At the September 9, 2023, Annual Meeting, VSEA members voted to table the 2024 budget to allow the Budget Committee time to make additional adjustments to capture new expenses previously not known to the committee when the budget was drafted in March 2023.
The Budget Committee completed their work a few weeks ago. The revised budget has been presented to and recommended by the VSEA Board of Trustees and VSEA Legislative Council per bylaw.
Tonight’s special meeting provides an opportunity for members to comment, ask questions, and vote on this revised proposal.
VSEA’s Special Annual Meeting is being tonight, Wednesday, November 29 at 6:00 PM, online, via Zoom.
The VSEA Board of Trustees is pleased to be sponsoring the second annual Will Wells Fundraising Challenge benefiting the Vermont Foodbank. The competition honors the late Will Wells; a VSEA member/activist who a few years back facilitated VSEA’s participation in the Vermont Foodbank’s annual virtual fundraising drive. Because this cause was so important to Will, the Board voted unanimously to name VSEA’s annual year-end friendly Chapter competition after him.
As in years past–and thanks to Will laying the groundwork–VSEA is challenging every VSEA Chapter and its members to raise as much money as possible between now and December 31 to provide meals to a “virtual food drive” for the Vermont Foodbank. Let’s see which VSEA Chapter can raise the most money for this very worthwhile cause that benefits so many Vermont families during especially difficult times. Again, the VSEA Board of Trustees voted to start each Chapter off with a $200 donation.
On behalf of the VSEA Board of Trustees, I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving holiday. We have a lot to be thankful for this year, beginning with the fact that labor unions nationwide are dominating the headlines these days with significant wins at the bargaining table and on the picket line. Because of your activism and support for each other, VSEA continues to raise the bar for state employees, both active and retired, while also protecting the wage, benefit, and working condition improvements we and those before us have won at the bargaining table. For this, the Board and I are thankful.
Yesterday afternoon, VTSU students, staff, and faculty gathered at the State House in Montpelier to conduct a press conference to blast the Board’s decision to proceed with cuts to programs and people. VTSU employee and VSEA leader Billie Neathawk has been actively involved in the campaign.
