Benefits

AFSCME Free College Program Discontinued

8.8.22 Update: The free college providers serving Union Plus and the AFSCME Free College Benefit have again suspended some programs. EGCC most recently reported that “Students eligible for the Free College Benefit for the Fall 2022 term are students who had final grade for Spring 22 AND/OR active in courses for Summer 22 OR a new student who registered for Fall 22 courses on or before July 18, 2022.” 

Thank you to the SHARE members who reported to the SHARE staff your difficulties contacting the program, and alerting us to a problem. We will continue to keep our eye on developments and to report about educational opportunities for members. The largest of the free online programs, Eastern Gateway Community College, has been providing ongoing updates here: https://egcc.edu/press-release/

7.28.22 Update: SHARE has received word that currently enrolled students can contact the Student Resource Center, 888-590-9009, if they have questions about their status, including whether they are Pell eligible.

Please disregard the contact information that was included in SHARE’s original post. We apologize for any confusion we caused anyone with that.

The SHARE office has received the unhappy news that the US Department of Education now disallows educational programs such as the ones offered through the AFSCME Free College and UnionPlus benefits. Many SHARE members have benefitted from these programs over the past several years.

Note that in the message below, “By offering this benefit, we learned that a large percentage of our members are eligible for Pell Grants,” which will continue to be available and helpful to members and their families. SHARE will continue to seek out more educational and scholarship opportunities, and to post about them on the SHARE website. Look for the #Education tag.

Read on for the official notice . . .

AFSCME Family:

Today we learned that the US Department of Education notified our “Free College” partners - Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC), Central State University and Paul Quinn College - that they could no longer offer no-cost college to our members and their families. The Department indicated that the financing of the program for students not eligible for Pell Grants is inconsistent with federal requirements. As a result, new students may not enroll.

There is no financial liability owed by any former or existing students who participated in the program. We are engaged in discussions with the Department and EGCC concerning the continuing education of existing students. Continuation at no cost should not be an issue for any student who qualifies for a Pell Grant. For those who are not Pell eligible, and do not have an alternative source of funding, such as an employer or union trust funded tuition assistance program, we are seeking to continue Free College until their education is complete, but we do not now have an assurance that will be the case.

The Free College program is an outstanding benefit, in some cases life-changing, for AFSCME members and their families. I was proud that we could offer the opportunity to obtain a debt free education to our members and I am committed to finding an alternative program.

By offering this benefit, we learned that a large percentage of our members are eligible for Pell Grants. This federal program provides eligible students with up to $6,895 a year in education assistance depending on various factors such as income, cost of attendance, and full or part-time student status. The grants are portable and can be used at almost any accredited college or university. To find out if you are eligible, you will need to complete an application form and the college’s financial office will calculate your eligibility before you enroll. Click on this link to learn more.

I am sorry to report this disappointing news, but we will make every effort to at least partially fill the void left by the cessation of the Free College program.

Lee Saunders

President

AFSCME

Union Benefits and Your 2022-23 AFSCME ID Card

New AFSCME cards have begun arriving in the home mailboxes of SHARE members. We’re reprinting this article from a couple years back about the perks involved with your card. It’s all still true. Plus, the AFSCME Advantage/ UnionPlus programs (including the free college benefit) have only expanded since then . . .

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Some SHARE members have recently been asking about the AFSCME union ID card they received in the mail. Why did I get this? you might wonder. What is it good for?

AFSCME is SHARE’s parent union. (SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900.) And, your Union membership comes with perks. Nationwide, AFSCME represents over a million members. That creates a lot of leverage in negotiating deals on things like:

And many, many other good things. Visit the Union Plus website to explore what’s available. For many of those deals and services, you’ll need to provide your union local number, and your personal union member number, which are both printed on the card.

If you don’t have a membership card and need your membership number, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020). We’ll be happy to help you track that down.

Our union takes a very grassroots approach. We’re focused on the issues in our hospital, on working so that SHARE members can always be moving forward financially, and on continually strengthening our community so that we can all do work that we’re proud of. But going out for a cheaper meal can be pretty nice, too.

