Hello USA! My name is Emelia Cooper and I am the Membership Chair for the Professional Staff Union (PSU), along with being an Academic Advisor in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share with you who the Professional Staff Union is, what our shared struggles are and how we can fight and win … [Read more...] about Unions United: An Open Letter to USA from the Professional Staff Union
Contract Corner 1: Ground Rules and Silent Bargaining Representatives
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 … [Read more...] about Contract Corner 1: Ground Rules and Silent Bargaining Representatives
USA Reconvenes the Stewards Council
By Kyle Chambers, USA Communications Committee One by one, the zoom screen populated with faces, both new and returning, culminating in the newly re-formed University Staff Association (USA) Stewards Council. After a brief introduction by USA President Mary Malinowski and Vice President Sheila Gilmour, each member of the new iteration of the Stewards Council … [Read more...] about USA Reconvenes the Stewards Council
Nearly One Third of USA Members Struggle with Food Insecurity, Survey Reveals
By Kyle Chambers and the USA Communications Committee In 2023, labor unions across UMass, including the University Staff Association (USA), prepared to negotiate their next three-year contract with university management. However, Governor Maura Healey opted to instead announce parameters that featured a one-year extension of all state contracts. With this extension … [Read more...] about Nearly One Third of USA Members Struggle with Food Insecurity, Survey Reveals
UMass Admin Illegally Privatized Advancement, State Auditor Finds
State Auditor DiZoglio Says Even UMass Must Comply with the Law Dear USA Members, Over the past year and a half, the UMass Amherst administration, led by President of the private UMass Amherst Foundation Arwen Duffy and former Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, has forced through its plan to privatize more than 100 jobs and eliminate the Advancement division. You have rallied and … [Read more...] about UMass Admin Illegally Privatized Advancement, State Auditor Finds
