Scholarships

Union Benefits and Your 2026-2027 AFSCME ID Card

It’s time again: new AFSCME Union ID cards have begun arriving in the home mailboxes of SHARE members. Why did I get this? you might wonder. What is it good for?

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

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 such as:

And there’s much more. Visit the Union Plus website to explore all the good things that are available.

For some of those deals and services, you may need to provide your union local number, and your personal union member number, which are both printed on the card. If you don’t receive a membership card in the next few days 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.

How To SIGN UP FOR UNION PLUS

It’s easy. Visit www.unionplus.org.

On most browsers, you can find the “sign up” link in the upper right-hand corner.

When selecting your union from the dropdown menu, please choose “AFSCME (State, County, and Municipal Employees)”

SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900

All SHARE members qualify for UnionPlus benefits

www.unionplus.org

Union Plus Scholarship Application Process Now Open

Union Plus is now accepting applications for their 2026 scholarship awards, which help union families with the cost of college, with awards ranging from $500 to $4000. The application deadline is January 31, 2026.

Current and retired members of SHARE, their spouses, and their dependent children are eligible. At least one year of continuous union service by the applicant is required.

Learn more & Apply

Signing Up for Union Plus Benefits: What to Know

In addition to scholarships, Union Plus offers a wide range of perks and benefits to SHARE members. Signing up is quick and easy.

When selecting your union from the dropdown menu, please choose “AFSCME (State, County, and Municipal Employees)”

SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900

All SHARE members qualify for Union Plus benefits

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $5.9 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 4,200 families have benefited from our commitment to higher education. 

2025 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship

If you have children or grandchildren who will graduate from high school and attend college next year, please be aware of the Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship. In recent years, SHARE families have consistently benefitted from this award, and we are glad to be able to announce this scholarship is being offered again. The SHARE office received this year’s annual notice, below, from Joe Carlson, President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO.

Download the Application

TIPS FOR APPLYING

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Memorial (including Marlboro Hospital) are in Local Union Number 3900. Applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office.

OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog for more #scholarships. For additional educational opportunities, check out posts tagged #education.

SHARE Digest: All Kinds of Help . . . AND, Union Plus College Scholarships

Making the Most of Your Union Experience: Finding the help you need

In a healthcare union of 3500 people, members and their friends can face almost every kind of challenge. But we don’t all face the same challenges at the same time, and we’re here to support each other. SHARE Reps and Staff Organizers consult with members daily about many different questions and concerns. You should always feel welcome to call or email the SHARE office for help. But do you know about all of the resources organized on the SHARE website? Here are some of the most useful and commonly used:

  • The SHARE Contract is the complete document of our union’s agreement with UMass Memorial about policies, wages, partnership, and more.

  • Problem Solving & Disciplinary Meeting Support describes how SHARE Organizers and Reps can support you in meetings with management in your work area

  • CommunityHELP, developed in partnership with UMass Memorial, provides a searchable database of services centered in Central Massachusetts. Search for free or reduced cost services related to food, job training, transportation and more.

  • Union Plus provides a variety of services and perks to union members, including legal help, mortgage assistance, medical bill negotiating assistance, educational programs, and more.

That’s just scratching the surface. Check out the Getting Help section of the website or the lists of Frequently Asked Questions for more resources.

How to Sign Up for Union Plus

To take advantage of most Union Plus Benefits, you’ll need to register with Union Plus. Note that “SHARE” is not listed as a registration option . . . our union is also identified as AFSCME Local 3900.

To sign up, you’ll need to select our parent union, “AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees,” in the dropdown menu.

Union Plus College Scholarships: Application Deadline Soon!

If you are a SHARE member, then you’re also eligible to take advantage of the nation-wide Union Plus program, which offers a broad range of perks and benefits to union members, including the Union Plus College Scholarships, which have a rapidly-approaching deadline of January 31, 2025.

Learn More and Apply Here

Current and retired members of participating unions, their spouses and their dependent children are eligible for these competitive scholarships. Amounts range from $500 to $4,000. These one-time cash awards are for study beginning in the Fall of 2025. Students may re-apply each year.

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $5.6 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 4,000 families have benefited from Union Plus’s commitment to higher education.

Congratulations to Our 2024 Mass AFL-CIO Scholarship Recipient

Leo attends the University of Massachusetts, where he is majoring in Music

Congratulations to Leo Perry, who recently received the $1000 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship, a prize awarded to select rising college students in AFSCME families. Leo’s mother, Laura Perry, is a SHARE member and Respiratory Therapist in the Pulmonary Lab.

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog over the coming school year for more #scholarships. For other educational opportunities, check out posts tagged #education.

SHARE Updates: Quarantine, PCA Pathway Program, Scholarships, and more

Dear SHARE member, we heard last week that some people had issues with the email from SHARE, that it went straight into your work-email’s quarantine system.

So! We’re repeating some important scholarship information below, along with an announcement about UMass Memorial’s PCA Pathway Program: refer a friend or family-member to that, and get a $3,000 referral bonus!

