VSEA is thrilled to announce that 20+ District State’s Attorney’s workers in the Chittenden office officially voted for VSEA representation this afternoon!
Congratulations to these workers and welcome to the VSEA family!
Follow the rocky path three VSEA Bargaining Teams have had to follow in recent negotiations with the State of Vermont and learn why it’s so important for VSEA members and all supportive Vermonters to be contacting your lawmakers right now to tell them to fully fund the VSEA contracts.
Late this afternoon, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved full funding for the “Pay Act,” or, translated, full funding for VSEA’s contract last best offer, which the VLRB ruled in favor of earlier this week.
That’s the good, now for the bad.
To meet the funding obligation, the Committee left in a proposal by the State to save $500,000 by privatizing the Office of Risk Management; a real bone of contention that WIA has written about several times in past issues.
“This continues to be a very bad idea, and VSEA will be working very hard to prevent this privatization from ever happening, because we do believe it will lead to a reduction in services and a loss of more than one hundred years of combined experience and dedication,” says VSEA Executive Director Steve Howard. “VSEA has provided lawmakers with privatization alternatives and other ideas to stop this from happening. It’s going to be a fight, but it’s one VSEA is prepared to participate in until we are able to protect these jobs and this critical service.”
>> VSEA continues to urge its members to call the senators who represent the district where you live and urge them to fully fund your contracts.