SHARE Information Meetings in July

Please join us at one of the following drop-in times to learn what's happening with your union now. Stop by for a quick question, or stay a while and bring your lunch. (And your questions! And your friends!)

CCU -- Wednesday, 7/6/16 (2pm-4pm) -- Conference Room

South Street -- Thursday, 7/7/16 (noon-1:30pm) -- Brazil (off the cafeteria)

Main Campus -- Thursday, 7/14/16 (noon-1:30pm) -- Sherman cafeteria

If these meetings do not work for you, give us a call and we'll work with you to schedule a time and place that is more convenient: 508-929-4020.

Solidarity

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting, their families and their friends. 

We stand in solidarity with all those affected by this senseless violence, directly or indirectly, and especially with our own LGBTQ, Latino, and Muslim communities here at UMass Memorial Hospital and UMass Medical School.​

Member in the Spotlight: Kimberly Benoit

We’re excited to spotlight Kim this month! At the same time, we’re sorry to say that this will be the final MITS post from the originator of the column, former SHARE staff organizer Laurie Lynch, who has followed her vocation in animal science: she’s off to do research and serve as an Animal Lab Manager at Brown University. We’ll spotlight Laurie herself in a blog post soon. 

In the meanwhile, if you have a suggestion for an upcoming “Member in the Spotlight,” please let us know! Want to recognize someone who’s retiring soon? Welcome a new member? Highlight someone who’s doing interesting things at UMass? Or impressive things outside the university? Do you yourself want to say “hi” to all of SHARE? We love featuring our own. Please email kirk.davis@theshareunion.org.

Member in the Spotlight: Kimberly Benoit

By Laurie Lynch, SHARE staff organizer

Aww, an animal lover after my own heart! Kim has 2 dogs that she loves and spoils. She has a Silky Terrier named Travis that she adopted a few years ago and she has a Teacup Cockapoo named Molly that she inherited when her mother could no longer care for her.

Kim was also incredibly lucky (in my opinion) to have grown up right down the street from Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, MA. Her first job as a teenager was working at the zoo, and she continued working there for many more summers throughout the years. Kim shared many great stories with me about her time at the zoo, including one about a chimpanzee they had at the zoo many years ago that she really liked. She enjoys the zoo so much that she is planning on working there again part-time for the 2016 season!

Kim graduated from Blackstone/Millville High School and then went on to Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Travel Tourism Management. After college, she worked as a tour guide for many years and traveled much of the United States, Eastern Canada, France, and Ireland. She loves to travel and plans on continuing.  

Kim also loves to sing. Kim has been singing with the Blackstone Valley Community Chorus for 12 years, since the chorus began. The group is now 60 members strong. Kim told me that, “The members have become like family.” She had also been singing as a Cantor for her church for 30 years, however she just recently decided to take a break from that.

Another one of Kim’s hobbies is woodworking. Kim enjoys making yard decorations out of wood; she stencils what she wants to create, cuts it out, and then paints the piece. When she is done with each new piece, she donates her art. She has donated to her church, The American Cancer Society, and local libraries, just to name a few.

Kim has been working here at UMass in the Department of Neurology as an Administrative Assistant for almost 2 ½ years now. She told me that she works with a great team that includes six Principal Investigators. She believes her boss, Karen Anderson, is an incredible women and mentor. Kim told me, “She is always supportive, easy to talk to and work with.”

25 Random fun facts about Kim Benoit

• Favorite color – Blue
• Favorite season – Summer
• Beach or woods – Woods
• Chocolate or vanilla – Chocolate
• Dream vacation – Australia
• Number of siblings – 4 (1 brother and 3 sisters)
• Favorite style of music – Classic rock (especially U2 and Eric Clapton)
• Favorite food – Pizza
• Do you have any pets – 2 dogs
• If you could only eat 1 meal for the rest of your life, what would it be – Vegetarian lasagna
• If you could go back in time, when would you go to and why – 1850’s because it was a time of new exploration and expeditions into the west. It was also a very romantic time in our history.
• If you got stranded on a deserted island with no power source, what 5 items would you bring – Book on survival, gun with ammunition, her dog, survival kit with utility knife
• Do you blow dry your hair? or just let it dry on its own, or towel dry – Blow dry
• Do you untie your shoes when you take them off – No
• Favorite book – Any craft books/magazines
• Last thing you bought – Dog treats (She spoils her dogs!)
• Favorite day of the week – Saturday
• T.V. show you secretly enjoy – NCIS & Castle, however, baseball trumps ALL. Kim is a huge Red Sox fan!
• Favorite Potato Chips flavor – Classic Ruffles
• Do you play a musical instrument – No
• What's your worst pet peeve – Being untidy or sloppy
• Do you have dream car – Anything with four wheels (She likes her car just fine.)
• Who named you and why – Parents. It was a popular name in the 60’s and her parents liked it.
• Do you speak any other languages – No
• Do you have a favorite life motto – “Do what you gotta do to survive.”

Personal Essay: A Trip to the Homeless Shelter

The following essay comes from the pen of Kathleen Bateman, SHARE-UMMS Treasurer, who works in the Pathology Department. If you read this and get excited to dedicate some of your own time to families in need, check out this directory of central Worcester homeless shelters.

