SHARE Contract Negotiations & Survey Results Update

SHARE and UMass Memorial are getting set to begin our next contract negotiations. Our first session is currently scheduled for June 23rd, and we expect to meet on a weekly basis. The first pair of sessions will be held with a trainer, Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, who will work with both SHARE and Management about the ideas and skills involved in Interest Based Bargaining. (If you recognize that name, it’s because Joel has participated with us in negotiations before.)

Throughout these negotiations, SHARE will continue to have many one-on-one conversations and hold information meetings (see a preliminary list of sessions below.) We also continue to hone our priorities using the detailed feedback we got from the recent series of SHARE surveys (hit the red button below for a summary). And, of course, we’ll post regular updates to the SHARE website. More to come . . .

SHARE Negotiation Information Meetings

more dates and details to be announced as they become available

including sessions at Hahnemann, Century Drive, etc.

6/16 Virtual Meeting 11:30-1:00 (Zoom link TBA)

6/24 Tri-river Community Room + Webex 11:30-1:00 (link TBA)

6/29 Barre Conference Room + Zoom 11:30-1:00 (link TBA)

7/8 University Information Table 11:30-1:00 (location TBA)

7/15 Memorial Amphitheater 11:30-1:00 (TBA)

Please feel free to bring your lunch and your questions, and to invite your co-workers. At the virtual meetings, if you’ve got a camera, we’d love to see you live. We’ll continue to schedule Information Meetings through the entire negotiation process. If you’d like to set up a meeting at a time and place that works for you and your co-workers, call the SHARE office (508-929-4020, extension 10) and leave a message.

Keep Your Contact Info Updated & Keep Your Union Strong!

Please help SHARE stay strong by making sure that we have good contact information for you and your co-workers. We will soon announce details for the upcoming SHARE elections. Elections will be held electronically this year*, and we want to make sure everyone can participate. If you don’t get email from SHARE regularly, please provide us with a cell phone number and/or personal email address. 

The button below will auto-generate an email that simply asks you to fill in your own information.

You may also have your information updated by talking with a SHARE staff organizer, or by calling the SHARE office at 508-929-4020.

SHARE will not share or sell your contact information. Please also help get word out to your co-workers . . . obviously if we don’t have good contact information for them, this message might not reach them. Thank you!

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* The 2022 Rep and Executive Board election will be held by electronic ballot, hosted professionally by ElectionBuddy.com, an online voting service that meets the standards set by the U.S. Department of Labor and by our parent union, AFSCME. ElectionBuddy will send a link to your cell phone or email account for you to vote securely online.

Reminder & Location Change: University SHARE Contract Drop-In TODAY

Note that today’s event has moved outside due to the current Omicron surge and hospital policies.

(It has nothing to do with the pleasant Spring weather. Nothing at all 😎)

University Info Table

Thursday, MAY 26 11:30am-1Pm

OUTSIDE, near the Prescription Center (old west entrance)

Don’t forget to join SHARE organizers today to talk about the upcoming negotiations with UMass Memorial. Share what matters most to you, learn how you can help advocate for a strong contract, and pick up a pin to show your support.

UMass Memorial works because you do! SHARE has roughly 3000 members working in 170 different job titles. Pick up a pin today and show SHARE pride!

More Free Covid Test Kits Available

Every home in the U.S. is now eligible to order a 3rd round of free at-home tests from the federal government.

US households are now able to order "an additional eight free at-home tests at COVIDTests.gov—bringing the total number of free tests available to each household since the start of the program to 16," the White House said in a fact sheet on Tuesday.

Learn more in this White House Fact Sheet

Reminder: SHARE Virtual Contract Information Meeting TODAY

Zoom Information Meeting

Thursday 5/19

11:30a-1:00p

Join the SHARE Organizing staff and other SHARE Members to talk about the upcoming negotiations with UMass Memorial. Share what matters most to you and learn how you can help advocate for a strong contract.

— or —

Phone: 1 646 558 8656 // Meeting ID: 850 8466 6514 // Passcode: 444 290

If you’ve got a camera, we’d love to see you live at the virtual meeting. Either way, please feel free to bring your lunch and your questions, and invite your co-workers. This will be a rolling, informal meeting where we’ll repeat the high points throughout and gear the talk toward the group on-hand.

