Fact-Finder’s Report Leads To Tentative Agreement For Judiciary Members

Here is the press release VSEA issued on November 30:

After eleven months of difficult negotiations and less than a week after the release of a Fact Finder’s report, frontline Judiciary workers belonging to the Vermont State Employees’ Association (VSEA) returned to the table with the Court Administrator on Tuesday and were able to reach a tentative agreement.

“VSEA members worked very hard to ensure our collective voices were heard over a very long and tough bargaining process,” explains VSEA Judiciary Unit Chair Margaret Crowley. “The agreement reached yesterday will help us support ourselves and our families and will also help ensure that the Judiciary community is strong and that there is a culture of mutual respect. We are excited to now take this tentative agreement to the full Judiciary membership for a ratification vote.”

VSEA is not yet releasing full details of the tentative agreement, pending the upcoming ratification vote by Judiciary Unit members.

Note: Ballots are in the mail to Judiciary members and they are due back to headquarters by December 14, 2016. Soon after, VSEA’s Elections, Rules and Nominating Committee will count the votes.

Last Week’s VSEA Press Release, Following Delivery Of Fact Finder’s Report

This week’s meeting (where an agreement was reached) was predicated, in part, by the delivery of a fact-finder’s report to VSEA Judiciary Unit members just before the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The report supported the workers’ positions on a majority of issues they were trying to bargain with the Court Administrator. In response to the report, VSEA issued the press release below, and in response to that, the Court Administrator’s lead negotiator told the Associated Press that the Judiciary is “cautiously optimistic” a deal can be reached—a conclusion VSEA Judiciary members still wish he had come to months ago, without having to involve a fact finder.

Here is the press release VSEA issued just before the holiday:

Members of the Vermont State Employees’ Association’s (VSEA) Judiciary Unit are cheering the overall recommendations contained in a long-awaited, fact-finder’s report that was delivered this morning to the union. VSEA’s Judiciary Unit members have been in a tough contract battle with the Court Administrator since December 2015.

“On the bargaining issues most important to our Unit, we were very pleased to read that the fact finder agreed with us that docket clerks deserve more pay and we all deserve to have a fair reclassification process,” explains VSEA Judiciary Unit Chair Margaret Crowley.

Some of the highlights from the fact-finder’s report include:

Recommendation that Docket Clerks and Court Officers receive an immediate wage review by a mutually selected neutral party, who will hear evidence from both parties and make a final and binding decision;

Recommendation to adopt VSEA’s proposed employee reclassification process in large part, including an open fact-finding process and an easier path to appeal, ending in final review by the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB);

Rejection of the Court Administrator’s request to commence bargaining after the legislative session has already started, and the Judiciary’s budget has been submitted;

Rejection of the Court Administrator’s request not to make employees cost-of-living-increases retroactive to July 2016; and

Positive movement on the issue of higher assignment pay and “on-call” pay for Judiciary workers.

“VSEA’s Judiciary Unit is excited to be able to return now to the bargaining table with this very supportive report in our hands,” adds Crowley.

Notable Quotes from the Fact Finder’s Report

Page 32: “Docket Clerks keep the judicial system running and are a significant public face of the Judiciary. It is in the interests of not only the clerks themselves, but of the Judiciary as a whole, the public and the state of Vermont that they receive appropriate compensation. It should not be necessary for [Docket Clerks] to have a second job to pay their bills, yet many do.

Page 34: “The [Judiciary’s] current reclassification procedure is inefficient, unduly complicated, and lacks many of the basic attributes of due process.”

Page 79: “I admit to some difficulty in understanding how the Chief Justice can establish budgetary priorities without knowing the Union’s proposals concerning some of the biggest items in the budget. Apparently the ‘placeholder’ is intended to save some space for the outcome of negotiations, but experience apparently teaches that once ‘placeholder’ becomes part of the Governor’s budget, it tends to harden into a ‘foregone conclusion.’ This handicaps the Union right from the outset of negotiations.”