Kathy, preparing for last year's SHARE Chocolate Day

Just a couple of weeks ago, I volunteered a few short hours of my time at a homeless shelter in Worcester for the first time ever. I had no idea what to expect or what I would be walking into. The host welcomed me and gave me a quick run-down on the layout of the building and some background information about the families living there. Then she passed me the keys and I was left with the families. The adults occupied themselves by cooking dinner or staying in the one bedroom that they shared with their whole family, or watching television in the main family room. Two little girls, with paper and paints in hand, ran straight up to me and asked me to paint with them. So I said ok. They moved very quickly and in about one minute, they were covered up to their elbows in finger paints. Luckily I had some help from another parent cleaning up that catastrophic mess. Shortly thereafter, the person who was the designated cook for this night’s evening meal announced that dinner would not be ready at 6:00 and it would be at least another hour to hour and a half for the roast to be done, that she had put it in the oven too late. I panicked, not knowing if this was something I should involve myself in, or if there was anything I should say or do or not. It was clear that some of the children were hungry. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was in over my head and this was the right thing for me to be doing. After a few minutes, the cook-of-the-day and the other parents decided that the rest of the other food was ready and brought it out to the table. Everyone ate their dinner while the roast continued to cook. It finished cooking at 7:30 and the families munched on it.

There were many children ranging in age from three to sixteen years old. Even today I can picture each child in my mind; however, there was one child in particular, a beautiful ten year old girl, who will remain in my memory. She stood straight and tall, walked up to me with a smile on her face and asked, “Would you help me with my homework, please?” She asked so confidently and unafraid. I said that I would be happy to help her with her homework and said, “I just hope it isn’t math.” She laughed and said, “It is Math”. The homework was to calculate the areas and the perimeters of rectangles! I am no whiz at mathematics, it is my Achilles heel, (again, in over my head), but we sat together and she showed me the “how to” directions at the top of the page on how to calculate the area. She struggled to add up the columns and carry her “1”s, and I guided her as best I could. You could see the effort and earnestness in her desire to learn, and to learn how to do it right. She completed the area calculations into centimeters, however there was no instruction on how to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle. I now believe that Google is a miracle! We googled how to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle – which turned out to be pretty simple. So she finished her homework and we joined the other children and a few mothers in the family room. Some of the older children occupied a few of the younger ones, by playing dolls, brushing their hair, and reading books to them. I was amazed by their cooperation.

We sat, talked, and eventually we got around to singing. This beautiful ten year-old girl said that she loved to sing, that she and her mom sing together and that their favorite song to sing together is, “Killing Me Softly.” Roberta Flack had a huge hit with this song in the late 1900’s, way back in the last century. It was made into a remix recently, which is the version she sang for me, still sung by Roberta Flack. The voice that came out from this girl was so amazingly beautiful – I couldn’t help but think that she should be on American Idol. The other children sang their favorite song, “Stitches,” and they danced along to it too. We read a few books and soon it was time for the children to go to bed. Each child said good night but this beautiful 10 year old girl in the 4th grade came over to me and gave me such a goodnight hug and said, “Thank you.” She hugged me for a very long time. I felt that hug on my whole drive home. Those few short hours have stayed with me ever since and I think of her often.

I will surely be volunteering my time again.

2016 Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO College Scholarship

The SHARE office recently received the following notice in the mail from Joe Carlson, the President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO, about a really great scholarship opportunity for our members. The lottery for these scholarships will be open to any SHARE members, as well as children and grandchildren of our members, who will graduate from high school this year and attend college next year. The details are posted below. Please note that applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office. If you would like a copy of the nomination form, please click here.

***

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

We are pleased to announce that we will be awarding six $1,000.00 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 3, 2016.

The scholarships will be presented at the Labor Day breakfast September 5 2016

To be eligible, the student must be a 2016 graduating high school senior and 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 29, 2016 and returned to:

Paul Soucy

AFL/CIO Labor Community Services

Central Ma. AFL-CIO

400 Washington St

Auburn, Ma. 01501

Fraternally Yours,
Joseph P. Carlson, President
Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO

Don't Raise Health Costs for State Workers!

Governor Baker's latest budget proposal includes changes that will affect State employees--including SHARE members at UMMS--by requiring employees to increase their Health Insurance contribution. We ask you to urge your State Representative to reject this unfair cost-shifting.  According to the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Action Network:

The FY 2017 budget proposal put forward by Governor Baker asks the legislature to raise the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) premium contribution rates for active state workers hired prior to July 1, 2003 and retired workers who leave the workforce after June 30, 2016 from 20 percent to 25 percent. State workers would face a substantial financial impact as a result of this change.

When a similar threat was made to insurance rates last year, SHARE members lobbied on Beacon Hill to defend against the bait-and-switch for longer-service employees. SHARE believes that if you put in your years to the State, you should pay the same percentage of your health insurance in retirement as when you were working. This issue affects all SHARE members at UMMS: if we allow lawmakers to go back on this deal made in 2003, it sets a bad precedent, and could weaken all agreements already negotiated with the state.

Thank you for participating by using this link. You just need to enter your name, e-mail, home address and a customizable letter template will pop-up, addressed to your own local lawmakers. (See the full text below.) If you have any questions, you can contact the SHARE union at 508-929-4020 or share.umms@theshareunion.org

Dear [your local Representative will be automatically addressed here],

The FY 2017 budget proposal put forward by Governor Baker asks the legislature to raise the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) premium contribution rates for active state workers hired prior to July 1, 2003 and retired workers who leave the workforce after June 30, 2016 from 20 percent to 25 percent. State workers would face a substantial financial impact as a result of this change, and I hope you and fellow legislators will reject the Governor’s proposal which seeks to balance the budget on the backs of hard-working families.

