Our History

The University Staff Association (USA) started in 1962, as a chapter of the Massachusetts State Employees Association (MSEA), and was called the University of Massachusetts Employees Association (UMEA) at that time.  UMEA served all employees of the University, which at that time consisted only of the original Amherst campus.  From time to time, even faculty were active in this all-institution group.

The MSEA was started in 1943, when it was illegal to form public employee unions.  The MSEA started as a state employee social and assistance group, which provided many employment help services--including lobbying the legislature--but there was no law permitting collective bargaining contracts.

Prior to 1968 the "Red Book" (a compilation of state laws applying to state employement) served the function for which we now have collective bargaining contracts.  Today, state employees excluded from contracts still have the "Red Book" as the compilation of their working conditions and employment rights.

The 1968 Collective Bargaining law (Chapter 150E of the General Laws) originally did not permit collective bargaining for cost items.  Under that new law the UMEA/MSEA petitioned to become the agent for all non-professional employees on the Amherst campus.  However, in the Labor Relations Commission ruling, seven units for classified employees on campus were created.  In the election, UMEA won the Administrative Service unit, Clerical unit, and Technical Services unit. Eventually, the units were consolidated into the unit which now exists.

In 1972, an amendment to Chapter 150E allowed collective bargaining over wages, and other cost items within certain guidelines of the state law.

In the mid-70's, the MSEA leadership in Boston concluded an agreement to join a national union, without any MSEA membership vote.  The UMEA chapter membership and leadership were outraged.  The UMEA petitioned to become the bargaining agent for the UMEA unit on the Amherst campus, but had to fight a legal battle to do so. In that legal battle, it was necessary to change the UMEA's name, and the name  "University Staff Association" was chosen.

During the ten months or so of the legal battle, the UMEA membership also chose to affiliate with the Massachusett Teachers Association (MTA) in a mail ballot that provided several affiliation options (includeing AFSCME, Teamsters, NAGE, and independent status).  Finally, when the vote for a collective bargaining agent did occur, USA with MTA option was chosen.

Prior to 1980, MTA had permitted only office clerical workers in their membership to have governance rights--voting on dues, officers, etc.  1980 was the first year that the National Education Association (NEA), the national affiliate of MTA, permitted non-professional education employees to have full governance rights.  From that time, all education employees who were members of MTA could participate fully in MTA and NEA governance functions.

-Frank Olbris