This article is the first installment of long-form updates about the current contract negotiations for the 2024-2027 contract. Short-form updates will be available after each bargaining session with management, thank you for your patience while we establish the process.
The Contract Corner: USA and UMass Amherst Management Agree to Ground Rules
USA Communications Committee on behalf of the USA Bargaining Team
After four sessions of bargaining between the University Staff Association (USA) and the management team of UMass Amherst, both sides have agreed to a set of ground rules, a set of guidelines that determine the conduct by both teams during and outside of bargaining sessions. Click here to view the ground rules.
After a verbal agreement to the terms of the ground rules, the meeting concluded with both sides signing the agreement, observed by members both in the room and by 18 silent bargaining representatives (SBRs) via Zoom.
Discussions of ground rules for bargaining are often uneventful, and many bargaining units often decline to adopt a set of ground rules. However, during the fourth meeting between the two parties, the teams agreed to allow fifty USA SBRs to be present in the meeting via Zoom and ten core bargaining members in person. Additionally, a deadline for new proposals between the two parties was established, with both parties agreeing to have all new proposals submitted by November 20th, 2024.
While the total number of SBRs has been capped at 50, the USA Bargaining Team claimed an important victory, as it establishes precedent for a hybrid meeting model that allows for more accessibility for members to observe the proceedings, and core bargaining team members to attend sessions when they would otherwise not be able to due to illness or other concerns. This also provides the means for both teams to attend the next several meetings without cancelling.
Both teams anticipate exchanging proposals at the next bargaining meeting on October 9th.
What is a silent bargaining representative?
Silent Bargaining Representatives are an emerging strategic piece to labor negotiations across the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) regularly attributes local K-12 bargaining unit wins to a more democratized union model that features the inclusion of silent bargaining representation from employees who have felt excluded from bargaining processes in the past.
On September 20th, the USA Bargaining Team hosted a membership meeting where a 7-step plan was laid out for attending members, inviting anyone interested in being a “fly on the wall” to sign up to be an SBR by completing the SBR survey. The Bargaining Team invites USA members interested in attending to complete the survey, and check out the USA Bargaining Headquarters page for more information.