Even without changes to premium contributions, workers who receive their health insurance from the GIC have been facing growing out-of-pocket costs for their care. Plan design changes implemented by the Group Insurance Commission that have raised co-pays and deductibles have resulted in a significant shifting of costs from employer to employee over the past decade. A review of GIC total plan cost data performed by the Milliman Actuarial firm shows that from 2007 – 2016, the true share of GIC health care costs paid by employees (premium contributions plus cost-sharing) now averages 37%, up from a rate of 28% in 2007[1]. An additional 25% increase to the premium share would result in cost increases of over $1,300 in FY 2017 for many families in premium costs alone[2].

In a budget proposal that does not raise taxes or fees elsewhere, this proposal from Governor Baker stands out as a notable exception. State workers and retirees face the same fiscal constraints as all other working families in this Commonwealth, and in fact have sacrificed especially greatly over the past decade as a result of the fiscal crisis and years of budget cuts. It is simply not fair to place an undue financial burden on this specific group of workers in an effort to balance the state budget.

I strongly urge you to oppose this proposal. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

[1] Based on analysis of Tufts HealthPlan Navigator and the Unicare State Indemnity Plan Basic, plan designs effective July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2015.

[2] Based on FY 2016 premium rates for UniCare State Indemnity Family Plan

SHARE Hospital Reps Learn to Use Lean to Improve their Jobs

One morning in early March, over twenty SHARE leaders from all over UMMHC came together for a special, customized “White Belt” training. We even welcomed a few SHARE colleagues from UMMS who work in related jobs. Our hospital has adopted a "lean methodology," and our union wants to understand that, to know how we can make it work for us. So far, SHARE members’ experience of lean has been uneven: many SHARE members feel that their idea boards are helping make their jobs better, while some have not noticed any change.  Others wonder how to use these tools more effectively.

We began by talking about the purpose of process improvement.  A “good process” is one in which doing a great job is relatively straightforward; in a good process, it is difficult to make a mistake. A “bad process” is unnecessarily complicated, one in which it can be frighteningly easy to make a mistake, leading to high levels of stress and burnout (not to mention worse outcomes).  If you have to struggle against the system to make the right thing happen, leaving you exhausted and frustrated, you’ve got a process that needs improving.  SHARE reps’ stories of processes in need of improvement were hilarious and horrifying, sometimes at the same time.

When some organizations say “lean,” what they mean is “do more with less.” However, SHARE reps learned to substitute an idea of flow, since the point of process improvement is to keep things working smoothly, to remove barriers that get in the way, wasting SHARE members’ time.  Reps learned more about idea board best-practices; many left with ideas about how to improve their department’s board.

One highlight of the morning was a visit from Eric Dickson, CEO of UMMHC, who encouraged the SHARE Reps to "ask what is the problem we are trying to solve?". When a manager or supervisor proposes a process change that an employee is not sure will work, or doesn't understand, Dr. Dickson suggested, rather than just accepting it but being frustrated, or refusing to change, they should ask the manager to clarify the purpose of the change. Ask why. Work to agree about the definition of the problem. He pointed out that when we're on the same page about the problem to be solved, we're more likely to come to consensus about how to solve it.

At the end of the training, the SHARE reps wanted to know more about the flow and problem-solving tools involved in lean. The next step, a “yellow belt” training, is in the works!

All SHARE members can sign up for lean process improvement training (many hundreds have already attended).  You can sign up on Ournet.

Member in the Spotlight: Geoffrey Bottone

By: Laurie Lynch, SHARE staff organizer

Polite, friendly, hardworking, and very much a gentleman: that is how I would describe Geoffrey Bottone. As well as a writer, game designer and an entrepreneur.

Geoffrey has invented several games, including "The Red Dragon Inn." In this card game, participants roleplay as fantasy adventurers . . . after their adventures have concluded, when they’re relaxing and drinking in the tavern. The last player who is both conscious and has money wins.

Geoff also enjoys writing science-fiction fantasy. He has has written and is currently editing several books. Once done, he can start working toward finding a publisher. He does have one published piece of work currently in print, entitled "The Fear Vampire."

Geoff grew up in Cheshire, Connecticut, and graduated from the local town high school before attending Simon's Rock College in Great Barrington, MA. There he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. He then went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Southern Connecticut State University.

Geoff really likes working for UMass, and he enjoys his job as an Administrative Assistant II for both the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute (BNRI) and the Center for Comparative NeuroImaging (CCNI). He is very lucky to have an extremely short commute of only about five minutes. He also really admires how beautiful the campus is. He began working at UMass as a temp back in 2010, and was offered a permanent position in 2011, which he happily accepted. The position allows him time in the evenings and on the weekends to continue working on what he is passionate about—writing and creating board games.

25 Random fun facts about Geoffrey Bottone:

• Favorite color – Black. Why, you might ask? Because Geoff is color blind and black is the one color he can clearly recognize.
• Favorite season – Autumn
• Beach or woods – Woods
• Chocolate or vanilla – Chocolate
• Dream vacation – Italy AND is getting to go there this summer on a family vacation.
•  Favorite style of music – Whatever is on is fine
• Favorite food – Pizza
• Do you have any siblings – 1 sister and twin brothers
• Do you have any pets – No
• If you could only eat 1 meal for the rest of your life, what would it be – Could NOT do it! No way!
• If you could go back in time, when would you go to and why – 9-10-2001 to warn everyone and stop the attacks on 9-11-2001.
• If you got stranded on a deserted island with no power source, what 5 items would you bring – A boat, fishing gear, knife, flare gun and a tent.
• Do you blow dry your hair? or just let it dry on its own, or towel dry – Air dry
• Do you untie your shoes when you take them off – Depends on the shoe but does not un-tie sneakers.
• Favorite book – Anything by Lloyd Alexander
• Last thing you bought – Replacement pads for Swiffer Wet Jet.
• Favorite day of the week – Saturday
• T.V. show you secretly enjoy – Rick and Morty on Cartoon Network
• Favorite Potato Chips flavor – Original Cape Cod
• Do you play a musical instrument – A flute - for 1 year while in school.
• What's your worst pet peeve – People who merge into traffic at the last second and force their way in.
• Do you have dream car – Tesla Model S
• Who named you and why – His mother named him; she wanted him to have the same initials as his father but not be a 3^rd (father is a junior). Also, his mother really liked the author of Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer.
• What languages do you speak – 4 years of Latin but did not retain any and 1 year of Arabic and all he remembers is how to say in is “انه جنون ليلى. أنا أحبها وتحبني وجملي يحب الجمال لها.” Which means, “He is mad for Layla. I love her and she loves me and my camel loves her camel.”
• Do you have a favorite life motto – Don’t panic.

