Dear MOSES members:
We hope all were able to enjoy the July 4
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holiday no matter how strange it must have felt, no fireworks displays, no parades, no big family cookouts, and no Boston Pops on the Esplanade.
Patrick and I know every single one of you have felt the effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Some have lost family members, tested positive for the virus, been quarantined because of a potential exposure, had to delay a medical procedure, play the role of school teacher and/or daycare provider. Meanwhile, our jobs have drastically changed. For those who continue to report to their work location PPE and personal safety are very important, others who telework must deal with technology challenges that make it difficult to do their job. Some of our members have been redeployed to answer hotlines or process unemployment claims. Then of course, there are our members from DPH and MEMA, who are directly dealing with the response to the COVID pandemic. We applaud all of you from Provincetown to Williamstown for your courageous efforts to ensure that the critical services of the Commonwealth are provided efficiently and effectively.
Now that we are entering Phase 3 of the Coronavirus, very little appears to have changed for MOSES members. With few exceptions, those who have been reporting to work continue to report and others teleworking continue to work from home. Flexibility or variable work schedules may have evolved in some agencies. However, there are a few departments preparing to bring small groups back to work to perform critical functions, such as inspections at essential facilities, exams for professional licenses, and summer water quality sampling. MOSES has been working with our Health and Safety Committees and the agencies involved to make sure their COVID Control Plans and safety protocols protect the lives and health of our members.
As we mentioned last month, if you have any concerns about how COVID-19 is being handled in your workplace, please don’t hesitate to contact MOSES at
www.moses-ma.org
/contact but remember to contact your supervisor and manager with concerns immediately.
We urge all our members to remember, the virus is still here. Please, do not let all the great work that we have done in Massachusetts to go to waste. Do not let your guard down, continue to social distance, wear a mask and be conscious of your personal safety and the health & safety of your family and friends.
A few quick updates:
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Pending deadlines - Health and Welfare Trust (Dental and Eyeglasses) 2019 deadline extended to July 31, 2020. Healthcare Mitigation (Commonwealth agencies not MassDOT or MWRA) deadline July 31, 2020. For more details, see the article below.
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Collective Bargaining - MOSES agreed with MassDOT, MWRA and the Commonwealth to put a pause on bargaining during the pandemic to deal with COVID-19 issues. The contracts have an evergreen clause, which means all the agreements remain in effect until a new one is negotiated. We will let the membership know as soon as negotiations resume.
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Budget - You may have heard that the legislature passed a 1/12
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budget for the first month of the FY 21 fiscal year (July). Even though the FY20 budget has a deficit of $2 billion dollars and the projections for FY 21 are uncertain we have not heard anything about possible budget cuts. However, MOSES continues to closely monitor the revenue each month.
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Keep your eyes open for the “MOSES Scholarship Notice” that will be sent out next month. MOSES awards over $20,000 in scholarships to help defray the cost of educational expenses of our members and their families attending higher education institutions.
May you and your families have a safe and healthy summer and once again, thank you for your public service!
Joe and Patrick
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Dear MOSES members:
We have certainly been living in extraordinary times over the last six weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our daily lives. Many of you are feeling anxious, especially given the dramatic increase in positive Coronavirus cases and the situations described at our healthcare facilities. But it’s YOU who are at the forefront of providing core governmental services for the Commonwealth.
You have demonstrated the value of the work you provide to ensure a safe and healthy environment for the citizens of Massachusetts. We are proud of the passion and dedication that you all bring to the job, especially now as we work through this public health emergency together.
Some of you are working from home, others are required to report to work, but each one of you are completing critical tasks that keep state government operating. Our members from the Department of Public Health at the State Lab are performing the COVID-19 testing and the epidemiologists are tracking the virus, those who volunteer at the 211 emergency line and our members at MEMA are on the front-line providing information and services dealing with this virus. Others reporting to work such as the forensic scientists, laboratory personnel at the hospitals, hazardous response teams, crime scene investigators, state building inspectors, engineers from DCAMM, MWRA workers, Fish and Wildlife biologists, and others we may have missed, are all leaving their families to serve the public. That is what public service is all about.
Finally, we would like to express to our members at MassDOT and DCR who are required to report to work at construction and maintenance sites that they should strictly adhere to the new “COVID-19 Guidelines at Construction Sites” and make sure that your agency provides you with the proper PPE you need to do your job. Your safety and health are our number one concern.
We know many of you have important questions regarding COVID-19 and how it affects your job. Every day is different, and every day brings new issues to light. But rest assured, we are talking with your agencies to make sure everyone is aware of the latest information. We are working collaboratively with other unions, state health and safety professionals at DLS, MassCOSH, and reviewing CDC directives and agency guidance documents to ensure that best practices, protocols, procedures and communication plans are implemented.
