SHARE in 2025

As our union prepares its priorities for Contract Negotiations later this year, we’re evaluating where we’re at, and where we’ve been.

In 2025, it remained true that the value of what SHARE negotiated – such as raises, pension contributions, and the health insurance premium split -- continued to far exceed the cost of dues, so that membership costs continue to be a very worthwhile investment.

As every year, SHARE leaders supported members directly in formal disciplinary meetings (0ver 1,000 in 2025). We processed fewer Rental Assistance Loan pre-applications than last year (about 70). And SHARE Organizers and Reps worked to help provide ways for every member to have a personal connection with SHARE, resulting in countless conversations union-wide.

RECORD GROWTH

Last year was a growing year for SHARE: our union now includes over 3600 members. We welcomed over 800 new employees to our union at New Caregiver Welcome, and had individual conversations with over 500 of those members in their new departments.

The Denials & Specialty Billing UBT was one of many who advanced a level in the Path to Performance, and is one of the few teams so far to have reached the lofty Level 4

UNIT BASED TEAMS

The cornerstone of SHARE’s partnership with UMass Memorial, UBTs grew in number and development, with more than seventy teams participating on projects that made their departments a better place to work, while saving the hospital money and improving patient care.

OTHER PARTNERSHIP WITH UMASS MEMORIAL

The **SHARE-UMass Memorial Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program** recognized its first graduating class—the first registered apprenticeship in healthcare in Central Massachusetts. The event was attended by hospital and SHARE leaders, as well as state officials, including Undersecretary of Labor Josh Cutler, who praised the graduates as examples of the value of investing in workforce development.

Career Development Initiatives for SHARE Members

In 2025, SHARE continued to partner on career pathways & skills programs, including “earn and learn” programs such as the MA Apprenticeship and the PCT Pathway Program. We also promoted the hospital’s programs on career coaching, medical terminology, and citizenship interview preparation.

UMass Memorial System Priorities

When our interests overlap, SHARE work with hospital leaders around UMass Memorial’s System priorities, including:

Blue Cross negotiations: Recognizing that a failed contract deal between our hospital and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts could be detrimental to UMass Memorial’s budget and devastating to Central Massachusetts patients, SHARE mobilized member communications to BCBS MA. SHARE’s Executive Board wrote a strong letter and SHARE members wrote hundreds of email messages to the insurer’s CEO; days later, a three-year agreement was announced, keeping UMass Memorial in network for BCBSMA members.

Winter census surge: Among other things, SHARE supported caregivers, connecting caregivers and escalating concerns, during the North Pavilion launch that increased bed capacity and helped decompress the ED.

Analyzing the federal budget debate and impending Medicaid cuts. SHARE has been working with UMass Memorial to understand the evolving discussions in Washington, DC, and the likely downstream impacts on safety net hospitals, including UMass Memorial.

SHARE Unit Based Teams accepted UMass Memorial’s challenge to “Find the 4%” financial sustainability push. Unit Based Teams (UBTs) gave frontline members a voice to reduce waste and improve processes, directly supporting the hospital’s systemwide effort to recover 4% through efficiency and better revenue capture.

RESEARCHING TECHNOLOGY TRENDS (INCLUDING AI)

With the increasing implementation of Artificial Intelligence, SHARE has been developing relationships with experts, comparing information with other unions, and learning everything it can. We’re confident our preparations can have a significant impact and improve our ability to bargain effectively about the impacts of AI on SHARE members. We want to prevent technology from displacing SHARE members, instead using AI as a tool to help SHARE members do their jobs well, with less stress.

SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Winter 2025

In early 2025, the North Pavilion opened at UMass Memorial University Campus (adding 72 beds). SHARE celebrated and supported members through the complex transition of opening the new inpatient facility—thanking both seasoned and brand new SHARE caregivers for making the launch a success and helping members to raise questions and concerns during the move in period.new SHARE in

Rep & Executive Board nominations & elections. SHARE encouraged members to get more involved as elected Reps or Executive Board members—positions that “keep our union connected” and anchor everyday problem solving across departments. solving across departments.

Spring 2025

Rep & Executive Board onboarding: The SHARE Union elected over 80 SHARE Representatives. Roughly half of SHARE’s Executive Board is newly-elected to their roles there. We’ve been working to skill-up and build a strong team to guide our union and do the work that needs doing.

UBT Fairs: Over 1600 participants came together at events on the Hahnemann, Memorial, and University campuses to celebrate the successes of SHARE Unit Based Teams and learn from one another.

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) clinicians organized a new union as SHARE CHA. Impressed by what they’ve seen of our union, this election brought hundreds of CHA physicians, PAs, psychologists together into the SHARE family. Representatives from our union are working with them as they form their own union and negotiate their first contract.

Summer 2025

We welcomed Walt! Our union’s newest staff organizer, Walt, joined the SHARE organizing team to strengthen information systems alongside core organizing duties. There’s a lot to learn on this job, but he’s a quick study, and already making a big difference for our union.

Retirement education. SHARE hosted sessions and created/upgraded content explaining the Defined Benefit Pension and 401(k) match, continuing its longstanding emphasis on retirement security.standing emphasis on retirement security.

Fall 2025

Raises for SHARE members: the final year of the 2022–2026 wage agreement yielded a 4% (or $1.00/hr) raise, whichever was greater for each member

Medical Assistant Apprenticeship milestones & recruiting. SHARE, in partnership with UMass Memorial Workforce Development, celebrated the first graduating cohort of the registered MA Apprenticeship (the first registered healthcare apprenticeship in Central MA)

Health insurance changes, Open Enrollment, and BCBSMA. As the hospital negotiated with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for 2026 reimbursement rates, open enrollment became very confusing. SHARE answered member questions, clarifying what negotiations meant for employees’ access to UMass Memorial care.

Remote work & flexibility. SHARE continued to support department level planning (e.g., severe weather and contingency policies) and remote work practices that have grown since the pandemic, while engaging management via the Labor Management Partnership to adapt policies as operations evolve.

Milford integration. SHARE welcomes employees from revenue cycle jobs at Milford Regional Medical Center to SHARE jobs in the UMass Memorial revenue cycle.

Let’s Keep Talking

In 2026, SHARE will continue our intensive one-to-one organizing model, holding countless more conversations, keeping our union strong, and honing our strategies for negotiating the next Contract Agreement. We’ll hold more information meetings and surveys to round up ideas and interests. And we’ll continue to revise the SHARE website, which saw over 36000 visits last year, including 6800 views of the Contract agreement and 1600 views of the site’s new Retirement section. More to come!