Member in the Spotlight: Heather Learnard

By: Laurie Lynch, SHARE staff organizer

"Hmmm, if I could go back to any moment in time, when would I go?" Heather wonders out loud, in response to my question. "I want to say I would go back to the moment, right before I broke both of my ankles doing gymnastics, so I could land the flip right and not break my ankles. However, I learned a lot from that experience and how it feels to be in a wheelchair for quite some time while I was healing. So, I guess I'd have to say my high school trip to Europe during junior year!"

Heather's face lit up and her eyes brightened with excitement as she started reliving the trip in her mind. I asked her what she enjoyed most about the 12 day trip She said, "Everything!" She explained the experience to me as one of those almost-perfect moments in time that could never be repeated. It was a great time and place to be, with great people all experiencing so many new and exciting things for the first time together.

Heather is definitely a glass half-full kind of person. She is a hard worker, who worked while in high school and worked all through college. She is also the sort of person who can make someone feel warm and comfortable right away, as she did for me. She is the type of person who sees a stray cat looking cold and hungry in a parking lot and just cannot leave it behind. In high school, Heather noticed a skinny cat walking around her work parking lot for several days, until one cold October afternoon she came up to her and she was able to pick her up. Heather took the cat home to get warm, fed her, cleaned her up and brought her to the vet. She was nervous that the cat may actually have an owner, but the vet said she was very malnourished, and if she had an owner at some point, they had stopped taking care of her a long time ago. Six years later and she is still Heather's baby.

Heather has already accomplished so much in her twenty-two years: graduating from Lunenburg High School, and obtaining her bachelor's degree from Bridgewater State University in Biology with a concentration in Biomedical and Molecular Science, all-the-while working part-time jobs on the side. After all of her hard work, Heather is finally doing what she loves, science, working in the Cardiovascular Lab in the Sherman Building. She feels very lucky to have landed in such a wonderful lab with two amazing bosses who Heather says have not only been incredible mentors already, but have also been very friendly and patient with her. Although she has only been at UMass for a couple of months, she is already looking into Master’s Degree programs to do part-time in the evenings while she continues working in her new position.

25 Random Fun Facts about Heather Learnard:

• Favorite color – Purple

• Favorite season – Summer (She is a Summer baby!)

• Beach or woods – Beach

• Chocolate or vanilla – Vanilla

• Dream vacation – Anywhere with sun, sand, and pina coladas 

• Favorite style of music – Mostly country, but likes a bit of everything

• Favorite food – Chicken piccata

• Any siblings – 3 brothers

• If you could only eat 1 meal for the rest of your life, what would it be – My dad’s pancakes, with real maple syrup, bacon, strawberries and pineapples

• If you got stranded on a deserted island with no power source, what 5 items would you bring – A book, sunscreen, water purifier, solar powered radio and a fishing pole

• Do you blow dry your hair? or just let it dry on its own, or towel dry – Air dry

• Do you untie your shoes when you take them off – Only wears shoes to the gym and does untie them

• Favorite book – Stephanie Plum series, by Janet Evanovich

• Any pets – 1 family cat and 1 cat she rescued

• Favorite hobbies – Baking and being outdoors in nature

• Last thing you bought (other than food) – Long winter coat

• Favorite day of the week – Friday

• T.V. show you secretly enjoy – Grey’s Anatomy

• Favorite Potato Chips flavor – Salt and Vinegar

• Do you play a musical instrument – No

• What's your worst pet peeve – Spitting (She answered this question really fast!)

• Do you have dream car – A new, white, Range Rover Sport

• Who named you and why – Her mom and dad. They decided to each make a list of the top 10 names they liked, when they compared their lists, Heather was the only name they had both written.

• What languages do you speak – Took Spanish for 5 years but only retained a little

• Do you have a favorite life motto – “Believe”

Update on Supreme Court Case

A few weeks ago we wrote about a case at the Supreme Court that might have a big impact on SHARE at UMMS: Friedrichs v. The California Teachers Association. 

As you may have heard, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away suddenly. Justice Scalia was considered by experts to be the swing vote in the Friedrichs case. It is probable that his death will delay a decision on Friedrichs v. CTA and other close cases before the Court this session. 

What will happen next?

The two most likely scenarios are:

1.     The Court could vote 4-4 on the case. Then the ruling from the lower court, in favor of the union, would stand. It would be as if the case had never gone to the Supreme Court. Someone else would likely bring a similar case to the Supreme Court in the future, but it would take a while for a new case to work its way up through the lower courts.

