VSEA Formally Requests Impact Bargaining
With State In Advance Of Potential Government Shutdown

VSEA issued the following press release
this morning:

With the [State] now talking openly of using a state shutdown as leverage in budget negotiations, the Vermont State Employees’ Association (VSEA) sent a letter today to Department of Human Resources (DHR) Labor Relations Director John Berard, requesting to negotiate with the State “over the impact of any potential shutdown of state government on the bargaining unit members we represent.”

“State workers know what it means to have our ability to earn a living wage used as leverage, and we strongly object to this Administration threatening our livelihoods and our services in order to force its opponents to cave to its rigid budget demands," explains VSEA President Dave Bellini. "Governor Scott is using state workers–and really every Vermonter who depends on state funds for a living–as pawns in a political game. VSEA strongly believes this budget dispute must be resolved through the normal democratic process, not by economic coercion.”

Here is the list of items VSEA is requesting to negotiate, prior to a shutdown:

• Compensation to be paid to employees after budgetary authority is restored, both for employees who are called to work and for those who are prevented from working;
   
• The designation of employees as essential, including the selection of which employees are selected to work where a worksite operates on a reduced workforce;
   
• Procedures for notifying employees of the commencement or conclusion of the shutdown;
   
• Whether any non-working time is treated as work time for benefits and other rights;
   
• What obligations employees may be under to be available for work during non-work days; and
   
• The treatment of pre-scheduled vacations, employees who are otherwise entitled to use sick leave, and compensation for the July 4 holiday. 

In the letter to DHR, VSEA also requests the following to help better prepare for negotiations:

• Any and all instructions or other communications between or among the Governor or members of his administration and the various departments or agencies of state government concerning any potential shutdown of state government; 
   
• Any contingency plans developed or being developed at the state-wide level or by the agencies and departments concerning the operations or closures of operations of state government in the event of a failure of budgetary authority; and 
   
• Any instructions or information provided to contractors regarding the impact of any potential shut down on their operations or funding. 

“As long as the threat of a shutdown remains on the table, we need to prepare for that possibility,” adds Bellini. “Our members want to know in advance how this is going to all go down, in the event, there is still a budget stalemate at the end of June. We remember the chaos and indecision about services and personnel after Hurricane Irene slammed us, and there’s no way anyone wants a repeat of that, which is why we are looking for concrete answers about a shutdown week in advance. VSEA remains hopeful a budget deal will be reached, and Vermont can continue to claim to be one of the few states to never suffer a government shutdown.”

Alert!
VSEA Board
Of Trustees’ Election Ballots Emailing On June 15!

All eligible VSEA members (except those who request a paper ballot) will receive an email on June 15 from 
vote@simplyvoting.com containing your electronic ballot to vote in one of four VSEA Board of Trustees’ elections being conducted this year.

This Year’s Elections:

• Non-Management Unit Trustee;
   
• Judicial Unit Trustee;
   
• District 3 (Newport/Island Pond, Lamoille, Northeast Kingdom, St. Johnsbury)Trustee; and
   
• District 6 (Brattleboro, Springfield, White River Junction)Trustee.

You are an “eligible” member if you belong to one of the Units where a seat is being contested or belong to a Chapter in a region where a vote is being conducted (i.e. District 6 seat represents the Brattleboro, Springfield and White River Junction region, so VSEA members belonging to the Brattleboro, Springfield and White River Junction Chapters should receive a ballot).

Very important! Your electronic ballot was sent to the home and work email address that VSEA currently has on file for you. If you do not receive an email from vote@simplyvoting.com on June 15, please look in your “Other” or “Spam” folders before contacting headquarters to request that your ballot be reissued.

Reminder: VSEA is sending ballots to members’ home or work email address, provided the union has your correct home or work email address. This is a big reason why WIA is constantly soliciting members to contact VSEA with your updated email address. You can update your contact information here anytime.

VSEA Hosts
Two Successful Gubernatorial Forums

VSEA’s Legislative Committee hosted two successful gubernatorial candidate forums this week, inviting candidates from all parties to participate and speak directly to VSEA members and retirees about how he or she would operate state government, the changes each would make, how each would bargain, how each would treat state workers and a host of other topics.

The first forum was Monday in Burlington and the second was held in Montpelier earlier today.