There are a few items that we want to make you aware of. You may have heard about a Bill-HD4631 that was filed in the Legislature about giving additional compensation for those required to report to work. MOSES supports the Bill and is working in coalition with other public-sector unions on this Legislation. MOSES has recently submitted testimony on the bill and has asked our members to contact legislators to support the bill.
Another piece of legislation we are following is the “Family First Coronavirus Response Act” and how it affects state employees. Our legal staff has been reviewing the Bill and we have had discussions with the Office of Employee Relations (OER) about the federal law. Please refer to the article below for further information to act.
If you have any concerns about how COVID-19 is being handled in your workplace, please don’t hesitate to contact MOSES at
www.moses-ma.org
but remember to contact your supervisor and manager with concerns immediately.
The next few months will surely be challenging for all of us. When the going does get tough, please take a moment to remember how much all of Massachusetts values your work, dedication and compassion – and, above all, be PROUD of what you do. You do it well !
May you and your families be safe during this unprecedented time and once again, thank you for your public service!
Joe and Patrick
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President's Message
from President Joseph Dorant
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Dear MOSES members:
I first want to thank the membership for your continued support and encouragement shown to MOSES and its leadership over the past year. Together we have been able to protect your benefits, pass important legislation, prevent harmful legislation, secure significant increases to many agency’s budgets and finalize and fund the MassDOT collective bargaining agreement. However, the fight continues, we will again be faced with the same challenges in 2020. The Governor has again proposed capping our sick leave benefits, GIC has proposed an increase to our healthcare premiums, the FY 21 budget debate begins over the next couple of months and we have begun the task of negotiating, all three new collective bargaining agreements (MWRA, MassDOT and the Commonwealth).
On the collective bargaining front, all of the Collective Bargaining Teams have been meeting over the last 6 months putting together contract proposals for the upcoming discussions. Negotiations with management have already begun with the Commonwealth Committee while plans are being made for meetings with MassDOT and MWRA. Thank you to all the members who participated in the collective bargaining survey for MassDOT and the Commonwealth. The MWRA survey will be out soon. Many of your thoughts and ideas have been incorporated into our contract proposals. Vice President Patrick Russell will be working with all the committees to coordinate MOSES efforts in hopes to finish our negotiations before our current contract ends in June 30th. Thank you Patrick ! In the coming months, updates on negotiations will be posted on the MOSES website.
On February 6, 2020 the Group insurance Commission (GIC) met to approve plan designs for the next fiscal year. The good news is there will be no increases to co-pays and deductibles for FY21 which begins on July 1, 2020. All the healthcare providers will be available for FY21. GIC did vote to align the co-pays and deductibles for Behavioral Health in the Unicare Plans more like the healthcare requirements. The change is seen as a benefit improvement for those in Unicare. However, at their next meeting on February 27
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the GIC will be voting on setting next year’s premium rates. They anticipate an increased cost of 5% higher than this year. How the increase will be distributed across all the plans will not be known until the meeting. Healthcare Fairs will be held at 9 locations across the state from April 10, 2020 through April 27, 2020.
Over the next couple of months, MOSES will be attending budget hearings and meeting with staff from House and Senate Ways and Means, to let the legislature know what we like and don’t like in the Governor’s budget. We will make it clear that we think that the Governor’s sick leave cap or any other public employee benefit cut should not be included in the FY21 budget. Steve Smalley, our Legislative Director, has been meeting with environmental groups advocating for increases to our environmental agencies, supporting the Green Budget. Last year we were successful adding almost $20 million dollars over the previous year’s budget in 8 of our agencies.
There have been some exciting changes in the MOSES office. We have hired a new attorney Ryan Cross, a new Legislative Director Steve Smalley and added a brand-new position, Membership Services Coordinator Tyler Wilkinson. All are young enthusiastic employees looking forward to helping MOSES accomplish its goals of servicing the membership. Our Board members have also been busy helping to engage the membership. Over the last year and continuing in the future, MOSES will be connecting with members at brown bags at their work locations and will increase our recreational events all over the state. This electronic newsletter is an example of a new idea from our staff and our board. Thank you Tyler and Ellie Donavan (DEP) for making this a reality.
In recent months, some of our members have asked how they can become more involved in the union. One way is to run for office in the union. This is a good time to think about serving your fellow members as a MOSES officer, Board of Director or Trustee. Nominations will take place at our membership meeting in October. Another way is to serve as a steward at your work location, attend a MOSES event or just attend one of our general membership meetings held monthly (September through May) across the state. Join us for dinner at our March meeting located at Stone Forge in Raynham, our April meeting at Mazzeo’s in Pittsfield or our May meeting at Teresa’s in Middleton.
Thanks again for your advocacy and hope to see you at a meeting or at a MOSES event !
Joe
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