about the Bonus for SHARE Members at Max

Human Resources says that the bonus for SHARE members at or above their grade maximum will be delivered the same day as the raise to SHARE members' hourly rate. The bonus will be in a separate check, and direct deposited.

Payroll says that the bonus is taxed at the federal "supplemental" flat rate of 25%. That may be higher than your usual federal tax rate. When you add state and other taxes, the total tax rate on the bonus may be around 40%. If that's more than you should owe, it will get adjusted when you file your taxes for the year.

Because of the Columbus Day holiday that week, the raises and bonuses will come on Friday the 18th instead of Thursday the 17th.

For more information about the raise or bonus amount, look here.

October Raise for SHARE Members

SHARE members will receive their second raise of our current 4-year contract with UMass Memorial on Sunday, October 6th. The raise averages 3%. You will first see your new rate in the October 17th paycheck.

The raise is $.23 + 2% per hour. The $.23 is an average of 1% for SHARE members and is added to every SHARE member's base pay. The 2% is added to your base rate if you are below your grade maximum. If you are at or above your grade maximum, you get the 2% as a one-time bonus. The grade minimums and maximums will go up by $.23, to keep up with inflation. The additional 2% moves you up within your grade toward your grade maximum, unless you are already at max.

You can calculate your raise (or raise and bonus) following the steps listed here.  (Or, for "increment based" SHARE job titles, you can find your new rate in the pay grids here. The grade minimums and maximums for peer-slotted jobs, such as Radiology Tech and LPN, are posted here.) To read the contract language that describes the raises, look here.

There are two more raises in this contract, October 5, 2014, and October 4, 2015. They are both the same amount as this raise.

Any questions? Call SHARE at 508-929-4020 and leave a message on the general voicemail. One of the SHARE staff will call you back to answer your questions.

Questions or suggestions about this website? Email kirk.davis@theshareunion.org