VSEA members and retirees who missed the forums, or who want to watch one or both again can do
so here:

• June 8: Montpelier Forum
   
• June 4: Burlington Forum

House Speaker & Lt. Governor Host Conference Call With VSEA Members & Retirees To Talk State Budget Impasse

The clock is ticking on the number of days left for lawmakers and the State to reach agreement on a budget, and it’s anyone’s guess right now if a deal is possible or not. However, in an effort to gather as much input as possible about how a government shutdown would impact state employees and the services you provide, House Speaker Mitzi Johnson and Lt. Governor David Zuckermen spent an hour on the phone on Wednesday with a hand full of members and retirees, listening to employee concerns and questions about a shut down and providing whatever information they could about possible outcomes.

VSEA thanks the Speaker and Lt. Governor for making time to include state employees and retirees in the budget-impasse conversation.

VSEA Creates One-Stop “Janus” Webpage To Educate Members & Retirees About The Expected Ruling & Its Potential Harm

If you haven’t already, begin educating yourself today about what a bad Janus decision means—or supplement what you know already—by clicking here. Please also inform your co-workers about the Janus page and talk with them about what you learned and remind them of the importance of a union in their every day life. You could make a difference. Every study shows that nothing is more effective than member-to-member communication.

Thanks in advance for visiting VSEA’s Janus webpage to ensure you are an informed union member.
 

• What You Should Know About The Anti-worker Janus Case Before The U.S. Supreme Court
   
• Real Talk About The Pending Changes To Your Union
   
• Benefits of VSEA Union Membership VS Right To Work State (US Supreme Court Case Janus vs. AFSCME) PDF
   
• 5 Things You Should Know About The Anti-worker Janus Case Before The U.S. Supreme Court

State Employees Adapt (Again) After Being Displaced By Fire At
National Life

Brattleboro Chapter Elects New Officers

Members attending the Brattleboro Chapter’s most recent meeting elected a new slate of officers, and they are:

Robin Rieske – President
Department of Health

Jeff Trowt – Vice President
Department of Motor Vehicles

Katie Knaeble – Clerk
Department of Labor

John Connelly – Treasurer
Department for Children and Families

Central Vermont Chapter Elects New Officers

Members attending this week’s Central Vermont Chapter meeting in Montpelier elected new slate of officers, and they are:

Dawn Carillo – President
Agency of Digital Services

Marion Allen – Vice President
Department of Labor

Cassandra Edson – Clerk
Department of Labor

Erica Mongeon – Treasurer
Department of Financial Regulation

More Photos From Successful VSEA Chapter Food Drives

VSEA is applauding the Chapter Presidents’ Committee for sponsoring a recent successful food drive, asking state employees across all Chapters to donate food and necessities. True to form, VSEA members donated generously to the drive, which culminated at the end of May.

Last week, WIA shared photos of the donations made to the Brattleboro and Bennington Chapters’ food drives, and this week WIA is pleased to share photos submitted this week from the Barre, Bennington, Central Vermont, Lamoille Valley and Waterbury Chapters.

Thanks again to every VSEA member who donated and to every Chapter President for spearheading the drive.

Barre Chapter:

Lamoille Chapter:

Central Vermont Chapter:

Bennington Chapter:

Waterbury Chapter:

VSEA HQ:

Thanks for sharing these photos and thanks to everyone who participated!

Next Rutland Chapter Meeting Is June 13

Wednesday, June 13
12:00 p.m.
Asa Bloomer Building’s fourth-floor conference room, located at 88 Merchant’s Row in Rutland.

Important Chapter elections being conducted! Food and beverages available.

Please direct any questions or comments to VSEA Rutland Chapter President Matt Jakubowski via email at firebeevt@yahoo.com.   

Upcoming Steward Training

New Benefits Available Only To VSEA Members And Your Families

VSEA is pleased to announce that the following new benefits are available to members and your families:

• Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance up to $150,000*;
   
• Guaranteed Tax-Deferred Interest of 4.00%;
   
• Fund Value Accumulations can be taken in a lump sum or lifetime retirement income;
   
• Accelerated Death Benefit for Long Term Care allows the withdrawal of 100% death benefits;
   
• Accelerated Death Benefit for Terminal Illness allows the withdrawal of 75% of death benefits;
   
• Portable if you change jobs or retire, you can take these valuable benefits with you;
   
• Loans available at low-interest rates; and
   
• Convenient Premiums through payroll deduction or bank draft.

*Available to family members with limited underwriting

Benefit Counselors will be available next week in the following locations. To schedule an appointment, please call Paul McNally at (732) 687-1859.

