The MOSES Monitor E-Newsletter
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If you have any recommendations for the new format, please reach out to Newsletter Chair and Board Director Ellie Donovan at
ellie.donovan@mass.gov
or Membership Coordinator Tyler Wilkinson at twilkinson@moses-ma.org
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Leadership Message
from President Joseph Dorant and Vice President Patrick Russell
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Dear MOSES members:
We hope all were able to enjoy the July 4
th
holiday no matter how strange it must have felt, no fireworks displays, no parades, no big family cookouts, and no Boston Pops on the Esplanade.
Patrick and I know every single one of you have felt the effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Some have lost family members, tested positive for the virus, been quarantined because of a potential exposure, had to delay a medical procedure, play the role of school teacher and/or daycare provider. Meanwhile, our jobs have drastically changed. For those who continue to report to their work location PPE and personal safety are very important, others who telework must deal with technology challenges that make it difficult to do their job. Some of our members have been redeployed to answer hotlines or process unemployment claims. Then of course, there are our members from DPH and MEMA, who are directly dealing with the response to the COVID pandemic. We applaud all of you from Provincetown to Williamstown for your courageous efforts to ensure that the critical services of the Commonwealth are provided efficiently and effectively.
Now that we are entering Phase 3 of the Coronavirus, very little appears to have changed for MOSES members. With few exceptions, those who have been reporting to work continue to report and others teleworking continue to work from home. Flexibility or variable work schedules may have evolved in some agencies. However, there are a few departments preparing to bring small groups back to work to perform critical functions, such as inspections at essential facilities, exams for professional licenses, and summer water quality sampling. MOSES has been working with our Health and Safety Committees and the agencies involved to make sure their COVID Control Plans and safety protocols protect the lives and health of our members.
As we mentioned last month, if you have any concerns about how COVID-19 is being handled in your workplace, please don’t hesitate to contact MOSES at
www.moses-ma.org
/contact but remember to contact your supervisor and manager with concerns immediately.
We urge all our members to remember, the virus is still here. Please, do not let all the great work that we have done in Massachusetts to go to waste. Do not let your guard down, continue to social distance, wear a mask and be conscious of your personal safety and the health & safety of your family and friends.
A few quick updates:
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Pending deadlines - Health and Welfare Trust (Dental and Eyeglasses) 2019 deadline extended to July 31, 2020. Healthcare Mitigation (Commonwealth agencies not MassDOT or MWRA) deadline July 31, 2020. For more details, see the article below.
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Collective Bargaining - MOSES agreed with MassDOT, MWRA and the Commonwealth to put a pause on bargaining during the pandemic to deal with COVID-19 issues. The contracts have an evergreen clause, which means all the agreements remain in effect until a new one is negotiated. We will let the membership know as soon as negotiations resume.
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Budget - You may have heard that the legislature passed a 1/12
th
budget for the first month of the FY 21 fiscal year (July). Even though the FY20 budget has a deficit of $2 billion dollars and the projections for FY 21 are uncertain we have not heard anything about possible budget cuts. However, MOSES continues to closely monitor the revenue each month.
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Keep your eyes open for the “MOSES Scholarship Notice” that will be sent out next month. MOSES awards over $20,000 in scholarships to help defray the cost of educational expenses of our members and their families attending higher education institutions.
May you and your families have a safe and healthy summer and once again, thank you for your public service!
Joe and Patrick
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All MOSES recreational programming is currently suspended until Autumn 2020.
**Please consider taking a virtual tour of some museums, zoos, and attractions across the United States and the world. Check out our compiled list of virtual tours
here.
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As MOSES members start returning to their work locations, it's important to abide by some basic rules to minimize your chance of coming into contact with COVID-19. Featured below is a video produced by the Commonwealth that exhibits some of these basic safety guidelines.
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MOSES members are able to access the benefits of Telehealth through their GIC health insurance plan. On March 16th, Governor Baker signed an
order
that requires ALL GIC health insurance plans to have in-network Telehealth options. This order also prohibits your insurance from passing the cost of services on to you in the form of co-payments, deductibles, or coinsurance. To find out more information on Telehealth, click the link
here.
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Since we published the spotlights in our last MOSES Monitor, we have heard nothing but appreciation and strong support for our members who are working on the front lines. We have even had these stories shared beyond the union to the general population and the Greater Boston Labor Council.
In this MOSES Monitor, we thought that we would give our membership a couple of more stories about some MOSES members who have either been given an award for their service or changed their life plans completely to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
We appreciate all of our members who have stepped up and have gone above and beyond to make their workplaces safe and functioning throughout this pandemic.