2.     The Court could decide that the case should be re-argued once a new Justice is appointed. This could also take a while. President Obama has said that he will nominate someone to succeed Justice Scalia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that the Senate will block any Obama nominee. So it is unclear whether there will be a ninth Supreme Court Justice before the next President is in office. ​

What does this mean for SHARE members?

Whatever happens, it is likely that the Friedrichs case, or one like it, will eventually be heard by the Supreme Court, but probably not this session. 

We will continue to talk together about what a negative decision would mean for us, what would happen if our union were either gone or weaker, and what we collectively want to do about it. 

Tidbit Time: Week of February 8, 2016

Happy Heart Month! As in, happy Valentine’s. And, more importantly, Heart Health Awareness Month. Here’s our latest roundup of tidbits from our community and the worlds of academia, healthcare, and unions . . .

SUPPORTING FAMILIES and FRIENDS of WORCESTER PATIENTS

One former SHARE member, Nancy Whalen, the President of Healing Heart Hospitality House, has just let us know about an upcoming dinner with real heart. And you’re invited! “Our mission is to help families of patients traveling more than 30 miles to be with their loved ones hospitalized in the Worcester area by providing a suite of services that offers emotional and spiritual support and comfort,” Nancy writes. “Just recently a very generous person has offered to buy us a house. After 10 years of working towards this goal, we are excited beyond words. Pub 99 is sponsoring our fundraiser by donating 15% of food purchased on Tuesday, February 9th when anyone presents the voucher from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.”

You can print your own voucher by right-clicking the above image. Save it to your computer, and you can print it from there.

GOING RED for HEART HEALTH

Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds.  Fortunately, we can change that because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action. On Friday, February 5th, many SHARE members participated in National Wear Red Day, wearing red and working to raise research funds and awareness about women's heart health. 

Go Red Raffle in the University Cafeteria

The American Heart Association provides this guide to Well-Woman Visits so that you can schedule, prepare for, and understand the kinds of physician visits that will help you protect your own heart health, and encourage other women to do the same.

SOME GOOD NEWS for the MIDDLE CLASS

The number of union members in the US held steady from 2014 to 2015, according to the annual Department of Labor report on the subject.  Studies show that increased union membership strengthens the middle class.

HEARTS ARE AMAZING

Did you know that the blue whale has the largest heart, weighing in at 1,500 pounds? Or that your heart will beat about 100,000 times today? That will add up to over a million barrels of blood during an average lifetime.

NOT GETTING UPDATES? A TIP for KEEPING on TOP of SHARE NEWS

If you haven't already signed up to receive blog updates by email, you can do so by entering your address in the box in the top right corner of this screen. Also: for those of you who have signed up, but aren't getting updates, make sure to check your inbox--or your spam filter--for a verification email. When you sign up, you'll get an email from "Feedburner Email Subscriptions" asking you to click on the included link; this will activate your email subscription. If you have difficulties, please email kirk.davis@theshareunion.org.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and that things are off to a very good start for you this week. See you here next time . . .

Member in the Spotlight: Holly St. Jean

By: Laurie Lynch, SHARE staff organizer

Holly St. Jean

Holly St. Jean is an amazing, hardworking, intelligent woman who is always willing to go above and beyond to help those around her in every way she can. She is cheerful, and, more often than not, smiling. We are all very lucky to have Holly as part of our SHARE union; she has stepped up and volunteers to help her co-workers by sitting as Secretary on our union's Executive Board. The Executive Board is the group of UMMS employees who serve as the governing body of the union. Members of the Executive Board have many responsibilities, including helping to keep the union strong by talking with and listening to members throughout UMMS, negotiating contracts, advising and advocating for members with problems at work, and addressing issues with management that have an impact on SHARE members.

Holly is also brave and not scared to take a risk, especially if it means the possibility of improving her life. She recently moved on from a five-year position that she enjoyed at UMass' Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, Continuing Care Units, as an Administrative Assistant for what she believes will be an opportunity to learn and advance in her career at UMass in the department of Disability and Community Service as a Project Assistant II located at South Street in Shrewsbury.

She also took what some might call a risk in love when she signed up on the dating website, E-Harmony. She only met one man that she was interested in, and went out on a few dates with him. However, she nearly gave up on him after she lost touch with him for a couple of weeks. As it turns out, he was away on a trip. He was devastated when he found out that Holly was considering moving on. He was not going to let true love get away! They continued to date for five years, and then married, just over two years ago.

Holly grew up in Worcester with her three younger brothers, and she felt she had a pretty typical childhood. However, others may have found it challenging. Both of Holly's parents are deaf and communicate using American Sign Language. Holly's mom was born deaf, and her father became deaf shortly after his birth, due to an illness.

Mrs. St. Jean successfully achieved her high school diploma from Burncoat High School and went on to obtain her Associates Degree in Human Services from Quinsigamond College. Currently, she is working on completing a bachelor's degree program at Worcester State College. One thing is for sure, Holly has no plans on slowing down anytime soon!       

25 random fun facts about Holly St. Jean:

• Favorite color – Purple

• Favorite season – Summer

• Beach or woods – Beach

• Chocolate or vanilla – Chocolate

• Dream vacation – Any tropical island

• Favorite style of music – Hip-hop, R&B, folk and rock

• Favorite food – Sushi

• If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be – Grilled salmon with roasted asparagus

• If you could go back in time, when would you go to, and why – Right after high school graduation, which is when Holly spent the most time with her beloved Grandmother.

• If you got stranded on a deserted island, with no power source, what five items would you bring – Husband, book, 3 guinea pigs, sunblock and flip flops

• Do you blow dry your hair, or just let it dry on its own, or towel dry – Blow dry

•  Do you untie your shoes when you take them off – No

• Favorite book – Any book by Jodi Picoult

• Last thing you bought (not including food) – Green sweater (Wearing it today, very pretty.)

