UMass Amherst Police Officers - NEPBA Local #190

10/11/2025

🚨 ATTENTION UMPD SUPPORTERS & COMMUNITY MEMBERS 🚨
Our UMPD officers are dedicated to serving and protecting our university community every single day. However, despite our commitment, contract negotiations with the university have regrettably stalled.
Why? The university is currently holding our officers' well-deserved 11% cost-of-living increase hostage because they refuse to table discussions about body-worn cameras for our next contract.
We are committed to modern policing, but the university has yet to even select a vendor for these cameras and insists on implementing incredibly restrictive policy wording that they are unwilling to negotiate. This approach makes it impossible for us to move forward on fair terms.
Our officers deserve fair compensation that keeps pace with rising costs, and a comprehensive, well-vetted body-worn camera policy developed in good faith. We urge the university to return to the table with a willingness to negotiate fairly on both compensation and a practical, well-thought-out body-worn camera policy.

09/20/2025

Parker and Alec have something to say about the UMPD Labor Dispute.

09/19/2025

📢 ATTENTION NEPBA Local 190 Members & Community! 📢
Your Union has officially filed a newest grievance to combat the University's persistent and systemic underpayment of overtime wages. This isn't just about shift differentials; it's about ensuring all forms of compensation are correctly calculated for all overtime hours, as mandated by our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and federal law!
Despite previous discussions and clear mandates, the University continues practices that we believe violate both our contract and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Our core position is that no internal classification of overtime (whether "blue slip," "yellow slip," "pink slip," or departmental overtime) can override the law. If you work over 40 hours in a week, it's legally overtime, and all your remuneration must be included in calculating your "regular rate".
Here’s what the University is allegedly failing to do:
• Including All Shift Differentials: The University is allegedly failing to include all applicable shift differentials ($1.00 for second shift, $1.50 for third shift, $1.25 for weekend shifts, $1.50 for weekend third shift) in overtime calculations for non-departmental overtime. The First Circuit Court of Appeals has definitively ruled that "night shift differentials are precisely the sort of premium that must be included in the regular rate".
• "Stacking" Multiple Differentials: When officers work hours that qualify for more than one differential (e.g., a weekend night overtime shift), the University is allegedly neglecting to "stack" all applicable differentials. FLSA requires all applicable differentials to be added to the employee's base pay to determine the comprehensive "regular rate".
• Including ALL Remuneration: The grievance highlights the alleged failure to include On-Call Pay, Incident Enforcement Pay, Wellness Stipends, and Educational Incentives in the "regular rate" for overtime calculations. Our own CBA explicitly states that Incident Enforcement Pay (Article 12A) and Wellness Stipends (Article 37) "shall be included in the base pay for the purposes of computing overtime". The fact that these are considered "regular compensation" for retirement purposes (as stated in the CBA for On-Call Pay, Incident Enforcement Pay, and Wellness Stipends) further mandates their inclusion in overtime calculations.
• Proper Proration of Lump-Sum Payments: The University is allegedly failing to properly allocate lump-sum payments like On-Call Pay Incentives back to the specific workweeks in which they were earned, which is required for accurate weekly "regular rate" calculation under DOL regulations.
Evidence & Legal Backing:
• The University previously confirmed that a "shift differential code for overtime, separate from regular overtime, exists but isn't in use" in PeopleSoft. This demonstrates the University's capability to comply but a failure to implement.
• The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that employees cannot waive their FLSA rights, and prior acceptance of incorrect payments or longstanding practices (even those in CBAs) does not excuse violations. Any "past practice" defense is legally indefensible.
• The FLSA broadly defines the "regular rate" to include "all remuneration for employment paid to, or on behalf of, the employee," unless specifically excluded by statute.
The Consequences are Real:
Failing to properly calculate overtime leads to significant legal and financial risks for the University, including substantial back pay claims (up to three years), liquidated damages (doubled back pay), costly Department of Labor audits, and potential class-action lawsuits.
NEPBA Local 190 stands firm: We will not waive our rights under the FLSA for any of these violations. The fight for fair and legally compliant pay for our dedicated officers continues!

