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VSEA General Counsel Tim Belcher wrote an excellent commentary that posted this morning to VTDigger, advising Vermont officials and lawmakers to learn about the harm of gov’t shutdowns from Maine’s mistakes.  

Read Tim’s Commentary Here. 

From commentary:   

Many people are hurt by a state shutdown, but most of the pain is felt by state workers and people who rely on government assistance or support. When the Scott administration talks about needing “leverage” in negotiations, he is saying that he needs the power to cause pain to people Democrats care about. If he shuts down government, state workers and others will see their economic lives turned upside down. At best, they will face uncertainty. At worst, people will lose income they were counting on. People who live paycheck to paycheck will fall behind. People will do without. Shutdowns are stressful, difficult and demoralizing events.

Continue Reading Here…

A cursory review of the roll call budget vote in May (H. 924) versus today (H. 13) finds that more than 30 GOP lawmakers flip flopped on their budget vote, initially voting to approve the budget and then flipping to a no vote today. 



Here is a list of GOP flippers.

VSEA members and retirees who live in one of these member’s districts are urged to call your representative and hold s/he responsible for a government shutdown. Find your representative(s) contact information here.

House Republicans (some of whom initially voted for the same budget they voted to reject today) voted as a block to stop an override of Governor Scott’s budget veto. Because there were no GOP defections, the vote was 90-51 to override, but, sadly, that is still 5 measly votes short of the 2/3 needed to spare Vermonters a lot of pain come July 1.

View The Roll Call Vote Here

VSEA thanks it’s members, retirees and supporters for your recent calls to targeted GOP lawmakers, who obviously care more about partisan politics than they do about the well being of Vermont and Vermonters.

VSEA received some very welcome news this morning when we were notified by Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB) Chair Tim Noonan that the Board is granting VSEA’s request to present oral argument on our Motion to Reconsider the VLRB’s March 30 decision in favor of the State’s last-best-contract-offer.This means the VLRB is taking us seriously and giving VSEA another chance to argue its case, and that’s more than we had a few days ago folks, especially with a July 1 implementation date coming fast.  

VSEA Contract Oral Argument @ VLRB
Thursday, July 12
13 Baldwin Street Montpelier
Time: TBD  

Keep an eye the VSEA social media pages, website, Week In Action and your email for more information on the hearing.  

Note: Unfortunately, this hearing does not put a "stay" on the implementation of the State’s last best offer on July 1.

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