January 2026 UPAMM Member Update

Happy New Year! We hope all of you had time to rest and recharge with family and friends over the holidays and are entering 2026 refreshed and energized.

A little over a year ago, after months of negotiations and with your support, UPAMM achieved a tentative agreement with our employer. This agreement was overwhelmingly passed by members resulting in a 3 year contract expiring in June 2027 that provides economic gains and greater input in matters that affect out workplace including:

• Step adjustments and pay increases providing PAs equity with our non physician provider colleagues
• Nocturnist bonuses (20% above annual salary for those ) 
• Unlimited PTO sell back
• Immediate availability of over appointment shifts , increased shift differential and expanded moonlighting opportunities
• Floating Holiday coverage for your entire shift length rather than 8 hours 
• Settlement restoring a pay shortage to PAs that retired or left the institution prior to March 2025
• Professional Development Model
• 2K Retention Bonus  July 2026 for eligible PAs
• Improved workload review process  
• New article outlining Foundations for Creative Problem Solving  
• Lactation support
• Paid release time for committee participation
• Economic “me too” MOU to mirror economic gains UMPNC achieves for NPs in their current negotiations

UPAMM strongly advocates for work-life balance and believes every PA should be fully compensated for the patient care we provide. By implementing the workload review process and advocating on behalf of union members, leadership has made some changes to address patterns of excessive workloads.  We strongly encourage any PA who is regularly working unpaid hours beyond their FTE (full time = 40 hours. .8 FTE = 32 hours, etc) and/or is scheduled to work more  than  2080 hours/year without additional compensation to contact UPAMM Chief Steward Alex Tiefel chiefsteward@upamm.org and/or Bob King bobtking@upamm.org to discuss a workload review. 

Our goal is to problem solve with you and your local leadership to achieve a workload congruent with your appointment fraction as detailed in Article 41 of the contract.

Link to the UPAMM contract

We are stronger together. UMPNC has begun bargaining their next contract and needs the support of UPAMM and all unions to obtain an agreement that meets the goals of their members. When requested, we expect all PAs will  show their support and demonstrate solidarity with our nursing colleagues. Remember, any economic gain won by the NPs will be provided to PAs as stated in the “me too” MOU.

As we enter 2026 and in order to build on this success, UPAMM leadership will begin working with AFT on a Strategic Plan to:

• Increase member engagement 
• Improve communications 
• Develop a robust organizing plan 
• Establish durable member driven committees including a CONTRACT ACTION COMMITTEE and BARGAINING COMMITTEE
• Strengthen the Stewards structure

The goal is to lay a foundation for continued UPAMM success and to assure a productive transition for the new Steering Committee members who will take office in March 2027.

Additionally, beginning Fall 2026 we will be convening the Bargaining Committee to begin preparing for negotiations for our third contract. We anticipate negotiations will begin in late winter/early spring 2027. 

Our to do list for 2026 is ambitious but with your involvement we can create a community that serves our members and strengthens UPAMM’s commitment to fair representation for all PAs.  

Mark your calendars for the 2026 General Membership Meetings: 

• Thursday January 29 2026 7:30 pm 
• April 30 2026 7:30 pm 
• July 30 2026 7:30 pm 
• December 3 2026 7:30 pm