VSEA’s Organizing and Communications Departments created a one-stop webpage where VSEA members and retirees can go to learn more about the Janus v. AFSCME case, which will be decided any day now by the U.S. Supreme Court. All signs point to SCOTUS delivering a bad decision to America’s public-sector workers by ruling that unions representing public-sector workers can no longer collect agency fees. Well known to most union members following this lawsuit is that it was brought forward by a right-to-work advocate and his allies, who want nothing more than to accelerate corporate Americas’ race to the bottom by dealing a massive economic blow to Vermont and all American workers and trampling all over your employment rights as well.
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.
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At yesterday’s VSEA Council meeting, Labor Relations Director Gary Hoadley shared the letter he received back from DHR, concerning VSEA’s request to impact bargain with the State, prior to a government shutdown. In the letter, DHR tells Hoadley it doesn’t believe it has to impact bargain with VSEA but would happy to "talk" with us about it. DHR also wrote it would be happy to answer any questions VSEA has, but did not answer any of the questions VSEA asked in its letter. DHR’s response arrived just a few days after DHR Commissioner Beth Fastiggi told VTDigger that DHR has had zero discussions about its role in a possible gov’t shutdown.
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VSEA issued the following press release on June 8:
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.”
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VSEA’s Legislative Committee hosted two successful gubernatorial candidate forums in June, 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 June 4 in Burlington and the second was held in Montpelier on June 8. 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
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