VSEA’s Judiciary Unit and the Court Administrator now have 15 days to see if a deal can be reached. If not, the contract dispute will move to the Vermont Labor Relations Board, much as it did earlier this year with VSEA’s Non-Management, Supervisory and Corrections Units.

Contracts Are In The Mail!

The wait is over. New contracts have finally been delivered from the printer and should be arriving soon in the mailboxes of VSEA members belonging to the Non-Management, Supervisory, Corrections and Defender General Units.

If you do not receive a copy of your contract by Christmas, please contact VSEA by email at vsea@vsea.org to let us know. It could be VSEA does not have an updated home mailing address for you, and we can update your information and mail you your contract.

Vermont Labor Coming Together To Strategize About Election Outcome

The Vermont AFL-CIO’s Traven Leyshon announced this week that the labor group is hosting an "emergency community discussion" on December 12 in Montpelier to talk about the recent election’s potential impact on working people, the labor movement, the poor and middle class and all other groups who could be adversely impacted.

Members of labor unions, social and economic justice groups and community-based organizations are invited to attend and participate in developing a group strategy to combat any and all of the threats. The meeting will be "fish bowl" style, meaning a panel of group representatives will be ensuring their members’ voices are included in the discussion.

Vermont AFL-CIO Emergency Community Discussion
Monday, December 12
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Christ Episcopal Church*
64 State St.
Montpelier, VT
> Register For Event Here

*Please note that the original venue was too small to accommodate the anticipated crowd, so the event has been moved to the Christ Episcopal Church.

VSEA Brattleboro Chapter Collecting Food To "Feed The Thousands"

VSEA’s Brattleboro Chapter President Robin Rieske wrote to Chapter members this week to solicit their participation in southeastern Vermont’s largest annual food drive "Feed the Thousands”. In the spirit of the holiday season, Rieske is urging Chapter members to donate what they can to the effort.

Suggested Items To Donate:

Brown Rice
Canned Fruits & Vegetables
Canned Tuna & Chicken
Cereals & Other Non-Perishables
Diapers & Formula
Dried Fruit
Low-Sodium Soups
Pasta/Sauce
Peanut Butter
Personal Care Items
Whole Grain Crackers

Brattleboro Chapter Collection Sites:

• State Office Building, 232 Main Street — First Floor Conference Room Hallway; and
• AOT Garage — U.S. Route 5, Dummerston

Collection Ends Tuesday, December 20, which is the same day as the VSEA Brattleboro Chapter’s Annual Lunchtime Holiday Meeting, noon to 12:45 p.m. in Room 148 at the State Office Building. Stop by with your donation!

Central Vermont Chapter Meeting Is December 5

VSEA’s Central Vermont Chapter is holding a Chapter meeting on Monday, December 5, in the Department of Labor’s first-floor conference room, located at 5 Green Mountain Drive in Montpelier. The meeting begins at 11:45 a.m., and items on the agenda include updates, a financial report and a discussion about the concept of right-to-work-for-less and the damage it can do. Food and beverages will be provided.

Questions? Please contact Chapter President Cassandra Edson by email at cassandraedson@hotmail.com.

DCF Workers & Others Concerned About Spike In Number Of Windham County Children In Need Of Foster Care

VTDigger published a story on November 28 about Windham County is experiencing a 50% spike this year in the number of County children needing foster care. In the piece, the supervisor of the Brattleboro DCF Office, Lisa Keller, explains how the rise in children in need is causing time management and other issues for many frontline DCF workers.

From the story:

“The workload is beyond anything I could ever imagine, and I am doing my worst work with my community partners — not returning phone calls, not returning emails because I’m trying to put out fires,” Keller explains. “There’s very little rest…but you all are working way above and beyond.

She adds that there aren’t enough foster parents to go around, and that those who take on the role are sometimes so overwhelmed that they return a child to DCF. When that happens, Keller says, “I want to be angry, but I get it.”

