by Sheila Gilmour, USA President Dear USA members, Please join me in wishing a fond farewell to one of USA’s unsung heroes – Dave Litterer! Those of us who were lucky enough to work with Dave will miss his warm, cheerful demeanor, and the calm level-headedness he brought to USA’s Elections Committee. I called Dave to wish … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to Dave Litterer – Congratulations on your retirement!
Member News
Kronos Update: June 30th Grievance Hearing & Solidarity Petition
Dear USA members, On Wednesday, June 30, USA members and PSU and MSP allies greeted the University’s representatives with chants of “respect your workers, respect our contract” as they arrived to hear our grievance about them breaking it by forcing Kronos on USA. Ryan Kennedy, Barbara Chaput, Jeremy Forgue, and Steve Reynolds (Executive Director of A&F) met with the USA … [Read more...] about Kronos Update: June 30th Grievance Hearing & Solidarity Petition
Kronos Update: Deliver your petition!
Dear USA members, On Wednesday, June 24, the USA organizing committee brought your petition, signed by over 450 members, to Ryan Kennedy, an HR Business Partner who is part of the team trying to push Kronos in violation of our contract. He was not there. HRBPs and management are trying to force us to use strict and bothersome location-tracking software while they continue … [Read more...] about Kronos Update: Deliver your petition!
Kronos Update: June 17th Meeting with University Admin and Petition Update
Dear USA members, On Wednesday June 17th, the University Staff Association met again with UMass Admin (Barbara Chaput, Jeremy Forgue, and Ryan Kennedy) to discuss the implementation of Kronos and ask questions. Our questions were met with a shocking amount of “I don’t know” and no clarity around why it’s necessary. They were unable to describe how utilizing Kronos will be a … [Read more...] about Kronos Update: June 17th Meeting with University Admin and Petition Update
Organizing the Ivory Tower: My First Experience at MTA Summer Conference
by Andrea Lydick, MTA Board Member & USA Steward / Special Projects Coordinator I started at UMass in the fall of 2023 and was looking for ways to engage with The University Staff Association. I had seen the power of a union firsthand, as my partner was in an active union negotiating for substantial increases and benefits in his workplace. I took … [Read more...] about Organizing the Ivory Tower: My First Experience at MTA Summer Conference
