So Fun! 20th Anniversary Celebration on the University Campus

SHARE: 20 Years Old & 3200 Strong

By the Numbers

Nine hundred attendees, give or take a few. That’s how many people dropped in 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.

In other nifty statistics, our celebration had nine raffle winners. More importantly, altogether, the raffle participants contributed nearly five hundred dollars to the UMass Medicine Cancer Walk and Run.

SHARE Rep Rich Leufstedt reprises his famous "SHARE Song"

A Festive Atmosphere

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, faculty, 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.

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

Congressman Jim McGovern commended the courage of employees who voted to unionize

Congressman Jim McGovern returned with some keynote remarks to the University Campus where he championed our union in the beginning. He reminisced about the unscoopable frozen-solid ice cream that we chiseled into servings at a rally back-in-the-day. He distinctly remembered, he said, coming away from that event as a great admirer of the trailblazers at SHARE. And he reminded us that, twenty years ago, the formation of SHARE was the result of the largest organizing effort central Massachusetts had seen in over sixty years.

Congressman McGovern 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 institutions, but because we’re a vital union that makes the middle class possible.

More to Come in SHARE’s 20th Year

SHARE-UMMS Executive Board Member Val Mount talks about the importance of unions to Central Mass

The event also marked a great kickoff occasion leading into next-year’s contract negotiations. Both SHARE at UMass Medical School and SHARE at UMass Memorial Hospital will sit down at the table with our respective employers next year.

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

New SHARE/JOIN Fellow Eve Feldberg explains how an increased minimum wage benefits SHARE members and other members of our community

SHARE Rep and PCA Kona Enders describes how SHARE members stick together

Nice shout-out from Congressman McGovern on his Facebook page!

20th 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

1. Come to our keystone event, the 20th Anniversary Celebration, on September 21st.
2. Bring a plate of finger foods to that party.
3. Email a photo of yourself, along with a quote about what SHARE means to you, to kirk.davis@theshareunion.org.
4. Print a flyer or three, and post them in your area.
5. Send an entry to the Great SHARE Recipe Swap.
6. Hand out postcard invitations to friends and co-workers (ask your SHARE organizer for some, or contact the SHARE office: 508-929-4020).
7. Help plan to celebrate on your campus . . . contact your SHARE organizer for details.
8. Subscribe to the SHARE blog.
9. Warm up your voices and be ready to sing.
10. Ask your co-workers to do any of the above!