January 4 marks the beginning of the 2017 Vermont legislative session. In advance, please click on the button below to read a special pre-legislative-session edition of the VSEA VOICE. Here’s some of what’s inside:
2017 VSEA Legislative Agenda;
Message from VSEA President Dave Bellini;
Profile of VSEA Leglislative Committee Chair Margaret Crowley;
Background on new House and Senate leaders;
Information about how to contact your legislators; and
A listing of all the new faces under the Golden Dome.
Like clockwork it seems, every legislative session, some lawmaker will sound an unfortunate call at the State House to privatize the care Vermont provides to its veterans residing at the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington.
Each year, VSEA and its members at the Vets’ Home go to the State House to testify and educate lawmakers about why privatization is a bad idea, yet the threats keep coming. For this reason, VSEA is asking all our Facebook friends to please share this short video—in advance of the 2017 legislative session—with your Vermont friends far and wide.
Let’s work together to stop a debate about privatizing Vermont’s sole Veterans’ Home before it even starts!
VSEA Brattleboro Chapter President Robin Rieske (pictured here, second from left) is thanking Chapter members for participating in its recent food drive, which collected four boxes of food to donate to a local shelter. Rieske is sending a special thanks to area AOT members for their contributions.
Rieske also notes that this is VSEA member and food-drive helper Marie Carosella’s last week as a state employee. Carosella (pictured here in celebratory queen hat) is retiring after 34 years of service to Vermonters.
VSEA thanks Marie for her service, and we thank Robin and all Brattleboro members for their generosity.
Also pictured are VDH employee and VSEA member Allyson Howe (tiny top hat) and VSEA retiree Kathleen White.
VSEA Strategic Analyst Adam Norton’s presentation on everything wrong with America’s so-called “Right-to-Work” movement was so well received at VSEA’s Annual Meeting that Norton is now fulfilling requests to give the presentation to Chapters.
Norton’s “Right To Work (For Less)” presentation is a must-view for all state employees who are concerned about the move across America to bust unions and hasten the race to the bottom for workers. Please share this presentation with interested colleagues.