• Do you have any pets – 3 guinea pigs: Paco, Larry, and Buddy

• Favorite day of the week – Saturday

• T.V. show you secretly enjoy – Keeping up with the Kardashians 

• Favorite potato chip flavor – Salt and vinegar

• Favorite hobbies – Shopping for clothes and playing video games

• Do you play a musical instrument – No, but wishes she could

• What's your worst pet peeve – People who complain but do nothing about it

• Who named you and why – Paternal Grandmother; she rubbed her mother’s belly and said, “My little Holly Ann.”

• What languages do you speak – American Sign Language, English and very little Spanish

• Any nicknames - Hol

•  Do you have a favorite life motto – “Be Yourself.”

Supreme Court Case Could Affect SHARE

For those who could not attend the January SHARE-UMMS Information Meetings, below is a summary of what we talked about. This is the beginning of a discussion among SHARE members that will continue over the coming months.

Friedrichs v. the California Teachers Association... what does this have to do with SHARE?

On January 11, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case called Friedrichs v. the California Teachers Association. The ruling could have a big impact on our union here at UMass Medical School, and on public-sector unions across the United States. The Court will probably announce its decision sometime this spring.

If the Court rules against unions, it will make it harder for public-sector unions, including SHARE, to survive. SHARE members would have to decide together if we want to keep the union. Over the next couple of months, members will have opportunities to discuss what the Court’s decision could mean for our union, and what we want to do about it.

What would the impact be?

In the most extreme case, the Court could rule that union members have the option to decide not to pay dues or fees to the union, but still be represented by the union and get the benefits that dues-paying members get.

Why would a union still have to represent people who don’t pay to support the union’s work?

Under current U.S. labor law, a union has to represent everyone in the bargaining unit equally, whether they choose to join the union or not. For people who don’t want to be union members, the law has allowed unions to charge an “agency fee”, to cover the cost of the work they do negotiating contracts and supporting members. Everybody pays because everybody benefits. The Supreme Court is now being asked to overrule this law.

What would we do if the Supreme Court rules against unions?

SHARE members would have a decision to make together – Do we want to keep our union?

If people can choose not to pay, probably some people would stop paying. If a lot of people stopped paying, the union would have fewer resources to support employees, and our strength would erode; it would be harder to negotiate good raises or help employees with work issues. Eventually, we could end up with no union at all.

In 1997, employees decided that they wanted a union here at UMMS. It was a big decision – no one knew exactly what it would mean to have a union, they only knew what it was like without one. And they voted to form SHARE.

Now, we have a similar choice. Most people in SHARE now were not here before the union election. They are in the opposite situation – they don’t know what it is like here without a union. Over the next couple of months, we will talk about the difference between having a union and not. What would happen if there were no more SHARE? Do the advantages outweigh the cost of dues? What was it like before the union?

Join the Discussion

We will be talking more about this in monthly Information Meetings, individual conversations, and informal “Drop-In” times. If you have questions, or want to discuss this further, please talk to someone who is active with SHARE, or call the SHARE office at 508-929-4020.

Annual UMass Martin Luther King Day Speaker: Liz Walker

Reverend Liz Walker with SHARE Treasurer Sandra Alafberg

Last Wednesday, the Reverend Liz Walker from the Roxbury Presbyterian Church spoke to our community about Martin Luther King and his example, especially how he lived a life of grace. 

SHARE Hospital Treasurer Sandra Alafberg, who works in downtown Worcester at UMass Memorial's Central Business Office, took time off from her work to hear Ms. Walker's talk, and left the event inspired and moved. 

"I loved it. Liz Walker is down-to-earth. Gracious . . . and funny. She's a humanitarian." Sandra said of the speaker. "She's from Arkansas. She learned about Dr. King when she was a girl. But she didn't come to talk about politics and movements. She talked about Martin Luther King being punched in the face by a man who was a stranger to him, and how he got up and walked away, how he showed grace. She talked about meeting Sudanese people who had absolutely nothing, and about their grace. She talked about how graciousness can change workplaces and societies." 

As a former news anchor at WBZ, Liz Walker is a familiar face to many in Massachusetts. Following in Dr. King’s tradition of service and advocacy, Liz Walker has responded to her own historical moment by co-founding the Jane Doe Safety Fund, a multi-million dollar advocacy group for survivors of domestic violence, and serving on a number of community boards and groups dedicated to causes including HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and at-risk youth. She currently divides her time between Massachusetts and the Sudan, where she does humanitarian work as the founder of "My Sister's Keeper," a group that focuses on economic and educational initiatives for Sudanese women and girls. You can learn more about Liz Walker’s work on her own website.

Tidbit Time: Week of January 25, 2016

Welcome back! These tidbits are starting to add up. Speaking of adding up . . .

MORE PARTICIPANTS, EASIER WORK

“Many hands make light work” has become a fairly well-known aphorism. The phrase can be attributed to the English playwright John Heywood, who wrote during the sixteenth century. The idea can also be found in many other languages around the world. A related Tanzanian proverb says, “Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper.”

ONE BILLION ACTS of PEACE

Here, Chade-Meng Tan explains how cooperation can change the world, in describing a project undertaken by Tibetan students in India that is doing just that.

JANUARY IS NATIONAL BLOOD-DONOR MONTH

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. 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.  