Union Benefits and Your AFSCME ID Card

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Some SHARE members have recently been asking about the AFSCME union ID card they received in the mail. Why did I get this? you might wonder. What is it good for?

AFSCME is SHARE’s parent union. (SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900.) And, your Union membership comes with perks. Nationwide, AFSCME represents over a million members. That creates a lot of leverage in negotiating deals on things like:

And many, many other good things. Visit the Union Plus website to explore what’s available. For many of those deals and services, you’ll need to provide your union local number, and your personal union member number, which are both printed on the card.

If you don’t have a membership card and need your membership number, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020). We’ll be happy to help you track that down.

Our union takes a very grassroots approach. We’re focused on the issues in our hospital, on working so that SHARE members can always be moving forward financially, and on continually strengthening our community so that we can all do work that we’re proud of. But going out for a cheaper meal can be pretty nice, too.

ICYMI: Raise Time Is Time to Evaluate Your Retirement Strategy

In Case You Missed It!

And, because it’s a good annual reminder, we’re re-printing the article below, which originally appeared on the old SHARE blog. The world’s a little bit different now than it was when this originally appeared. Jay Hagan is now the SHARE Union Co-President on the Memorial Campus, for one thing. But his financial advisor’s tip is still relevant, and so are the facts and resources listed here. And at the end of this re-print, we’ve added a few extra useful tidbits.

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Original post: September 23, 2015

With the SHARE raise coming in October, this is a good time to think about starting or increasing your 401K deduction. Some folks choose this time to increase their contribution because they say they won't miss the money as much if the deduction starts at the same time as the raise.

While all SHARE members automatically accrue toward retirement through the Defined Benefit Pension, the UMass Memorial 401k plan allows you to save for retirement, pre-tax, with UMass Memorial contributing too. If you’ve been to a SHARE Retirement Training, you know that experts retirement say we should think of a solid retirement income as a three-legged stool, with the pension serving as one leg, Social Security as a second leg, and your total savings functioning as the third leg.

Though the coming raise is designed to grow your income ahead of inflation, lots of people need that raise to live on. Deciding the save money with the 401K is a tough choice for many SHARE members. The younger you start, the less you have to take out of your check each week to reach your goals.

Memorial CT Technologist and SHARE Executive Board Member Jay Hagan has served as a member of the SHARE team that has negotiated with management about the current retirement benefits. “I think a lot of SHARE members don’t realize they’re leaving money on the table if they don't save through the 401k,” he says. “My financial advisor tells me, 'if you can afford it, the employer-match is really free money.' You could think of it as the hospital paying you to participate. If you don't use the match, it's like giving the money back.”

UMass Memorial adds $.25 for each dollar you contribute to your 401k, matching up to 1% of your pay. The importance of investment savings increases in 2017, when the hospital will phase-in changes to the pension accrual rate. At that point, the UMMHC match is scheduled to increase to $.50, and up to 2% of your pay.

If you have questions about SHARE’s negotiated retirement benefits, please contact the SHARE office. If you have questions about your own 401k, contact Fidelity Investments at 800-343-0860, or log on to your Fidelity account at www.fidelity.com/atwork.

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It’s always easy to find other ways to spend your money, but be sure to show some compassion to your future self, too. That person will be grateful that the “current you” took advantage of the employer’s match, and socked away some money for yourself in your 401k. Check out these resources . . .

  • This article explains the value of compound interest, and why investing now gives you so much more than investing later.

  • Fidelity NetBenefits provides this individualized investment calculator that can help you understand just how different contribution amounts affect your long-term investments.

  • So many decisions! Seem like too much? Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University tackles the subject of “decision fatigue” in episode 8 of her podcast, The Happiness Lab. (She talks about the subject of 401k’s around minute 14 of the broadcast.)

  • And it may seem silly to literally imagine your future self, but that can actually be useful to your financial health, according to this report.

The SHARE Union / 50 Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01604 / Phone: (508) 929-4020 / Fax: (508) 929-4040