Dear USA member,
On September 29th, University Staff Association membership will be joining our colleagues from the Massachusetts Community Colleges, State Universities, and the rest of the UMass system in voting to endorse the Fair Wages Now campaign to demand a 30% wage increase from the Governor for our next contract cycle. This is going to set the starting point for our wages during the round of bargaining. We only win what we are willing to fight for.
That’s why we are hosting this Endorsement Vote on Tuesday, September 29th, 12-1pm over Zoom. This is our first step to demonstrate to the governor that we are united and serious about our demand for a 30% raise that catches us up with our peers in other states. Your wages for the next 3 years are on the line.
A calendar invite will be sent soon. If you did not receive one, please email the USA office at usa@umass.edu
You can only vote in this process if you are a dues-paying member! So if you want a voice in this process and a more powerful union that can actually win you the wages you deserve for the next 3 years, today is your chance to sign up!
From a recent PSU email: Across Massachusetts, higher education unions—including every MTA higher ed local—will be voting to endorse an ambitious demand of Governor Maura Healey: Fair Wages Now for state workers! This means:
- Cost-of-living increases of 30% over the next 3 years;
- Raising the salary floors to the minimums established by MIT’s living wage calculator;
- Base salary increases intended to shrink disparities between state workers;
- A one-time pool of money to create or modify salary schedules (steps) for units that need them
Massachusetts public higher ed workers are facing an affordability crisis. An investment of this kind from Governor Healey would help us catch up with runaway inflation and put us in a strong position to win what we deserve during our next bargaining cycle: a wage scale that ensures living wages for all members.
Why Governor Healey?
In Massachusetts, our cost-of-living increases are unilaterally proposed by the governor for all unionized state workers. This informs the starting point for negotiations when we sit down to bargain with the UMass administration. We expect Governor Healey to make her cost-of-living proposal for 2027–2030—sometimes called “the parameters”—early this winter. This means that our window to influence her proposal is now!
How was this campaign developed?
Union activists representing tens of thousands of public higher education workers have been meeting throughout the summer to coordinate this campaign. This work culminated in the MTA Summer Conference here on the Amherst campus, where attendees voted to endorse the campaign and set our plan to win.
What happens next?
Put these dates in your calendar now!
- September 29: All-member endorsement vote
- October 19-23: Multi-union action on our campuses (stay tuned for details)
- November 20: Massive rally at the Statehouse! RSVP today! (buses will be chartered from UMass Amherst!). You can receive union release time if needed. Please email the USA office for more information.