We’ll continue to schedule Information Meetings through the entire negotiation process. If you’d like to set up a meeting at a time and place that works for you and your co-workers, call the SHARE office (508-929-4020, extension 10) and leave a message.

UMass Memorial works because SHARE does!

Reminder: Memorial SHARE Contract Drop-In TODAY

note time change

Memorial Info Table

May 18 (Wednesday), noon-1:30 pm

outside the amphitheater

Don’t forget to join SHARE organizers today to talk about the upcoming negotiations with UMass Memorial. Share what matters most to you, learn how you can help advocate for a strong contract, and pick up a pin to show your support.

Stop by and pick up pins for yourself and your co-workers . . . UMass Memorial works because SHARE Members do!

SHARE Contract Drop-Ins

Join us as we ready for Contract Negotiations!

Stop by and pick up pins for yourself and your co-workers . . . UMass Memorial works because SHARE Members do!

Join us in-person, virtually, or over the phone to talk about the upcoming negotiations with UMass Memorial. Share what matters most to you, learn how you can help advocate for a strong contract, and pick up a pin to show your support.

Memorial info table

May 18 (Wednesday), 11:30a-1p

outside the amphitheater

University info table 

May 26th (Friday), 11:30a-1p

hallway by Prescription Center

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Zoom Information Meeting

Thurs 5/19, 11:30a-1:00p

— or —

Phone: 1 646 558 8656 // Meeting ID: 850 8466 6514 // Passcode: 444 290

If you’ve got a camera, we’d love to see you live at the virtual meeting. Either way, please feel free to bring your lunch and your questions, and invite your co-workers. This will be a rolling, informal meeting where we’ll repeat the high points throughout and gear the talk toward the group on-hand.

We’ll continue to schedule Information Meetings through the entire negotiation process. If you’d like to set up a meeting at a time and place that works for you and your co-workers, call the SHARE office (508-929-4020, extension 10) and leave a message.

What's New with Unit Based Teams?

SHARE is excited about a number of recent developments involving Unit Based Teams, or UBTs. Our UBTs, and our union’s partnership with UMass Memorial in improvement work, are designed to change SHARE members’ everyday experience of being at work.

Most UBTs had to pause their improvement work during the omicron surge, but are now getting back into a regular cadence of meeting and working on projects selected by members on the front line. Here are some highlights:

If you see her in the halls, be sure to say hi to Crystal . . . you may remember her as a SHARE member and an employee of the Radiology Department

• The Partnership Office is growing! We welcome back former SHARE member Crystal Swenson as she re-joins our hospital as a new UBT coach.

• UBTs are now tracking their work using UBT Boards on Innovation Station

• A new UBT Toolkit is up on the hub

• SHARE leaders are helping UBTs find and fund equity work

• New UBTs are currently launching in

  • Pre Surgical Evaluation (Memorial)

  • Endoscopy Suite (University)

  • Endoscopy Scheduling (Hahnemann)

  • Barre

  • Heart Station

  • Rheumatology

You can learn more on the UBT page of the SHARE website and in blog posts marked #UBTs.

SHARE Surveys Winding Up! Plus, UMass Memorial Caregiver Survey on the Way

Last call for SHARE Survey responses! Your perspective is really important to help our union prepare for the upcoming contract negotiations. Also, UMass Memorial’s 2022 Caregiver Survey comes out Wednesday, and we want to encourage you to take that, too.

Each of the surveys is quick, and every survey response is anonymous. For our part, SHARE will use the group results for contract negotiations, and share the results with all SHARE members.

WHY DOES SHARE CARE ABOUT the HOSPITAL’S SURVEY?

SHARE encourages you to take the UMass Memorial survey for a few reasons. SHARE leaders will receive the results, and intends to work with hospital leadership to understand what they say about SHARE members' experiences at work. We will compare the results to those of our own surveys, and involve members to make sense of the data.

The more SHARE members fill out the survey, the more useful the results will be. The hospital has hired Press-Ganey, a nationwide firm, to administer the surveys and ensure confidentiality. Your manager should share results, working with your team to figure out what aspects of your experience that you’d most like to improve, and how you will do it.

If you have concerns in your work area about the way that this is discussed—or is not discussed—please let your SHARE organizer know.

REMINDER: We Want Your Feedback! SHARE Surveys Closing Soon

SHARE continues to collect responses in our series of surveys to prioritize and prepare for our upcoming contract negotiations with UMass Memorial. The “Money & Priorities” survey just opened earlier this week.

