UMaine System Employees

Non-Voucher-eligible employees of any campus within the UMaine System, and any employee of a company/organization that is based on a UMaine System campus (such as UMaine Foundation or ROTC) may join at a 15% discount* off the normal rate (primary member only) and may add secondary members under the same policies and rates as any other member. Proof of employment required.

* If the employee themself qualifies for a Voucher Pass but a family member is not enrolled in UMaine’s Cigna health insurance, the discount can be applied to the family member, but that family member must purchase a primary membership, not a secondary membership.

EMPLOYEE VOUCHERS:

PLEASE NOTE: The information below is supplied by University of Maine Campus Recreation and only applies to employees of the flagship campus in Orono (“UMaine”) and UMaine System Wide Services (“UMaine System”) who choose to use the Orono facilities.  Employees of other campuses should refer to the UMS Benefits Office website (Login Required).

The voucher program grants free access to UMaine System campus fitness facilities to all Full Time Regular Employees, and most Part Time Regular Employees, who are represented by the bargaining units listed below.

Eligible Bargaining Units:

  • AFUM Full-Time Faculty
  • PATFA Adjunct / Part-Time Faculty
  • Non-Represented Faculty, Professional, and Hourly “Regular” (Not Temp) Employees (Including Fixed-Length Appointment)
  • UMPSA (Full-Time and Part-Time)
  • COLT / ACSUM (Full-Time and Part-Time)
  • Police (Full-Time and Part-Time)
  • Service & Maintenance (Full-Time and Part-Time)

HOW TO USE VOUCHERS AT THE NEW BALANCE RECREATION CENTER AND MAINE BOUND ADVENTURE CENTER

Campus Recreation, HR, and the MaineCard office have worked together to automate the process for all Voucher-eligible UMaine and UMaine System employees who have MaineCards.  If you meet those requirements, all you should have to do is come to the Rec Center or Maine Bound, check in with your MaineCard, and fill out an annual Risk Release / Liability Waiver.  There are a couple of exceptions that are listed below in FAQs. For System-wide program FAQs please click here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I’m a New Employee, When Will My Voucher Pass Be Activated?  If you are a Full-Time Regular Employee, you can typically expect your automatically-assigned Voucher Pass to be available for your use 2-3 business days after the end of the monthly pay period during which you were hired.**  If it is still not active 3+ business days after that, or if you need access before that time and cannot visit HR to get a paper voucher, then please email Gwendolyn Reed the following information:  Maine Street ID, address, phone number, gender, birth date, department, and title. Please make an attempt to get a paper voucher first however.
** For example – If you were hired July 6, your automatically-assigned Voucher Pass should be available for your use on or around August 3… regardless of whether you are paid biweekly or monthly.

I don’t have a MaineCard or UMaine System ID Card. If you’re an eligible UMaine or UMaine System employee and would like to use the UMaine fitness facilities, then you need a MaineCard or UMaine System ID Card that was printed within the last few years.  If you cannot get one for some reason then you can get a paper voucher from HR and use that to get a RecCard printed for check-in, but you will need to get a new paper voucher each year.

Do I Need a Paper Voucher?  You will need to get a paper voucher from your campus HR Office if:
1. You don’t have (and cannot get) a MaineCard that was printed in the last few years,
2. You are a new employee and your electronic Voucher Pass isn’t active yet,
3. You want to visit another campus besides UMaine, or
4. You want to visit UMaine’s fitness/recreation facilities but you are an employee of a different campus.

I Don’t Live Near Orono / I’m Visiting From Another Campus: You can use your paper voucher at any campus fitness center system-wide.  All the campuses are handling this a little differently.  At UMaine, anyone other than UMS and UMaine employees are required to get a paper voucher from their HR department, and present both that voucher and their employee ID in order to be assigned a ‘Paper Voucher’ pass at UMaine, which expires annually on December 31.  For information on other campuses please visit https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/mycampus/fitness-center-vouchers.

I’m Visiting Faculty: Free Rec Center access via the voucher pass is a benefit negotiated by the bargaining units (aka ‘unions’) for official employees of the UMaine System and all its campuses. Visiting faculty are here temporarily, are not members of a bargaining unit, and therefore will need to pay for access. In some very rare cases, departments do pay us directly for their visiting faculty to have access, and if that needs to happen your supervisor or department head can email Gwendolyn Reed to arrange for that.

