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Dear USA members,
USA will begin impact bargaining over two important issues in the coming months and we need your help! We are fighting on two separate fronts: KRONOS and Accommodations.
KRONOS: Management approached the Executive Board to bargain the impacts of implementing KRONOS, a time-keeping and location tracking software, in Administration and Finance (A&F). The implementation has not yet begun and while we still maintain that they do not have the right to do this, we do not want to give up the opportunity to sit down and discuss our concerns.
Accommodations: Many of you are aware that the workplace accommodations system was recently changed, causing disruption, confusion, and unnecessary anxiety for USA members who live with disabilities or are experiencing a serious health event. We are demanding that management bargain these impacts with us to ensure that all members are treated with dignity and compassion so they can continue the crucial work they do to keep our campus running.
If you are passionate about either of these issues or will be impacted by them, please consider volunteering for one of these bargaining teams! As a USA member, you have something important to contribute as you and your colleagues create the work environment you all deserve. Here are a few examples of skills and qualifications that you may not have considered.
Lived Experience
- You know your workplace better than anyone!
- Arm your bargaining team with facts
- Think through and evaluate possible solutions
Research Skills
- Fact-check management’s arguments
- Help us crunch numbers
- Gather data to formulate proposals that work
Communication
- Take notes to document proposals and counters
- Draft bargaining updates to keep your coworkers informed
- Talk to your coworkers about what’s going on and how they can help
People Skills
- Help your coworkers understand what’s at stake
- Help your bargaining team understand your coworkers’ perspectives
Please volunteer or nominate a coworker for one or both of these teams by emailing the USA Office at usa@umass.edu. We do not know what the meeting schedule looks like yet, but we foresee up to 4 hours of work per week will be needed. Union release time will be available and much of this work can be done asynchronously if you are unable to leave work because of coverage issues.
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