LEARN IT and KEEP IT

In his book Outliers, writer Malcolm Gladwell develops the idea that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. Many critics and studies have worked to debunk this theory. Author and podcaster Tim Ferriss aspires to teach readers how to be world-class performers in a fraction of that time. But how long does it take to lose a skill? HopesandDreams recently spoke with several leading experts to find out the answer.

BUT HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE to GET to the CENTER of a TIDBIT?

A tidbit is, as Merrium-Webster tells us, “a choice or interesting bit (as of information),” or “a small piece of news or information.” Outside of the US and Canada, the preferred spelling is “titbit.” Obviously the word also often refers to a select little piece of food, and grammarist.com tells us that “the first syllable likely comes from the archaic colloquialism tid, meaning tender.”

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and that things are off to a very good start for you this week. See you here next time . . .

Tidbit Time: week of January 18th, 2016

Good morning! And happy Martin Luther King Day! In 2016, we’re making some changes to our weekly blogging experiment, formerly “Five Tidbit Friday.” We’ll continue to collect an array of news items, but we’ll be posting them, in various quantities, at the beginning of the week. This week, we’ve got a nice batch, beginning with . . .

28th REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. TRIBUTE at UMass CELEBRATES SERVICE

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is," asserted Dr. Martin Luther King, "'What are you doing for others?'" On this MLK Day holiday, we remember Dr. King, and renew our thinking on this persistent and urgent question.

All members of the UMass community have been invited to this year's tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, where Rev. Liz Walker, pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church and the first black woman to co-anchor a newscast in Boston, will be delivering the keynote address on the subject of service.  RSVP or email DIO@umassmed.edu to register for the event, taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Faculty Conference Room on the University campus, with lunch available at 11:30 a.m.

An ENGLISH HOSPITAL SAVED by BEAUTY, CREATIVITY, and COLLECTIVE ACTION

Near the end of last year, and “across the pond,” as they say, hospital workers and community members responded with real inspiration to a political decision that would have shut down Lewisham and Greenwich Hospital in southeast London. Members of the National Health Service choir there recorded and released "A Bridge over You," a mashup of "Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel, and Coldplay’s “Fix You.” The song became the centerpiece of a campaign to save the hospital.

As a result, the English came out in support of their healthcare workers. “A Bridge over You” reached number one on the UK singles chart at Christmas 2015, selling more than 127,000 copies. (Justin Bieber, whose song “Love Yourself” was expected to be number one on the charts during the spike in record sales at Christmas, even tweeted his support for the cause.)  

The song, the singers, and the video of these caregivers with their patients is quite an inspiration. Give it a listen?

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS about MARTIN LUTHER KING

The civil rights leader we celebrate today was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929. In 1934, however, his father, a pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, traveled to Germany and became inspired by the Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther. As a result, King Sr. changed his own name as well as that of his 5-year-old son. And did you know that the    young Martin Luther Jr. entered college at age fifteen?

BIG BROTHER and the WARMTH-DETECTORS

There’s more interesting work-related news from the UK this week.  Buzzfeed recently reported that, “The Daily Telegraph has installed devices to monitor whether journalists are at their desks.” These small boxes were mounted beneath the employees’ desks, and detected heat and motion. A follow-up in the Huffington Post stated that outcry about the devices led the company to remove them the same day they were installed. That article, entitled “Why Bosses Should Snoop on Employees Less,”  goes on to explain:

. . . increasing surveillance to boost productivity is much different from increasing surveillance to prevent theft, and it's unclear if it does much beyond stressing employees out. Workplace stress can cost companies a few thousand dollars per worker every year through a combination in absenteeism and disability claims, multiple studies have found -- and that doesn't even cover any declines in productivity. And it's pretty clear employees find surveillance stressful.

Although SHARE has never come across warmth-detectors, UMass Memorial does use some technology to keep track of productivity. We are keeping an eye on this trend. Let us know if something new comes up in your area.

And while we’re on the subject, we encourage SHARE members to be cautious. Here in the US, an employer is entitled to monitor any communication activity on a company-owned system. And they can legally discipline you for anything you send that is illegal or out-of-line with their policies.

HAS OBAMA BEEN READING the SHARE HOSPITAL CONTRACT?

In the most recent SHARE Hospital contract negotiations, we implemented new language, designed to allow laid-off SHARE members to retain their pay rate if they cannot find another SHARE job that pays as well, if they must instead take a job in a lower pay grade. Although the language hasn’t worked as an automatic fix, it has helped SHARE members retain their standard of living. According to Politico, it appears that President Obama has been developing a similar idea, “In Tuesday's State of the Union address President Barack Obama offered a policy fix for workers who lose their jobs and end up in worse-paying ones: wage insurance. If an American worker takes a job that pays less than the one that vanished, ‘there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills,’ the president said.”

To those of you who have the holiday off this year, have a wonderful and meaningful day. To those of you who will be clocked-in, thank you for the work you will be doing on this day in service of the missions of our hospital and university. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and that things are off to a very good start for you this week. See you here next time . . .

Inclement Weather Policy and the Time Offset Option

Winter is coming.

And with it, inclement weather. So far, we've had it pretty good (knock on wood!). Hopefully we won't be seeing the 103 inches of snow we saw last year in the City of Worcester.

However, even if we don't see record snowfall this year, snow might yet cover our streets, causing hazardous conditions that can make it very difficult to travel and come to work. 

In conversations leading up to the previous contract negotiations, it became clear that SHARE members saw a greater need for flexibility during inclement weather situations, which led us to negotiate the Time Offset Option as a new part of our Inclement Weather contract language.

