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BECOMING A MEMBER OF RAM IS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS YOU CAN MAKE FOR YOUR BUSINESS.  
By joining you gain access to exclusive, money saving discounts on services and programs, legislative updates and advocacy as well as valuable educational opportunities. We aim to help you grow and protect your business, promote the retail industry and save your business money.

Grand Bargain Law

RAM Pulled Sales Tax Ballot Question to accept "Grand Bargain" Compromise - $15, Paid Family/Medical Leave, Sunday/Holiday Premium Pay Repeal, Annual Sales Tax Holiday

Charts:  Initiatives v. Grand Bargain

 


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Small Business Health Premiums Keep Rising More Than Others; RAM Seeks Regulatory Fairness

Recently, the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) presented their 2018 Annual Report. The report was widely reported in the press for showing much slower overall growth in healthcare spending: 1.6% vs. the state’s 3.1% benchmark, and recent 4 year average of 3.6% increases. Yet, totally missed by the press and general public was how the increased costs were disparately distributed among a wide variety of consumers. Dissecting how the overall healthcare “pie” is divided is extremely important for small businesses, as important questions remain whether costs are being fairly distributed across all classes of purchasers.
Commercial, fully-insured premiums increased 4.9%, yet within that market, small businesses saw an increase of 6.9%. Subsidized individuals in the Connector saw a 3.0% increase, unsubsidized individuals saw a 3.8% increase, large groups saw a 4.1% increase, and the state Group Insurance Commission (the GIC; the buying group for state & local employees) saw a 4.4% increase. Meanwhile the state’s Medicaid program saw a drop of -0.2%.
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 2018 Marks RAM's 100 Year Anniversary

Want to learn more about RAM?  Who we are, what we offer and why you should join.

Hear from our members on the value of RAM.

As we reflect on our past and begin to embark on our next century of serving the retail industry, we want to learn the histories of the businesses we represent. Some of our members have been in business as long as we have, and we want to know about them. Our bi-monthly newsletter, The Retail Review has featured some long time members:

Union Oyster House the oldest restaurant in Boston, was founded in 1826.
Rocky's Hardware in Springfield opened in 1926.
M. Steinert & Sons in Boston opened in 1896.
Williamsburg General Store was founded in 1876.
Michelson's Shoes was founded in 1919.

Help us celebrate industry success stories like these by clicking here and sharing with us your piece of Massachusetts retail history.

Mark your calendar for November 15 for our Annual Board meeting (members only) and 100th Anniversary Program & Reception.

Click here for details & to register.

Retail Association Multiple Employer 401k Retirement Plan Benefit

Providing a retirement plan for your employees is not without its challenges. Access to the expertise and experience you need may seem beyond the financial reach of your business. In fact, that's just one reason why 86% of employers with less than 100 employees don't offer retirement plans to their workforce. And if you do have a plan, you know how expensive and time consuming it is.
RAM now has an option for members who currently have a 401k plan as well an option for members who want to create a 401k.
Click here to learn about both options

Fixed Rate Electricity Supply

RAM has partnered with electricity broker Freedom Energy Logistics (FEL) to secure Fixed Rate Electric Supply Pricing for members.  The fixed rate program is designed to protect you against unexpected price fluctuations commonly experienced in the electricity market and allows members to confidently budget their annual electricity costs. 

Click here to learn more and for instructions on requesting a quote