Thank you for understanding about the redundancy. And thank you to those who let us know that SHARE emails weren’t getting through smoothly . . .

Patient Care Associate Pathway

Learn more about the PCA Pathway program here

Couillard Fund Scholarships for Nursing Education

Four (4) Couillard Fund Scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded to active UMMH Medical Center clinical support staff or LPNs currently enrolled in a program leading to an RN licensure. The scholarship deadline is April 8th. Learn more, and apply, here.

Central Mass AFL/CIO College Scholarships

SHARE members again have the opportunity to apply for a valuable education resource: the Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO College Scholarship. 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. We’d love to see more winners from SHARE this year. Learn more and apply to this fellowship here

UMass Memorial Hospital Named Among World’s Best

In case you missed it, Newsweek recently named the top 100 best hospitals in the world as ranked by an independent data-gathering firm. Fifteen of those hospitals are right here in Massachusetts, including our own UMass Memorial. UMass Memorial works because SHARE members do, and it’s nice to see that hard work recognized. Read more here.

New “Direct FilE” Service makes Filing for Taxes Easier

A new tax filing service called Direct File will allow eligible taxpayers to file their taxes online directly with the IRS—for free. The Direct File service will be available in English and Spanish, works on mobile devices as easily as it does tablets, laptops and desktop computers, and includes direct and dedicated customer support from the IRS. During the 2024 pilot, Direct File will support most simple returns. Learn more here.

2024 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship

The SHARE office recently received the following annual notice from Joe Carlson, President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO, about a really great scholarship opportunity for 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.

Download the Application

TIPS FOR APPLYING

Many SHARE members are familiar with Chloe Belsito, a recipient of the 2022 scholarship, from her virtual performance to convey appreciation for caregivers in the UMass Memorial Gratitude Concert series. Chloe has also been a contestant on American Idol.

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Memorial (including Marlboro Hospital) are in Local Union Number 3900. Applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office.

OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog for more #scholarships. For additional educational opportunities, check out posts tagged #education.

Couillard Scholarship for PCAs and LPNs

Are you pursuing a nursing degree? SHARE has just learned that the following scholarship opportunity is being made available through UMass Memorial.

Please note that the application deadline is almost here: Friday, November 10!

from the UMass Memorial Department of Nursing Professional Development . . .

On behalf of the Couillard Fund, we have an exciting announcement for Medical Center PCA and LPN Caregivers! 

The Couillard Fund, in collaboration with the Department of Nursing, is excited to be awarding four (4) Couillard Fund nursing scholarships to full time and part time PCA and LPN caregivers who are currently enrolled in a nursing program leading to RN licensure.  We want to encourage those who are working to pursue or advance their nursing practice to apply for this unique opportunity. 

Each scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $2500 which will be paid directly to the winner’s school. 

Submissions can be completed using the online survey monkey link

or paper application below. 

Link to Online Application
Link to Paper Application


All submissions should be completed by the applicant and emailed to nursingexcellence@umassmemorial.org and/or completed online by November 10, 2023. 

 

Winners will be announced before the end of calendar year 2023. 

We look forward to reviewing your application! 



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.

2021 Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO College Scholarship

In recent years, SHARE families have consistently been represented among the winners. In 2020, Liam Foskett was awarded one of the scholarships. (Liam’s mother Nancy is a SHARE member in the HIM Department.) The Scholarships are typically awarded du…

In recent years, SHARE families have consistently been represented among the winners. In 2020, Liam Foskett was awarded one of the scholarships. (Liam’s mother Nancy is a SHARE member in the HIM Department.) The Scholarships are typically awarded during the annual Central Massachusetts Labor Day Breakfast. However, since the breakfast was cancelled last year for social distancing reasons, SHARE Organizer Carol Hehir took the celebration on the road.

The SHARE office recently received the following notice from Joe Carlson, President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO, about a really great scholarship opportunity for 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.

Read full details and download the nomination form below.

We’d love to see another SHARE winner this year. Good luck!

Tips for Applying

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Memorial (including Marlboro Hospital) are in Local Union Number 3900. Applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office.

Other Educational Opportunities

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog for more #scholarships. For other educational opportunities, including the ongoing AFSCME Free College program, check out posts tagged #education.

Download the nomination form
2021 Scholarship Letter-page-001.jpg


Scholarship Opportunities & Free College Benefit

SCHOLARSHIPS

Got a High School senior at home? Here are four great opportunities for scholarship money that are open to children of SHARE members and, in some cases, grandchildren. Check each one for different criteria, deadlines, and award amounts.  

Please note that the full name for our union at UMass Memorial Hospital is AFSCME/SHARE Local 3900.

FREE COLLEGE BENEFIT

Our parent union AFSCME offers a Free College Benefit, making it possible for all SHARE members, their families, and other members of their households to earn a free associates degree online from Eastern Gateway Community College.

Students who have already earned their Associates Degree can apply for a free online Bachelor’s Degree completion programs in Teacher Education, Business Administration, or Criminal Justice through Central State University. Additional programs are under consideration.

