🌷 Monday, June 29th, 2026 🌻 Kronos Listening Session Updates On Wednesday June 17th, several elected USA leaders joined with a contingent of interested rank-and-file USA members as they again met with management to discuss their proposed implementation of Kronos timekeeping and location tracking software. Sadly, the information provided only raised more serious concerns … [Read more...] about University Staff Association Newsletter – June 2026
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!
USA is HIRING!
We are excited to announce that the University Staff Association is going to begin the process of onboarding a new Union Support Assistant! This is a position we've had in the past (under a few different titles) and, knowing how busy we all are and how busy we're going to get as we come closer to bargaining, it's a position we now NEED. The ideal candidate is local, eager to … [Read more...] about USA is HIRING!
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