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Service Spotlight: The Department of Labor Standard's Kathy Flannery
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In March 2020, Department of Labor Standards (DLS) employees were instructed to work from home. MOSES member Kathy Flannery of the MA Department of Labor Standards (DLS), along with other MOSES members, adjusted their regular job duties to assist the MA Dept. of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) with the high volume of incoming unemployment claims as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This massive change of responsibility occurred while Kathy was preparing for retirement on May 1st.
The DUA provided a brief virtual training to DLS MOSES Members to function as DUA Customer Service Representatives to assist in the daunting task of getting people their unemployment. MOSES members managed to provide valuable assistance to thousands of claimants while learning the DUA software system.
MOSES members worked for approximately 11 weeks for DUA. All members of the MA OSHA Consultation Program are MOSES members who will now return to doing their regular job duties, assisting private employers in the Commonwealth to provide a safe and healthy work environment. COVID has brought new challenges to this task, as consultants advise employers how to protect workers while at the same time keeping up with the ever-changing regulations. It is a challenging time, but MOSES members across the Commonwealth continue to rise to the occasion, not only at DLS but in other state agencies such as DPH, DEP, DCR, DCAMM, DOT, and many others.
And about Kathy's retirement that was set for May 1st? After 35 years as a MOSES member, Kathy has pivoted her life plans to stay on until the COVID Crisis has stabilized.
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Service Spotlight: Department of Environmental Protection's Len Pinaud
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MassDEP’s Len Pinaud recently received The Commander's Award from the U.S. Army for his work at Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC).
The U.S. Army presented the award along with the U.S. Army Public Service Commendation Medal at a ceremony at Camp Edwards to acknowledge his significant contributions for cleaning up the Impact Area and preserving the Upper Cape Water Supply reserve.
Len works in the DEP's Southeast Regional Office as the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup Federal Facilities Chief. Len also serves as the Environmental Officer for the JBCC Environmental Management Commission.
The Commander’s Award is a civil public service medal for achievements that contribute significantly to the accomplishment of the mission of the U.S. Army. The award is one of the most prestigious achievements a civilian can receive from the U.S. Army.
We are glad to see that Len’s efforts to protect citizen's health, the environment, and the natural resources of the Cape have been recognized. Congratulations, Len!
(Note: This award was issued and the picture was taken before the coronavirus pandemic.)
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COVID-19 Legislation Part Two
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In this edition of the MOSES Monitor, we're continuing our segment on recently passed federal legislation to mitigate the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.
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4th Act: Paycheck Protection Program,
Enacted April 24, 2020
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The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was initially created from the CARES Act, enacted on March 27th, 2020. PPP provides for certain businesses to apply for a loan to help defray costs associated with payroll, rent, and utilities. The program was initially funded with $669 billion dollars but this new legislation enacted on April 24th added an additional $484 billion dollars to be used for loans.
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5th Act: Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act,
Passed by the House of Representatives on May 15, 2020
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This act has passed the House of Representatives and currently waits to be voted on in the Senate, which may not come until the middle of July. The HEROES Act provides another stimulus to the U.S. economy- totaling nearly $3 trillion dollars. Included in this $3 trillion dollar package is another round of $1200 stimulus checks for individuals making less than $75,000 a year. Another important provision of the bill would provide $500 billion dollars to States to supplement revenue shortfalls as a result of the COVID virus.
Other benefits from this stimulus include an extended timeline for receiving unemployment, student loan forgiveness for up to $10,000, and rental/mortgage relief.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic has penetrated many aspects of our lives, it's important to know what resources are available to assuage our daily concerns. One such resource is the Mass4You service which is available for all active state employees and their families
What Does Mass4You offer?
Mass4You’s own program specialists are available 24/7 to address questions or issues you may have regarding personal, family, legal, financial, and or work-related concerns, such as:
Child, Family, and/or Parenting Support:
Mass4You will research and refer you to a wide range of personal services such as household, elder care, auto repair, special needs care, etc.
Financial and Legal Wellness:
Expert advice can help you increase savings, lower debts and improve credit, and assist you with complicated legal matters, such as drafting a will.
Employee Assistance Program
(EAP)
EAP can also assist you and your family to obtain advice and support regarding:
o
Substance Abuse Treatment :Call the toll-free
Substance Use Treatment Helpline at
1-855-780-5955 for either referrals or prior approval services
o
Stress Management
o
Crisis Support
Employees and their families can obtain free confidential access to a wide range of experts, locally and nationwide, by calling 1-844-263-1982. The service is available at any hour. For the deaf and hard of hearing, TTY support is available by dialing 711+1-844-264-1982, or visit
liveandworkwell.com
. The access code is “Mass4You.”