Monday, June 11
Burlington Area Locations
9:30am-5:00pm

Tuesday, June 12
Johnson State University, Hyde Park, & Waterbury Area Locations
9:30am-5:00pm

Wednesday, June 13
Montpellier, Barre & West Berlin Area Locations
9:30am-4:00pm

Thursday, June 14
Williston, Essex Junction, & Colchester Area Locations
9:30am-5:00pm

Friday, June 15
Burlington Area Locations
9:30am-12:00pm

VSEA Insurance Representative Joanne Woodcock Launching Remote Sign-Up Option For Bennington Members

Longtime VSEA Insurance Representative Joanne Woodcock sent an email to VSEA members in Bennington this week, announcing that she is beginning an area-by-area, remote sign-up service, where you meet and enroll with Joanne by computer and phone.

From Joanne’s email:

“We’ve been working hard to make it easier for VSEA members to sign up for our insurance benefits. You can now enroll anytime just by making an appointment.

For more information email Joanne Woodcock at joanne@vseainsurance.com”

Note: Keep checking WIA to see when Joanne will be signing up members in your area.

Brattleboro Reformer Editorial Nails It: "Vermont’s Prison Road Trip Needs To End"

The Brattleboro Reformer has an excellent editorial today that takes the State and lawmakers to task for continuing to send Vermont inmates to private, for-profit, out-of-state prisons, even after the latest disturbing news out of Pennsylvania. Now the State and lawmakers are reviewing plans to ship Vermont’s soon-to-be-displaced Pennsylvania inmates to either Mississippi (yikes!) or Rhode Island.

The Reformer editorial says enough is enough, and VSEA agrees, evidenced by the editorial’s ending, which is:

"Steve Howard is the executive director of the Vermont State Employees’ Association, the union that represents state workers including corrections officers. He had this to say to VTDigger.org, and it reflects our view: "We should be bringing prisoners close to home," he said, "in facilities that are run according to our values."’

Note: Now, about that empty Windsor facility…

UVM Nurses Conducting Strike Vote
This Weekend

Frustrated by the University of Vermont (UVM) Medical Center’s management team’s “our-way-or-the-highway” bargaining stance at the negotiating table, nurses at the facility are conducting a strike vote this weekend. The nurses’ contract expires July 9, 2018.

From a June 7 post to the Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Facebook page about why a strike vote is needed:

"After a series of Unfair Labor Practices during more than two months of bargaining, including intimidation, polling, interfering with bargaining reps, surveilling union activity, removing union flyers, prohibiting union discussions, and generally not bargaining in good faith.

Note: WIA will continue to follow this story as it develops. Solidarity.

Poll Finds Americans View Long-Term Decline In Union Membership Negatively

This week, the Pew Research Center published the findings of a recent poll it conducted, asking Americans how they view unions and how they view the steady decline of union membership nationwide.

From the Center’s online summary:

About half of Americans (51%) say the large reduction in union representation has been mostly bad for working people in the U.S., while 35% say it has been mostly good, according to the Center’s survey, which was conducted in April and May.

&

A majority of the public (55%) now holds a favorable view of labor unions, while 33% hold an unfavorable view. The share with a favorable view is down slightly from last year (60%), but much higher than in 2011, when just 41% viewed unions favorably.

Forget 10K… Site Ranks Vermont In Top 10 States For College Grads To Find Work

Vermonters might have heard about the State’s recent offer to Americans of 10K to help defray moving costs, etc. to come to Vermont to live. It could help, but highlighting lists like the one just published on a website called "College Candy," might help as well–and it’s free. The site lists Vermont in its "Top 10 Best States To Find A Job."

Vermont’s Summary On Site:

Median annual income (adjusted for the cost of living): $46,482

Unemployment rate: 3.0%

Share of workers living under the poverty line: 5.69%

Employment outlook score: 22

"The scenery in Vermont is absolutely beautiful, from fall foliage to glassy lakes to tall mountains to the starry nighttime sky. If fresh fruit and fresh air sound appealing, you love nature and you aren’t bothered by the cold, check out this state."

See Full List

Teamsters Vote To Strike UPS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on June 5 that 260,000 UPS workers represented by the Teamsters have voted to strike the delivery giant if a fair contract cannot be reached by July 31.

“This vote by our UPS and UPS Freight members gives the negotiating committees bargaining leverage this week and during subsequent negotiations for the national contract and the supplements,” Teamsters national UPS negotiating committee co-chairman Denis Taylor tells the paper in a written statement.

The Teamsters say its members authorized a strike if necessary by a 93 percent margin. The vote at UPS Freight was by a 91 percent margin, according to the union. The voting was through an electronic ballot.

UPS officials tell the paper they are “confident” an agreement can be reached.