Keller also acknowledges that drug use is a big problem in her county, like many others, but she reminds that other long-standing problems remain as well.

“It’s still the same issues that were there when I started 26 years ago,” Keller says. “The households where there’s domestic violence, the households where there’s a parent with a severe mental illness. Trauma…is part of it. Parents who have developmental delays.”

Note: Many VSEA DCF members across Vermont are still grappling with rising caseloads, which means this group of workers will once again have to make their way to the State House to continue to lobby for some remedy to address the problem. Safety also remains high on the list of priorities for frontline DCF workers.

VSEA Proud To Represent Northern Vermont University Workers

The Vermont State Colleges’ Board of Trustees met this week to decide on a new name for the soon-to-be combined Lyndon State and Johnson State campuses. After some discussion, the Board voted to change the campuses’ combined name to The Northern Vermont University, making them the Northern Vermont University-Lyndonville and the Northern Vermont University-Johnson. The new combined campus arrangement begins officially on July 1, 2018.

VSEA, AFT and other union members on the two campuses being combined continue to wait for more information about how the “unification” might impact workers.

VSEA Labor Educator Announces Winter/ Spring 2016 Training Schedule

VSEA Labor Educator Tim Lenoch asked WIA to announce a new round of trainings he has scheduled throughout the winter 2016. If you are interested in registering to attend one or more trainings, you can do so by clicking here. Please direct your training questions to Tim at tlenoch@vsea.org.

All trainings begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Location may change based on worksite location of registered participants. If this happens, registered participants will be notified at least a week ahead of the training. Mileage and lunch may be reimbursed or provided.

TOPIC TRAININGS

Representing Co-Workers in Investigations and Disciplinary Meetings
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, January 9

Stewards & The “Hostile Work Enviroment”
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday January 31

Health and Safety Issues In The Workplace
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, February 7

Stewards & Labor Management Committees
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, February 16

The Grievance
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, February 23

Diversity For Public Sector Union Members
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, April 4

Stewards & Contract Review
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, April 20

TARGETED DEPARTMENT/BARGAINING UNIT TRAININGS

Nursing/Health Care Facility Stewards
Mendon
Thursday, February 2

Department of Corrections Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, February 14

Supervisory Bargaining Unit Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, March 14

Vermont State Colleges’ Stewards
VTC Campus, Randolph Center
Thursday, April 6

Judiciary Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, April 11

DCF Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, April 27

NEW STEWARD TRAININGS

Steward 1: Introduction and the Basics
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, March 2

Steward 2: Protecting the Contract and Building the Union
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, March 16

Steward 3: The Contract and Challenges in the Workplace
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, March 30

Steward 1: Introduction and the Basics
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, May 4

Steward 2: Protecting the Contract and Building the Union
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, May 16

ALL STEWARD TRAINING

All-Steward Training
VTC Campus, Randolph
Friday, May 26

> Click here to register for a training(s)!

Lara Sobel’s Family Establishes Trust To Honor Daughter

VSEA members really stepped up when the call went out to donate to a fund VSEA established to help Lara Sobel’s children. But if you never got around to contributing to the now defunct fund, Lara’s father recently contacted VSEA to let her union know that the family recently established a trust to aid Lara’s two young children.

So, if you or anyone you know want to make a contribution to honor Lara Sobel, now or in the future, please mail your donation to:

Sobel-Faryniarz Trust
64 Timber Ridge Road
Underhill Vermont 05489

Your donation check should be made out directly to the Sobel-Faryniarz Trust.

“We thank the VSEA for its support and efforts throughout this difficult period,” Lara’s father Alex Sobel wrote in his note to VSEA about setting up the Trust. “You should know you have made a difference.”

Bus Is Filling For VSEA Sponsored New Year’s Eve Trip To See Disney On Ice In Boston!

