Progress in Negotiations

We are happy to report that negotiations went well this week. SHARE and UMass Memorial have not yet reached agreement, but progress is being made.

Thanks to all the SHARE members who came out to support negotiations over the last month!

Health Insurance Deadline TONIGHT

If you haven't yet signed up for Health Insurance, it's probably a good idea to stop what you're doing right now and sign up. If you don't sign up today, you will not have health insurance from UMass Memorial in 2017. Before you stop reading this, however, we've learned a couple of important last-minute tidbits:

• If you have already finished, you should have a confirmation number. If you haven't already printed out your confirmation, we recommend doing so. We have learned that, for some reason, some members who believed they had completed the process did not get registered. Having a copy of your confirmation number will be good peace-of-mind for you, and it's what Human Resources will need to reference if they run into any problems or questions. 
• The system closes down at 11:59 tonight. Start early, because you won't be able to finish after midnight.

If you still need to sign up or print your confirmation number, here's the link to the MyBenefits website.

Preparing for Winter

Some early predictions suggest that, in our neck of the woods, we're going to experience average to slightly-below-average temperatures this Winter. Of course, it's too early to know how many heavy snowfalls we're going to get.

With that in mind, we're reprinting the post below from last year. We've got a smart weather policy in our contract, and we want it to help your Winter go a little smoother . . .


DO YOU KNOW YOUR DEPARTMENT'S SEVERE WEATHER POLICY?

If you’ve worked at UMass Memorial through a snowy Winter, you probably know that, along with sloppy weather, there comes some confusion. We encourage you to plan ahead, and know what to do when travel conditions get tough.

Weather is coming

Now is a good time to remind your manager that they should cover your severe weather plan in a meeting with all of the staff in a staff meeting. If there is no plan, or it needs updating, we encourage SHARE members to be involved in figuring out what works for their department. See the Severe Weather Policy on page 103 of the SHARE Contract, which includes the following guidelines:

In order for employees to know what their responsibilities are in the case of severe weather, departments are encouraged to develop plans for their areas within the framework of the hospital plan. . . . Employees are encouraged to participate in the development of the plan for their department. Department severe weather plans could include: what staffing level is required in the case of severe weather (such as full staffing, skeletal staffing, or no staffing necessary); how employees will find out if they are required to be at work that day, who to call and how to reach them; and whether there is a difference in their department between the plan for severe weather and the plan for a declared state of emergency. Department managers should review the severe weather plan for their department with all employees annually before winter weather begins.

If you would like help developing or revising the policy for your department, please contact the SHARE office.

Negotiations Update

Last Thursday, over 170 members gathered enthusiastically 
on the University Campus 
in support of the SHARE negotiating team

Rad Tech Rich Leufstedt and his
banjo perform his song
"SHARE Contract Song 2016"
at the University Campus gathering

Members of the SHARE Negotiating Team continue to meet with hospital management to reach agreement for our next contract. We are still talking about raises. We have two more negotiating sessions scheduled this week, on Thursday and Friday, where our conversations will be mediated by Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld.

Keep your eyes on the blog. We'll post another update and more information soon . . . 

And! Last Friday, more than 70 SHARE members came out
strong at 306 Belmont Street

Did You Sign up for Benefits?

At the moment, 440 SHARE members have not yet enrolled for health insurance or other benefits on MyBenefits, according to HR. That number probably includes some who don't get their health insurance through UMass Memorial, but definitely a lot of folks who currently do get their health insurance from here.

Friday is the deadline to sign up for health insurance -- everyone knows that, right? If you don't enroll by Friday, you won't have health insurance in 2017. SHARE just wants to make sure nobody gets left without health insurance!

Here's the link:

MyBenefits

Refer to your 2017 Open Enrollment Guide mailed to your house, or visit MyHR and HRConnect for more info about this year's open enrollment.

Memorial SHARE Members Come Out Singing for a Strong Contract

The Memorial Amphitheater played host today to SHARE members who got an update about negotiations, and shared some laughs and smiles in support of our negotiating team. So fun!

We have a couple more gatherings lined up next week. Please join us if you can.

•  University Campus (Old Medical School Lobby, by the book store) Wednesday, November 9, 12:15-12:30
• 306 Belmont (Cafeteria) Thursday, November 10, 12:15-12:30

SHARE Members Show their Support

SHARE members gathered today outside their building at 67 Millbrook Street to have some fun and show support for the SHARE negotiating team.

Tomorrow (Friday, November 4th) SHARE members will gather at the amphitheater at Memorial, 12:15-12:30. If you work at University, join us on Wednesday, November 9th, 12:15-12:30 in the Old School Lobby by the book store. Don't be late, or you'll miss the fun!