09/18/2025

https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2025/09/union-chief-umass-amherst-negotiations-with-police-stall-over-body-worn-cameras.html

Labor talks between a police union and the University of Massachusetts Amherst continue, a union president says.

08/29/2025

03/30/2023

https://www.gazettenet.com/Two-University-of-Massachusetts-Amherst-police-officers-cleared-of-wrongdoing-union-says-50415799

AMHERST — Two University of Massachusetts police officers who arrested a student on Commonwealth Avenue near the Mullins Center last November, an action that came under scrutiny by the campus administration for potential use of excessive force and...

10/12/2022

03/22/2022

The UMass Police Department is looking to identify the driver of a silver or white SUV that struck and seriously injured a student on Mass. Ave. last night before fleeing the area.

** Thank you for your help in locating the car and suspect. An arrest has been made in this case and they will be arraigned in the Eastern Hampshire Court in Belchertown. **

We need your help!! The UMass Police Department is looking to identify the driver of a silver or white SUV that struck and seriously injured a student on Mass. Ave. last night before fleeing the area. The vehicle will have damage to the front end from the crash, and was last seen heading up Mass. Ave. Eastbound toward North Pleasant St. Anyone with any information is asked to call UMPD at 413-545-2121 or 413-577-TIPS.

01/14/2022

After 33.5 years of dedicated service to the UMass Police Department, Officer Mark Whelihan has announced his retirement, effective January 16, 2022.

Mark began his career at the UMass Amherst Police Department in August of 1988. Most notably, he has been a valuable member of the Community Outreach Unit for much of his career, through which he built trust among students, and developed professional relationships with many members of the campus community.

Over the years, Officer Whelihan has been involved with many community events, such as the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Big E, and Cop on Top. He was also instrumental in creating the Stress Relief Bag Program to distribute items to students during end-of-semester finals. Mark was also a member of the Bike Unit.

I would like to thank Officer Whelihan, on behalf of the Department, for his hard work, dedication, and professionalism over the past 33.5 years, and for being an important member of the UMass Police Department. He will surely be missed.

Please join me in congratulating Mark and wishing him the best in his retirement!

12/07/2021

Congratulations Chief Mason!

09/07/2021

Hello all, our sister Sarah Roe needs your help. Sarah is a 22 year veteran of the fire service and member of Local 1764. Sarah was in the process of being screened to become a living kidney donor for her father in Ireland when she was diagnosed with Polysystic Kidney Disease and is now in need of a transplant herself. A living donor is the best chance of receiving a transplant. If you have ever considered becoming a donor, please visit the link below. Please share Sarah's story far and wide.

Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM)
International Association of Fire Fighters

https://nkr.org/AGC699

08/23/2021

On 8/22/21 shortly after 10pm, Hadley Police Dispatch received several 911 calls about possible shots fired inside of the Hadley Wal-Mart. A description of a suspect vehicle was ascertained by a witness and relayed to responding officers.
Hadley Officers who were a short distance away very quickly located the suspected vehicle and the driver and passenger were detained. During that time while officers were detaining the suspects, another vehicle drove into the scene and stopped where it was ultimately discovered that the vehicle contained two victims that had been shot. After detaining the two suspects, officers quickly turned to caring for the victims.
Mutual aid was requested from Amherst Police, State Police, and UMass Police which allowed for the scene on Route 9 as well as at Wal-Mart to be secured. Route 9 between East Street and Mill Valley Road was closed for nearly 2 hours.
Following an investigation at both scenes, a total of two handguns were located as well as suspected heroin and cocaine.
This incident is being investigated jointly by the Hadley Police Department, State Police Detectives from the Northwestern District Attorney’s office, as well as State Police Crime Scene Services Section.
As the investigation continues, we will update this post with additional information as it becomes available.
Lt. M. Kuc
[email protected]