On the heels of successful VSEA “NASCAR Day” and “Day at Fenway” events, VSEA’s Membership Recruitment Committee is now scheduling a “VSEA Disney on Ice” event for interested members and your families.

The performance is New Year’s Eve, December 31, at 3:00 p.m. at Boston University’s Agganis Arena.

The package price is $60 per member/family member and that includes your ticket and transportation to and from the arena.

A chartered bus will pick members up members at:

9:00 a.m. – Waterbury
10:00 a.m. – White River Junction
10:30 a.m. – Springfield Park & Ride

Here’s a synopsis of the show: Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss. And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime! Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!

Questions? Contact VSEA Union Rep Bob South (bsouth@vsea.org) or Administrative Assistant Susan Devoid (sdevoid@vsea.org).

> Register For VSEA’s “Disney On Ice” Offer Here!

Want To Be More Involved With Your Union?

VSEA First Vice President Looking To Fill Vacant Council Seats

VSEA First Vice President Aimee Towne is casting a net to try to fill several open seats on the VSEA Council. With more than 120 VSEA members, the VSEA Council is one of your union’s primary governing bodies and its largest and most diverse, with departmental representatives from across state government. The Council meets quarterly and retains a right to override decisions made by the VSEA Board of Trustees.

The following Council seats (by departmental heading) are currently open, and interested VSEA members are urged to self nominate:

Aging and Independent Living – 2 seats available

Agriculture

Auditor of Accounts

Buildings and General Services – 3 seats available

Children and Families – 2 seats available

ACCD/Economic Development

ACCD/Marketing and Tourism

Commission on Women

Criminal Justice Training Council

Defender General

DVHA

Education

Environmental Conservation

Finance and Management

Financial Regulation

Forests and Parks

AHS/Rate Setting & Auditing

AHS/IT Unit

Judiciary

Labor

Library

Liquor Control

Lottery

Mental Health

Military

ANR

Public Safety – Civilian – 3 seats available

Public Service Board

Public Service Department

Secretary of State

Tax Department

Transportation – 2 seats available

Transportation Agency/DMV – 2 seats available

Treasurer’s Office

> You can find a self-nominating form by clicking here. (opens/ downloads as a PDF)

Questions? Please contact VSEA Administrative Assistant Ayla Hudson at 802-223-5247, or by email at ahudson@vsea.org.

VSEA Insurance Representative Will Be In Chittenden County Throughout December

By Appointment Only:

VSEA Insurance Representative Joanne Woodcock will be at the following locations to talk with interested VSEA members about member-only insurance benefits.

Dept. of Health Access Eligibility Unit (HAEU)
1000 River Road, Essex Junction, VT
Bolton Conference Room
December 6 and 7 – 12:00 to 4:00
Please sign in at the Visitors Center – ID is required

Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center
26 Woodside Drive, Colchester, VT
December 13 and 14 – 12:00 to 4:00 pm

108 Cherry Street, Suite 104
Burlington, VT
December 15 and 16
12:00 to 4:00

Dept. of Vermont Health Access
312 Hurricane Lane
Williston, Vt.
December 20 and 21
12:00 to 4:00

Receive information on disability coverage, family life insurance, family accident and cancer coverage. You must be a member paying full dues to be eligible for this VSEA benefit. If you are an agency-fee payer, Joanne can provide you information about signing up for full membership.

All applications have to be taken in person.

Email Joanne@vseainsurance.com for an appointment. Please provide your age, hourly wage and job description so I can send a quote BEFORE we meet. See attached brochure here.

Tennessee State Employees’ Executive Director’s Excellent Commentary Argues Against Privatization, Stressing That The Savings Simply Aren’t There

TSEA Executive Director Randy Stamps penned a recent commentary in the Knoxville News Sentinel, in which lists several public service privatization moves he says have ended up costing TN taxpayers millions in additional costs.