Member Benefits: At UMaine, you have access to the New Balance Recreation Center, Maine Bound Adventure Center, Bridge Tennis Courts, Wallace Pool’s Rec Swim, Mahaney Dome’s Open Rec, and Public Skate / Stick & Puck at Alfond Arena.  At these facilities you are also eligible for the same member benefits as other full members receive, such as locker rental privileges (additional charge) and discounts on many programs.  Family members who are not UMaine employees or students are eligible for free parking permits (max 2 per household).

Spouses/Partners Who Are Also Employees:
1. They probably have their own record in our database (which we call a “household”) that has their own Voucher Pass on it.  This may mean that one of you will have your kids listed under you and the other will not, or it may mean the kids are listed in both places with a “family member link” between them.  Please just be aware of this situation in case you find you’re listed in your own household or your kids aren’t under you when you expect them to be.
2. They are not eligible for a Rec Center parking pass, they must purchase one through the Parking Office.

Dependents Who Are Also UMaine Students:
1. They probably already have their own record in our database (which we call a “household”) that has their own Student Pass on it.
2. According to the contracts negotiated by the Bargaining Units and HR, students’ Rec Fee cannot be waived.  However, they can be included on your Voucher Pass as a secondary member during any semester in which they are not charged the Rec Fee (and therefore do not have a Student Pass). This is not our rule, it is imposed system-wide by the Systems Office… UMS Benefits Office website for the system-wide information page.
3. They are not eligible for a Rec Center parking pass, they must purchase one through the Parking Office.

Family Members on Employee’s Health Insurance*: Employees may add their spouse/partner and dependents as long as they are included on the employee’s University of Maine Cigna health insurance plan.  If you would like your family added, please bring each of their health insurance cards with you to the front desk of the Rec Center.  (We don’t need to see your health insurance card… your own eligibility is not dependent on your health insurance status.) You are required to personally request that they be added and to show proof of health insurance enrollment. If you cannot come in person to do so, please email Kristie Deschesne. See above, “Dependents Who Are Also UMaine Students”. Please note that family members’ Secondary Passes expire on January 31 each year.
* Exception: As stated in their employment contract, AFUM bargaining unit members may add family members to their voucher regardless of whether they are on UMaine/Cigna health insurance.  Secondary Member eligibility policies still apply.

Family Members NOT on Employee’s Health Insurance*: Employees’ family members who are not on UMaine health insurance may join at the UMS Employee rate (primary membership required before secondary members can be added).  Employee is required to be present at the time of membership purchase.  Again, this is done at the Rec Center front desk.
* Exception: As stated in their employment contract, AFUM bargaining unit members may add family members to their voucher regardless of whether they are on UMaine/Cigna health insurance.  Secondary Member eligibility policies still apply.

Check-In: The Employee must have a MaineCard in order to receive a Voucher Pass in our database.  This is also the card you’ll use for check-in.  If you do not have one, please visit the MaineCard office (in the Memorial Union) to get one.  If you cannot get a MaineCard for some reason then you can use your paper voucher to get a RecCard printed for check-in, but the Paper Voucher Pass will expire on December 31 each year.  All family members who are not UMaine employees or UMaine students will also check in with a RecCard.  They can get their photo taken and a RecCard printed at their first visit to the Rec Center.

Parking: Family members who are not UMaine employees or UMaine students may get a free parking pass (valid only in the Rec Center lot); maximum 2 per household.  Please bring in your license plate number at your first visit and ask for a parking pass.

Current Campus Rec Members Who Have Become Voucher-Eligible:  Voucher-eligible Employees who wish to cancel their membership in order to participate in the Voucher program may do so by filling out a Cancellation Request Form at the Rec Center front desk.  This form cannot be emailed or faxed, it must be completed at the front desk so that the manager can ensure it’s filled out completely and correctly.  Membership refunds will be prorated from the date the form is filled out.  Employees switching to vouchers will not pay a membership cancellation fee.  Questions regarding membership cancellations should be emailed to Gwendolyn Reed, Administrative and Business Coordinator (Memberships & Lockers).