Each of the surveys is quick, and every survey response is anonymous. SHARE will use the group results for contract negotiations, and share the results with all SHARE members.

Thank you for helping keep our union strong. And, happy World Hand Hygiene Day!

Final SHARE Negotiations Survey & Free College Information Session

SHARE Negotiating Priorities Survey Available Now

The final survey in SHARE’s series of short surveys to prepare for Contract Negotiations is available now. Help keep our union strong and prepare for negotiations by telling us your thoughts about money, your Covid experience, and SHARE’s priorities for the future.

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Info Sessions about UnionPlus Free College Benefit

As a SHARE member, you and your family qualify for the UnionPlus Free College Benefit. Many SHARE members have already taken advantage of this opportunity and have great things to say about this no-cost way to take college courses online and earn a degree.

The Union Plus Free College Benefit Team has set up a pair of virtual information sessions in the evening on May 11 & 12. They will answer any questions you may have about eligibility, degrees offered, transfer of credits or enrollment process.

Register online and learn more . . .

Info Sessions about Your Free College Benefit

As a SHARE member, you and your family qualify for the UnionPlus Free College Benefit. Many SHARE members have already taken advantage of this opportunity and have great things to say about this no-cost way to take college courses online and earn a degree.

The Union Plus Free College Benefit Team has set up a pair of virtual information sessions where they will answer any questions you may have about eligibility, degrees offered, transfer of credits or enrollment process.

Register for one of these sessions now:

Visit freecollege.unionplus.org for more information about Free College.

Last One: Priorities Survey Available Now!

The final survey in SHARE’s series of short surveys to prepare for Contract Negotiations is available now. Help keep our union strong and prepare for negotiations by telling us your thoughts about money, your Covid experience, and SHARE’s priorities for the future.

To learn more, and to see the results of previous surveys as they become available, check out posts on the SHARE blog labeled #Surveys.

Happy Administrative Professionals' Day

UMass Memorial works because you do! Thank you for everything you do to keep our hospital running strong!

REMINDER! Take SHARE Negotiations Survey #3: BENEFITS

The SHARE Benefits Survey became available just this week. It is the third in a series of four surveys designed to prepare for our upcoming contract negotiations.

Thank you to everyone who has already helped to provide so much data and so many comments. This helps our negotiating team understand the range of SHARE member experiences as we prioritize. One more survey to go after this one!

To learn more, and to see the results of previous surveys as they become available, check out posts on the SHARE blog labeled #Surveys.

Take the New SHARE Benefits Survey

Benefits are an important part of what you get for working at UMass Memorial. As we get ready for contract negotiations, we want to think together about what SHARE members like about our benefits, and what could be better.

This survey is anonymous. SHARE will use the group results for contract negotiations, and share the results with all SHARE members.

The SHARE Benefits Survey is the third in a series of surveys to prepare for our upcoming contract negotiations. To learn more, and to see the results of previous surveys as they become available, check out posts on the SHARE blog labeled #Surveys.

Take the New “Career Opportunities” Survey! And, Learn More about What SHARE’s Working On . . .

Open Now: SHARE Career Opportunities Survey

Now is a great time for us to negotiate about creating career paths for SHARE members. What better way for the hospital way to retain staff than to give them opportunities to stay and grow? Tell us what you would like to learn, and how UMass Memorial can help open up opportunities for you.

The survey is anonymous and takes only ten minutes. You can do it on a computer or on your phone. The SHARE Negotiating Team wants to hear from you!

The Career Opportunities Survey is the second in SHARE’s series of surveys to prepare for Contract Negotiations. The results summary from the Retention Survey is now online. Learn what SHARE members say about why they stay or leave UMass Memorial here

What’s SHARE Been Working On?

In addition to preparing for negotiations, SHARE continues its day-to-day work with its unexpected challenges and exciting projects. Click the grid below to see an expanded view of some things SHARE is working on now . . .

SHARE Digest: A Win against MGB, Readying for Negotiations & Survey Results, and More!

SHARE Retention Survey

The Results Are In

SHARE’s contract agreement with UMass Memorial expires on October 1, 2022. We will likely begin negotiating with management in early Summer. To prepare, we’re having many conversations to establish our priorities. We’re also analyzing SHARE members’ interests through a series of surveys.