***

To find additional educational opportunities in the future, note that you can always filter the SHARE Blog using search tools, including the category tags such as #Education and #Scholarships.

Congratulations to Our Union's Latest Scholarship Winner

Liam with SHARE Organizer Carol Hehir. The Scholarships are typically awarded during the annual Central Massachusetts Labor Day Breakfast. Since the breakfast is cancelled this year for social distancing reasons, Carol took the celebration on the ro…

Liam with SHARE Organizer Carol Hehir. The Scholarships are typically awarded during the annual Central Massachusetts Labor Day Breakfast. Since the breakfast is cancelled this year for social distancing reasons, Carol took the celebration on the road.

Congratulations to Liam Foskett, who recently received the $1000 Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship, a prize awarded to select rising college students in AFSCME families. Liam’s mother, Nancy Foskett, is a SHARE member in the HIM department.

Liam recently graduated from South High. This Fall, he will begin at Westfield State College, where he plans to major in English. Liam was required to write an essay about Labor History in his scholarship application, and he is grateful to all of the union members who have made this scholarship possible.

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog over the coming school year for more #scholarships. For other educational opportunities, including the ongoing AFSCME Free College program, check out posts tagged #education.

2020 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. We’d love to see more winners from SHARE this year.

If you would like a copy of the nomination form, please click HERE.

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Memorial (including Marlboro Hospital) are in Local Union Number 3900.

Please note also that applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office. Good luck!

C-MA CLC Scholarship Letter 2020-page-001.jpg

SHARE Roundup: AFSCME ID Cards, PCA Scholarships, and Recent News Items

Hi all! SHARE’s 2020 is off to a strong start. Our union is the largest in our hospital, which is the largest employer in central Massachusetts. And we’re growing. You can see in this roundup some of the reasons that that’s a good thing. We’re particularly excited that over 500 SHARE members are currently in departments with Unit Based Teams.

As a member of SHARE, you’re also a member of AFSCME, which includes over 1.4 million members across the country.

As a member of SHARE, you’re also a member of AFSCME, which includes over 1.4 million members across the country.

YOUR AFSCME ID

We’ve gotten a number of calls recently about bright green union membership cards that are showing up at home mailboxes. Those are legit! It appears that those of us who are dues-paying members are currently getting new cards for the 2020 year from our parent union, AFSCME. 

The number on that card is valuable toward a number of education, healthcare, and consumer savings programs, many through UnionPlus. If you’ve thrown out your card, or didn’t receive one, feel free to call the SHARE office (508) 929-4020, and we’ll be happy to look up your number for you. For more details, check out this blog post.

 

UMASS MEMORIAL PCA SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Are you a PCA currently studying to advance your career in nursing? You may qualify for the UMass Memorial PCA Scholarship. 

 

STAFFING LEVELS at UMass Memorial 

. . . are discussed in this article from the Worcester Business Journal: Leading Healthcare Organizations in Central Mass Cutting Total Executive Pay. Although the headline focuses on cutbacks at the leadership level, the article also points out that UMass Memorial “reduced the number of employees by almost 8%, or nearly 1,200 workers, over a five-year period ending in 2017,” and that red tape is costing hospitals in ways that don’t benefit their patients, employees, or local communities. Most SHARE members know this is true, even without having to know the specific details, since we all feel the effect of the tight staffing levels in departments.

In spite of these trends, SHARE is seeing some growth in its ranks. Our overall numbers our getting bigger, and our union is experiencing particular increases among Medical Office Assistants and in Financial Clearance. Over the past five years, SHARE has gained roughly 250 members, so that there’s currently a total of 2793 of us at UMass Memorial. 

 

The NUMBERS from 2019: UNIONIZATION and MIDDLE-CLASS

The Economic Policy Institute, “a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions,” released its top charts of 2019 to paint a portrait of recent economic trends. Their findings show that American workers generally want more ability to unionize, that roughly 40% of employers engage in illegal activities to inhibit unions, and that income inequality increases as union membership declines.

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.

Mass AFL-CIO Scholarship for High School Seniors

Money to go to college? Indeed.

Money to go to college? Indeed.

SHARE is happy to announce that the Annual AFL-CIO Scholarship and Labor Education Program, now in its 62nd year, is currently accepting applications for the 2020 school year. Dependents of SHARE members are eligible for this award.

Through the program, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and affiliated unions are proud to award financial resources to high school students pursuing trade union programs or college/university study. ­The Massachusetts AFL-CIO administers half a million dollars of scholarship awards on behalf of unions and labor councils throughout the state. Individual awards range from $500 to $16,000.

Applications to the program are due by 5pm on December 20. Applicants will be required to take a Labor History exam. Full details about the Scholarship and Labor Education program can be found on the Mass AFL-CIO Website.

Applicants please note that the “Local Number” of our union, SHARE at UMass Memorial Hospital, is AFSCME 3900.

SHARE members interested in educational opportunities should also be sure to check out the AFSCME Free College Benefit, and the Union Plus Scholarships Program.

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