Graduate Employee Organization

Our office will be closed Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independance Day.  Next week we will return to our regular summer hours M-F 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

ARE YOU WORKING ON A GEO CONTRACT THIS SUMMER?

ARE YOU HAVING PAY ISSUES?

DO YOU WANT JUSTICE IN THE WORKPLACE?

If you answered YES to any of the above, then please read below…

It has come to our attention that many of our members are having pay issues with their summer employment contracts.   We find this situation to be unacceptable, as it is the University’s legal (and ethical) obligation to provide pay for work in a timely manner.

If this pay issue is affecting you, or someone you know, please do the following:

1.  SPEAK OUT!!

Please email us ASAP at geo@external.umass.edu!  We want to know just how many of our members are being affected by this problem, so we can address it with the University directly.  The more info we have, the better, so please provide us with:

• YOUR NAME & STUDENT #
• CONTRACT START & END DATES
• WORK DEPARTMENT
• HOURS PER WEEK
• HOURLY RATE

2.  CLAIM THE EMERGENCY PAY YOU DESERVE!!

If you have not yet been paid for any summer work, you are entitled to emergency pay from Human Resources.  Emergency pay is 70% of the total amount that is owed to you, and they (usually) process these applications quickly, within 2 days.

According to HR policy, applications for emergency pay must be submitted by the ‘employing department’.  That means you must ask your work department to contact HR directly and to file an application on your behalf.  To expedite the process, you can offer your department this info:

Human Resources: 325 Whitmore (Benefits, Salary Administration, & Payroll Office), Phone number: 545-0380.

The Graduate School will also give “loans” for the remaining amount, if need be, but most people go for the 70% till the next pay period (which is Friday, July 10th, still a long ways away).

3.  SPREAD THE WORD!!

Please talk to your colleagues, inform others of the situation, and encourage people to get in touch with us.  And if you are having any other kind of pay issues, or other work-related concerns,  please let us know.  We want to help make things right!

In Solidarity,

Your GEO Stewards, Staff & Officers

Payment of Wages
M.G.L. chapter 149, section 148
Wages (payment for all hours worked, including tips, earned vacation pay, holiday pay, and definitely determined and due commissions) must be paid within the following time periods:

• If employed for five or six days in a calendar week, within six days of the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned;
• If employed seven days in a calendar week, within seven days of the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned;
• An employee who has worked for a period of less than five days (also known as a casual employee), within seven days of the end of the period.
• Employees who are paid on an hourly basis must be paid weekly or bi-weekly.
• Employers may not make agreements with employees to be paid in another manner.

“As the cost of college hits the stratosphere, students are organizing to bring it down to earth.”

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090629/featherstone

The June 29 issue of The Nation has a cover story about the growing cost of tuition, and mentions PHENOM’s campaign for free public higher education!

June 29, 2009

This only applies to GEO members who waived the Student Health Insurance Plan during 2008/09.

If you have not yet submitted proof of coverage, the original deadline has passed, but we are extending it to Friday, June 5th at 5 p.m.

To find out what you need to submit, please visit:
https://geouaw.org/hwtrust/downloads/downloads/SHIPreimbursementletterrevised.pdf

Please fax or email your documentation to expedite the processing of your check.  Checks will be mailed to the address on file with your department before the end of June, 2009.

For more information, please visit: https://geouaw.org/hwtrust/news.php or call Leslie Edwards at 413-534-7618

GEO’s office will be closed on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 for staff training.  We will reopen Wednesday, June 3 with our new summer hours: M-F 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

We will be open our regular office hours for the rest of this week 9-5, closed Memorial Day, then beginning May 26th the office hours are changing to a summer schedule - 10-3pm.

For anyone who did not pick up their check from us in the campus center — Checks will be mailed to the last address on file with your department this week.

If you paid the SHIP health fee in 2008-09 you’re eligible for a reimbursement of $148 (single plan) or $519 (family plan).  If you paid or were eligible for only one semester of SHIP, you’ll receive ½ of the maximum reimbursement.

If you waived SHIP, but paid for other insurance during the academic year 2008-09, please submit your proof of payment by Friday, May 22.  See our website for instructions: www.hwtrust.geouaw.org

Need More Info: Contact Leslie Edwards at 413-534-7618 or uawdental{at}external.umass.edu

Carey Collins will be GEO’s Secretary/Treasurer for 2009/2010!  Thank you to
everyone who voted.  It was a great turnout.

The positions for President and Vice-President were uncontested, so next year’s
elected officers will be:

Carey Collins — Secretary/Treasurer
Sinéad Ruane — Vice President
Tim Sutton — President

We are all looking forward to what we can accomplish next year!

Elections for Secretary/Treasurer are this week!  Stop by the campus center to pick up your health fee reimbursement, and then vote for GEO’s Secretary/Treasurer for 2009/10.  Statements from the candidates are posted below.

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 14 & Friday, May 15

In the Campus Center Concourse

If you paid the SHIP health fee in 2008-09 you’re eligible for a reimbursement of $148 (single plan) or $519 (family plan).

Early pickup for your checks start the week of May 11th, Campus Center Concourse, according to this schedule:

If your last name starts with letters A-E: Mon. May 11, 10 am-4 pm
…last names F-I—May 12: Tues. May 12th, 10 am-4 pm
…last names J-M—May 13: Wed. May 13th, 10 am-4 pm
…last names N-S—May 14: Thurs. May 14th, 10 am-4 pm
…last names T-Z—May 15: Fri., May 15th, 10 am-4 pm

If you paid or were eligible for only one semester of SHIP, you’ll receive ½ of the maximum reimbursement.  Checks not picked up will be mailed to your last address on file with your department the following week.  Those who waived SHIP, but paid for other insurance, should see our website for instructions: www.hwtrust.geouaw.org

Need More Info: Contact Leslie Edwards at 413-534-7618 or uawdental{at}external.umass.edu