Thank you to the 1150+ of you who responded to the first in the survey series: “Retention, Why People Stay or Leave.” We’ve prepared this report for you to see the results, and to read what your co-workers are saying:

More is on the way. Keep your eyes peeled for surveys about . . .

• Career development: How do SHARE members want to grow at UMass Memorial? – coming soon

• Benefits

• Money, and overall priorities

Your participation matters! Contract negotiations are a time to make our voices heard, fix problems, set a course for the future.

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Mass General Brigham Scraps Expansion Plans in Westborough

MARLBOROUGH HOSPITAL SHARE MEMBERS CELEBRATE

Good news came on Friday night in a surprising twist in the saga of the MGB proposal to build three new huge ambulatory centers west of Boston: MGB retracted the proposal. MGB got word that the Department of Public Health was going to deny their application. This is an important development for our community, and comes in part as a result of partnership between SHARE and UMass Memorial advocating to our state legislators to protect healthcare costs and the quality of care in Central Massachusetts.

“I am so excited and relieved to hear the news that MGB won’t be opening down the street! People told me ‘they (MGB) are a giant, a monster - you won’t be able to stop them. It’s in the bag - there’s nothing you can do’. Well, all of our hard work meeting, writing, and testifying has paid off! When great people come together and give it their all, they can achieve truly amazing things.”

— Taryn Harding, Ultrasound Technologist & SHARE Executive Board Member at Marlborough Hospital

Taryn Harding, pictured here at a SHARE “Smile for a Raise” event supporting contract negotiations at Marlborough Hospital

SHARE Leaders met with legislators to update them about progress on contract negotiations at Marlboro Hospital and to urge them to oppose the MGB expansion.

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Free Housing Mediation Services

The Family Services of Central Massachusetts (FSCM) Mediation Department, an Affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, is a Worcester based Community Mediation Program covering all of Worcester County. Their Housing Mediation Program offers FREE mediation services to landlords and tenants. Learn more . . .

The Results Are In: SHARE Retention Survey

SHARE’s contract agreement with UMass Memorial expires on October 1, 2022. We will likely begin negotiating with management in early Summer. To prepare, we’re having many conversations to establish our priorities. We’re also analyzing SHARE members’ interests through a series of surveys.

Thank you to the 1150 of you who responded to the first in the survey series: “Retention, Why People Stay or Leave.” We’ve prepared this report for you to see the results, and to read what your co-workers are saying:

More is on the way. Keep your eyes peeled for surveys about . . .

• Career development: How do SHARE members want to grow at UMass Memorial? – coming soon

• Benefits

• Money, and overall priorities

Your participation matters! Contract negotiations are a time to make our voices heard, fix problems, set a course for the future.

Free Housing Mediation Services

SHARE recently received the following notice about the useful aid offered by the Family Services of Central Massachusetts Mediation Department:

The Family Services of Central Massachusetts (FSCM) Mediation Department, an Affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, is a Worcester based Community Mediation Program covering all of Worcester County. Our Housing Mediation Program offers FREE mediation services to landlords and tenants. The pandemic has led to a growing number of eviction cases, and an increase in our homeless population. Part of Governor Baker’s comprehensive Eviction Diversion Initiative is The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program, a statewide program that uses mediation as a homelessness prevention and housing stability vehicle to help mitigate the human and economic costs of eviction.

FSCM Mediation is voluntary, meaning both landlord and tenant must agree to mediate. FSCM Mediation confidential, meaning anything said in mediation remains with our program and we do not report to anyone with a couple exceptions: if someone says they are going to hurt themselves or someone else, or commit a crime. This is an important distinction because the Housing Court mediation process is not confidential. Court Dispute Resolution Specialists can report “mediation” conversations to the Judge. FSCM Mediators are neutral. We do not take sides, impose solutions, or tell parties what to do. Our Mediators help parties have a conversation to see if they can make their own decisions about moving forward.

FSCM free housing mediation is best utilized prior to OR at the time of Notice to Quit being served upon tenant by landlord and when a case is about to be or is first filed with the Housing Court (called TIER I). The more we can help landlords and tenants get ahead of needing a court process, the more we can help eradicate our community housing crisis, free up court backlog, and preserve family stabilization.

We offer mediation services in both English and Spanish. To learn more about The Family Services of Central Massachusetts (FSCM) Mediation Department, please visit our website: https://www.sevenhills.org/programs/mediation/