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Health and Welfare Trust Dental/Vision Reimbursement Deadline Extended
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MOSES knows that the future of our union resides in our young workers. Young MOSES members will one day be bargaining our contracts and leading as stewards in our workplaces. Therefore, MOSES is going to be creating a space for young workers to learn more about the union and ways to get involved to make the union stronger.
This committee is in the very nascent stages of forming, so
if you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to Membership Coordinator Tyler Wilkinson @ twilkinson@moses-ma.org.
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MOSES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
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Need a new car loan?!?!
Need an education loan?!?!
With rates as low as 2.9% and 6.75% respectively, you might want to check out the incredible offerings at the MOSES Federal Credit Union.
Check out our webpage
here
or call Joanne @ 978-276-0750 (M-Th 10am-2pm)
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From the Massachusetts Labor Movement
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Check out this story on how the Somerville Teacher’s Association was able to fight for a pay increase for some of the lowest paid public sector workers during the pandemic
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MOSES Office Directory :
90 North Washington Street, Suite 3
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 367-2727
ADMINISTRATIVE
Joe Dorant, President...........................x 310
Patrick Russell, V.P...............................x 329
Allen Bondeson, Secretary
Mike Galvin, Treasurer..........................x 312
Janet Vitiello, Office Manager...............x 319
B. Marie Cunningham...........................x 314
Tyler Wilkinson, Membership................x 313
LEGISLATIVE
Steven Smalley, Legislative Director.....x 318
LEGAL STAFF
Catherine Costanzo, Assoc.Counsel....x 320
Ryan Cross, Associate Counsel...........x 315
Paul Donohue, Associate Counsel.......x 317
Susan Mariano, Legal Coordinator.......x 321
HEALTH & WELFARE TRUST ...........X 326
MOSES Federal Credit Union
Joanne Demers......................(978)276-0750
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Call the MOSES office to update your Address Information!
If you've moved recently, please let us and your department know about your new address; we need up to date addresses for upcoming election ballots
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Want to see our full list of stewards? Check out our Stewards page
here.
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MOSES Board of Directors
Attorney General/Labor
Kathryn Flannery....................................................(617) 626-6504
Capital Asset Management
Mary Richmond, Boston.........................................(857) 204-1211
Conservation and Recreation
Paula Davison........................................................(508) 792-7806
Darryl Forgione.......................................................(617) 719-2226
Alex Smigliani.........................................................(617) 512-8415
Environmental Protection
Chris Bresnahan, Wilmington.................................(978) 694-3377
Joseph Bellino, Worcester......................................(508) 767-2709
Jeffrey Leonard, Boston.........................................(617) 292-5740
John Bardzik, Lawrence.........................................(978) 242-1331
Michael Hurley, Boston...........................................(617) 292-5633
Ellie Donovan, Lakeville.........................................(508) 946-2866
Fish and Game
Kris Houle...............................................................(617) 626-1543
Housing & Community Development /MEMA
Thomas Mulvey, Jr., Boston..................................(617) 573-1100
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
David Gottshall.......................................................(617) 660-7809
Cara Seaman.........................................................(617) 660-7800
Michael Strangie....................................................(617) 660-7621
Mental Health/Developmental Services
Gerald McCullough...............................................(508) 616-2248
Military Division & Other Agencies
Jennifer Baker.......................................(413) 568-9151 x 6981753
Public Health
B. Marie Cunningham, Boston.......................(617) 367-2727 x314
Karen Farris.................................................(617) 242-3035 x2011
Elisabeth O'Brien....................................................(617) 983-6433
Retiree
Paul Donohue...............................................(617) 367-2727 x 317
Transportation
Mark Brum, R&M....................................................(774) 644-2075
Nicholas Del Vento, Boston....................................(617) 306-9759
Robert Fitzgerald, District 5....................................(774) 286-6428
Laurene Poland, Boston.........................................(857) 368-8821
Thomas Prendergast, District 6..............................(617) 279-5123
Carmen Ramirez, District 3....................................(774) 286-1348
Steven Ready, District 5.........................................(774) 292-2108
Mary Ringie, District 1............................................(413) 637-5760
Mark Spinale, District 4..........................................(
781) 853-8852
Owen Silbaugh, Aeronautics..................................(617) 412-3689
J.P. Telemaque, District 3.......................................(774) 286-6373
State Police Crime Lab
Jessica Leger..........................................................(508) 946-1149
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