AFSCME, SHARE’s parent union, has announced dues rates increases for the upcoming year. The 2023 regular weekly dues rate for SHARE members will be $10.23. That is an increase of $0.39 per paycheck, or slightly less than one cent per hour. For members working 20 hours/week, the 2023 weekly rate will be $7.66.
WHY SHOULD I PAY DUES?
Dues are an investment that SHARE members make in themselves and their coworkers. Without a union, employees have very little leverage to make change, or even to hold onto what they have.
SHARE members want respect for the work that they do, fair treatment, opportunities for advancement, and good raises so that they can take care of themselves and their families. SHARE gives employees a voice in various ways:
In contract negotiations, we have a voice in our pay, benefits and work policies.
In union meetings and individual conversations, we have a voice in the direction and priorities of the union
Through the problem-solving process, we have a voice when individual problems/conflicts come up at work
In union elections, we have a voice in who our representatives will be
Through committees, Unit Based Teams, and ad-hoc negotiations, we have a voice in issues that face groups of SHARE members
When it comes down to dollars and cents, dues pay for themselves. SHARE has consistently negotiated raises each year that our union has existed, over 22 years. Those increases have resulted in notably better pay rates than non-union counterparts. Among other things, our hospital also continues to contribute to the Defined Benefit Pension plan of all SHARE members, as well as continuing to pay 85% of Health Insurance costs.
Working together through the union, SHARE members can continue to make progress in all these areas. And dues support the staff who support this work.
When it comes to a monetary cost-benefit-analysis, dues clearly pay themselves off. This slide from the recent SHARE Contract Information meetings demonstrates how the math works for this year when comparing increases in costs deducted by the employer against the increase in wages.
Am I Required to Pay Dues?
Because all employees working in the SHARE bargaining unit at UMass Memorial receive the benefits negotiated by our union, all employees are required to contribute through membership or through an equal paycheck deduction authorized by a “Fair Share” card.
If you have questions or would like to sign a Fair Share card, please call the SHARE office and leave a message at 508-929-4020 or email share.comment@theshareunion.org.
Only members can run for union leadership positions, vote in union elections, and participate in benefits programs such as UnionPlus.
HOW ARE DUES CALCULATED?
Any annual increase is calculated by the AFSCME International office based on the average percent increase of AFSCME members’ pay rates across the country in the previous year.
WHERE DO MY DUES GO?
The short answer is that dues mostly pays for SHARE staff.
The longer answer is that SHARE members at UMass Memorial pool their dues money with members of three other unions locals: SHARE at UMass Medical School, HUCTW at Harvard University, and USW at Cambridge Health Alliance. The four union locals together are called the New England Organizing Project (NEOP). All their dues together pay for the union staff for all the locals, union offices, phones and utilities, mailings, etc. About 75% of the budget is for staff.
The staff spend their time gathering information and opinions from members, sharing information with members, developing and supporting SHARE Reps, helping members with questions or problems, negotiating contracts, organizing events, researching issues, writing blog posts, etc., all on behalf of SHARE members.
MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to know more, please talk to a SHARE Rep, email share.comment@theshareunion.org, or call 508-929-4020. You can also learn more about what our union does, and the benefits of union membership, by exploring www.sharehospitalunion.org.