Stamps’ commentary includes:

“In another example, in 2015 the state signed a $31 million contract with a private vendor to run a Medicaid eligibility call center. That vendor failed to perform its duties and was replaced by another private company for $56.5 million. This work used to be handled by state employees.”

and it concludes:

"…as taxpayers, we must ask harder questions and demand more oversight on any contracts that outsource a state service. The notion of cost savings from outsourcing is simply no longer credible."

California State Workers Schedule One-Day Strike For December 5

The San Francisco Gate reports on November 22 that more than 95,000 California state employees have scheduled a one-day strike for Monday, December 5. to protest the State’s "unlawful and egregious" labor practices during bargaining. According to the story, "union leaders are timing the strike on the same day as the swearing-in of state lawmakers in Sacramento, when thousands are expected to flock to California’s capital."

SEIU Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker commented on the possibility of a strike to the Sacramento Bee, “The state has provided no explanation or justification for its unlawful conduct and it is our duty and responsibility to hold them accountable.”

Breaking! California Governor Jerry Brown filed an injunction today to prevent state workers from striking on Monday. We’ll see…

AFSCME Council 5 Launches New Labor History Site

AFSCME Council 5 in Minnesota has launched a new website that features labor leaders whose lives are models for achieving justice and equality. It’s called AFSCME Roots.

In a novel approach, the Council recorded its members performing spoken and musical pieces that pay tribute to Sojourner Truth, Mother Jones, Pauline Newman, Eugene Debs, Bayard Rustin and Jerry Wurf. The members’ performances then became the basis for the new website.

"Worker rights, civil rights and human rights are all connected," explains Council 5 Public Affairs Director Jennifer Munt, who wrote and directed the performances. "Now, more than ever, we must remember who we are and what we fight to protect as a labor movement. We hope AFSCME Roots will help working people do that."

New Study Finds Belonging To A Union Increases Middle-Class Wealth

A new study by the group Center for American Progress finds that belonging to a union can increase wealth for middle-class Americans. Most would believe this is due to higher wages and better benefits, but the study found there’s even more to it.

“It is possible that stable union jobs that offer access to training and career opportunities make it easier for middle-class families to plan for their future and thus increase their savings,” the report says. “In that sense, union membership can create a virtuous cycle for middle-class stability.”

> Read the CAP study here.

VSEA Offering Discounted Long-Term Care Insurance To Members

VSEA President Dave Bellini sent an email to members yesterday, announcing a new and valuable benefit for VSEA members. Your union is partnering with National Long-Term Care Brokers (NYLTCB) to offer Long-Term Care Insurance with discounted premiums.

The program is subject to medical underwriting and insurability is not guaranteed.

Some reasons people plan ahead for Long-Term Care:

• To protect retirement assets and pension income;
• To prevent Medicaid spend down (impoverishment);
• To ensure options for health care; and
• To avoid being a burden to loved ones.

As a VSEA member, this offering is made available to you and your eligible family members with a permanent discount, not available to the general public. Eligible family members include spouses/domestic partners, adult children and parents/parents-in-law.

You will have access to a dedicated Long-Term Care planning specialist to help determine if coverage is appropriate for you, and compare policies from different insurance companies to ensure the best coverage at the most competitive premium.

For more information please call NYLTCB to free at (800) 695-8224 Ext 137 or visit http://nyltcb.com/vsea/

Subscribe To VSEA!

VSEA’s Communications Department is happy to disseminate any and all communications the leadership, Chapters, Units, and others request, however, the lists the Department currently pull from are provided to the union by the State of Vermont. VSEA’s Communications Department has found the lists to be dated, incomplete and sometimes lacking key information that was entered by a VSEA staff person but later overwritten or deleted during a State data dump.

To help VSEA more effectively reach active members—and really all those members who want to know what’s going on in their union—VSEA will be working hard in the coming months to collect members’ emails on its own and begin to build contact lists that cannot be altered by a State download.

You can help us get started by clicking here and signing up for the VSEA communications you are interested in receiving.

Thank you in advance for subscribing. Please urge your colleagues to do the same.