The contract says:

Time Offset Option
Employees who are excused from job duties due to inclement weather may, at their discretion, workplace conditions permitting, choose to make up the lost time, instead of using their own earned time. The time missed due to the weather event can be made up in a single instance or in increments, and must be worked within the same pay period as the event.

About the Time Offset Option

This option is only available to “non-essential employees” and your ability to use this option will vary depending on your workplace conditions--for example, the kind of work that you do, the tasks at hand, the hours that you cover, etc. Throughout any weather event, you should have clear communication with the appropriate supervisor about your needs and the needs of the department. 

Since this Time Offset Option is new to supervisors as well as to SHARE members, to minimize confusion we recommend you and your supervisor talk through the specific expectations before the bad weather hits. There might not yet be any standards on how your department implements this new Time Offset Option, so the details might need to be worked out. Please feel free to ask advice and help of your SHARE union rep, who will be happy to help you address your individual needs and work with you and your department to develop standards if needed.

About Inclement Weather and "Essential" Employees

Because some essential functions of the Medical School must be maintained, and some departments cannot simply close, usually those that operate 24/7 or 7-days a week, a plan for staffing coverage is needed. To be clear about who has to come to work in these cases, employees need to be designated as “essential” or “non-essential” by their department head. If there is confusion or disagreement about an employee’s designation, it should be discussed by the employee and the department head, either of whom may also ask for help from the Union and/or the Office of Labor and Employee Relations.

For More Details

The SHARE-UMMS inclement weather policy, including the Time Offset Option, can be found on page 12 of the contract. If you have any questions please email us at share.umms@theshareunion.org or call the SHARE office: 508-929-4020.

 

Small Dues Increase for 2016

In 2016, regular dues will increase by a total of $9.62 for the whole year. For employees working 20 hrs/week, dues will increase a total of $6.50 for the whole year. Below are the old and new rates by pay period.

	Per Pay Period (2 weeks)
	2015 rate	2016 rate
regular	$16.78	$17.15
20-hour	$12.59	$12.84

Where do the dues go?

About 65% stays with SHARE at UMMS and our sister unions at UMass Memorial, Harvard University, and the Cambridge Health Alliance. Together our four local unions form NEOP (New England Organizing Project). As NEOP, we pool our money and share expenses: staff, rent and utilities, printing and mailing, etc.

The other 35% of the money goes to our national union, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) in Washington, DC. They spend that money on organizing new local unions (they funded us when we formed our union here), lobbying (like for the FMLA), research (like looking at contract trends across the country), etc.

Let us know if you would like more detailed information about SHARE’s expenses or AFSCME’s expenses. The SHARE office number is 508-929-4020.

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.

Union Plus Scholarship Opportunity

The Union Plus Education Foundation is now receiving applications for their 2016 Scholarship Program. The awards range from $500 to $4,000.

The application deadline is Saturday, January 31, 2016.

This is a competitive scholarship, and applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended.

Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. The Scholarship Program is open to current and retired members of unions participating in any Union Plus program (e.g., AFSCME), their spouses and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations). At least one year of continuous union membership by the applicant, applicant's spouse or parent (if applicant is a dependent). The one year membership minimum must be satisfied by May 31, 2016.

The applicant must be accepted into a U.S. accredited college or university, community college, technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Awards must be used for the 2016 - 2017 school year. You do not have to purchase any Union Plus product or participate in any Union Plus program to be eligible.

Applicants should note that the application requires you to list the national or international union name, local union number, local union's address, phone number and the name of the local union President or Business Manager.  You need this information for your union, your spouse's union or your parent's union (if you are a dependent).  If you or your family members are affiliated with multiple unions you must list this information for all.

As a member of SHARE, you are also a member of our parent organization, AFSCME, a qualifying union. Please note that the “local number” for SHARE on the School-side is AFSCME Local 4000. The SHARE School-side co-presidents are Sherry Nguyen and Dianne Williams.

For more details, and to access the online application dashboard, please see the Union Plus Scholarship website.

Five-Tidbit Friday: December 18th, 2015

THERE’S an APP for THAT

When you’re shopping, do you want to buy products that are union made? Don’t use slave labor?  Fair trade? Cruelty free? Environmentally responsible? You can now use your phone to scan labels and make purchases that line up with your own personal ethics. Check out http://www.buycott.com/ for details.

HOLIDAY GIFTS and FESTIVE LIBATIONS, UNION-MADE

Please, shop responsibly

If you want to browse for ideas, Made-in-America by union employees, check out the AFL-CIO gift guide.

One must go to great lengths to make the Extra Mile . . .

Or, use the Labor 411 website for another thorough listing of union-made products. The list even includes union breweries and distilleries.

After all, if you're looking to mix up a fancy drink at New Year's (say, an Extra Mile?) shouldn't you use a reputable union-made rye, such as Knob Creek or Woodford Reserve?

RENTERS, WINTER IS COMING

Do you know your rights as a renter? This story on WGBH explains how the law is on your side, and gives advice for dealing with Winter issues. And everybody should remember to check their smoke and carbon detectors, of course.

CHILDCARE IS so EXPENSIVE, ONLY the WEALTHY CAN AFFORD IT

190 Mustaches?

. . . according to recent studies. And that’s not a good thing, writes Vivien Labaton in the New Republic. (But if you’re reading this, please know that the SHARE UMMS Childcare Fund aims to correct that, and will post application details for the next cycle in the new year.)

MORE MUSTACHES than WOMEN

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Mustaches Outnumber Women Among Medical-School Leaders.

Although SHARE more blog posts are coming, this column is taking a break until 2016, which, really, isn't all that far off. In the meanwhile, happy holidays! See you here next year . . .