A Supportive Workplace, A Brighter Future
At UMass Boston, we're fostering a culture of success. We believe strong relationships drive collaboration and lead to innovation. Employee Relations is committed to facilitating these principles. As the university's chief representative in all labor relations matters, we provide guidance on employment issues and concerns and assist with preventing and resolving issues. Our goal is to ensure the fair and consistent treatment of all university staff.
Transportation Bargaining
The University, beginning this summer, will offer an employee MBTA discount which was the result of negotiated with campus unions. Below is a summary of some other initiatives taken by the University consistent with the University 'green campus' strategic objective.
Bargaining Updates
All union successor negotiations for the 2024 - 2027 agreements are complete.
| Union | Date Tentative Agreement Reached | # of Sessions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teamsters, Local 25 | 9/19/2024 | 5 | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) | 5/27/2025 | 32* | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| New England Police Benevolent Association Local 290 |
5/2/2025 | 8 | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| New England Police Benevolent Association Local 285 |
5/7/2025 | 5 | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| Faculty Staff Union (FSU) | 5/15/2025 | 22 | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| Classified Staff Union (CSU) | 7/17/2025 | 29 | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| Department Chair Union (DCU) | 9/12/2025 | 4 | Settled - Contract Implemented |
| Professional Staff Union-A (PSU) | 2/11/2026 | 54 | Settled - Pending Implementation |
| Professional Staff Union-C (PSU) | 4/9/2026 | 10 | Settled - Pending Implementation |
* Parties engaged collaborative bargaining facilitator. Sessions inclusive of joint training.
Teamsters Local 25 (Lieutenants): This was the first of the 9 unions to reach an agreement and the first state funded contract reached in the UMass system. The parties signed a tentative agreement on September 19, 2024, which is pictured below. Sophie Coddington, Labor Relations Specialist (right), signing for the University and Jason Lopes (left), Business Agent, for the Union.
GEO Local 1596 (Graduate Student Employees): The parties signed an MOA on May 27, 2025. The union is completed it's ratification June 19, 2025 with an overall 98% approval rate. This round, the parties engaged in collaborative bargaining, which involved the use of a facilitator from Cornell University.
NEPBA Local 290 (Patrol & Dispatch): This union reached a signed MOA on May 2, 2025 and ratified shortly thereafter.
Josh McLain, Treasurer for NEPBA 290 sharing: “I’d like to take a moment to sincerely thank each of you for your patience, dedication, and hard work throughout the process of negotiating a fair labor contract for the members of NEPBA Local 290.”
NEPBA Local 285 (Sergeants): Shortly after the Patrol and Dispatch reached agreement, the Sergeants signed their MOA on May 7, 2025.
CSU (Classified Staff): The parties signed a Tentative Agreement on July 17, 2025. After a speedy ratification, with 92% of the unit voting in favor to implement.
DCU (Department Chairs): The parties signed a Tentative Agreement on September 12, 2025 after just 4 sessions. The agreement is was approved by the legislature and implemented Fall 2025.
Settled - Pending Contract Implementation:
PSU – A (Professional Staff): Bargaining began in June 2024. This unit is shared between the Boston and Amherst campus. The parties engage in negotiations on zoom and by rotating in person sessions on the respective campus’. The union ratified the tentative agreement on February 19, 2026. The agreement will be sent to the legislature for approval.
PSU – C (Head Coaches): Bargaining began in April 2025. The parties engaged in negotiations on zoom, and after only 10 sessions reached a tentative agreement. The union ratified the agreement on April 9, 2026. The agreement has been sent to the legislature for approval.
Bargaining Unit Employees
Union Contracts & Collective Bargaining
For an accessible version of any contract, please contact Sophie Coddington.
Non-Unit Professional Employees
Review the Non-Unit Employee Personnel Policy for non-unit professional employees. Non-unit professional positions are not governed by a collective bargaining agreement.