Reminder! Fair Wages Now Campaign Meeting
Tuesday, September 29th,12-1pm over Zoom

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 has been sent. 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!

What happens next?
Put these dates in your calendar now!

• September 29: All-member endorsement vote
• October 22: 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.

Kro-NOS: A Testament to Our Growth as a Union

What happens when you…

• Collect 514 USA member signatures (64% of our union)… 
• Collect 394 solidarity signatures from PSU, MSP, and the campus community… 
• Deliver the petitions to decision makers 4 times… 
• And crash 2 university events? 

You… 

• WIN against increased oversight and inequity in the workplace! 
• DEFEND your contractual rights as a union member! 
• STOP management from implementing Kronos! 

Management’s plan was to have USA members start punching in by September 8th. You and your coworkers have successfully disrupted their plans!

Over the past two years, you have grown USA into a more powerful and active union. In May, University admin announced that they would be breaking our contract and forcing timekeeping onto USA members in Administration & Finance, but you and your USA coworkers organized to stop them. You collected signatures, you talked to your coworkers, and you showed up to rallies. The time and the work you put in made a difference. 

Most recently, we pulled off a clandestine rally to crash the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Computer Science Building attended by many high-profile donors, administrators, and state politicians (pictured above and below).

On another front, we are continuing to bring forward our grievance, which is currently being deliberated at the level of the President’s Office.

We won, but the University will never admit that we won, so you and your coworkers must stay alert, especially if you work in Administration & Finance. UMass may still try to implement Kronos on a small scale, under-the-radar.

Report anything related to Kronos or timekeeping to usakronoswatch@gmail.com so we can support you in fighting it!

A Major Win for Protecting Your Rights: USA Members Receive Settlement

USA signed the settlement of an unfair labor practice with management over the  revocation of Flex Work Arrangements in University Health Services (UHS). This, after a number of employees worked together with union leadership to turn the full removal of remote work into a codified 2-day remote schedule per week, with mandatory union engagement in any talks that happen to change the remote days of these workers. “When we fight, we win” isn’t just a fun slogan at rallies. Because USA workers joined together and pushed back, they earned codified Flexible Work guidance and an inspiring story of perseverance in the face of arbitrary decision making.

“When we fight, we win” isn’t just a fun slogan at rallies. Because USA workers joined together and pushed back, they earned codified Flexible Work guidance and an inspiring story of perseverance in the face of arbitrary decision making.

Save the date! Annual Budget Meeting: October 14th, 12-1, Zoom💰

Save the date for USA’s annual budget meeting on October 14th! Keep an eye on your inbox for further details including meeting invitation, proposed budget, and budget FAQs. Only dues-paying members may participate in the budget ratification vote per the USA constitution. If you are unsure if you are a dues payer, or currently not a dues payer and would like to sign up, please reach out to Membership Coordinator Antonia Lynch at antonia@umass.edu. Learn more about joining USA as a dues-paying member on our website.

✨ Upcoming Events & Workshops ✨

Monthly Stewards Training Now Open to ALL USA Members!

Your hardworking USA stewards meet every month to become better representatives for you
and your coworkers. These trainings are now open to ALL USA members. You are welcome to attend as a fly on the wall, or participate directly.

The trainings are 12-1pm on the last Monday of every month, barring holidays. Here are the next few dates:

• September 28
• October 26
• November 23 (in-person at Hampshire House only)

Meetings are hybrid, except every third meeting is in-person only. Contact Camille (cgodboutchou@umass.edu) to get the meeting invites, or use the following Zoom link:

Looking back to the death of Emma, a USA member and coworker at UMass Amherst, USA is teaming up with the UMass Young Socialists to bring you a forum focused on the fight against femicide and its connection to the need to build a mass working class feminist movement. We hope you’ll join us on October 8th at 5:30pm. The forum will feature local, national, and international speakers with union and activist backgrounds. This will include Mandi, an organizer and activist tuning in from Brazil, Lekha, a union member at Rutgers university and an experienced activist, and Kyle Chambers, USA’s Vice President and an experienced organizer. There will be a physical watch party in Machmer E-33 for those on the UMass campus. If you’d rather attend remotely, a zoom link will be sent to you as we get closer to the event.

Bring your projects and handiwork for an hour of crafting and socializing! All UMass community members are welcome – not just USA members!

**The event on September 29th was rescheduled to October 2nd so crafters can attend the Fair Wages Now Campaign endorsement meeting!**

Friday October 2nd, 12-1pm @ W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Room 1920 (19th Floor)

Friday October 16th, 12-1pm @ W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Room 1920 (19th Floor)

Tuesday October 27th, 12-1pm @ W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Room 1920 (19th Floor)

If you’re interested in helping coordinate events or want to be added to the email list, please email Camille (cgodboutchou@umass.edu) and Deborah (dplace@umass.edu).

Amid escalating war, fascism, and climate destruction, the threats posed by billionaires and giant corporations have never been so stark. What are the roots of this predicament, and how can we fight back?

The 2026–27 Feinberg Series explores the global history of oligarchy, or rule by the rich, and popular resistance to it. Events will trace modern oligarchy’s origins in colonialism, capitalism, and racism while centering the movements that have fought for equity and democracy. The series brings together students, scholars, journalists, and community organizers. They will draw from history to understand corporate power, envision alternatives, and inform struggles for justice in the present.

Fall 2026 Events:

Exit Strategies: Contesting the Future of Capitalism, September 28th @ 6pm on Zoom

Who Else Opposed Monarchy in 1776?, October 22nd @ 5:30pm, UMass Student Union Cape Cod Lounge, Room 405-415

The Business of Borders, October 29th @ 6pm on Zoom

How to Buy Your Own Country, November 9th @ 6pm on Zoom

Feminist Movements Confronting Oligarchy, December 2nd @ 6pm on Zoom

🍂 In case you missed it!🍂