VSEA.org – Page 251 – Vermont State Employees' Association

Senator Anthony Pollina Issues Press Release, Calling On Shumlin Administration To Keep Risk Management Division State-Run

March 21, 2016 2:50 pm

Sen. Anthony Pollina issued the following press release:

Pollina Wants Jobs to Stay in Vermont. Opposes Outsourcing of Workers Compensation Jobs

State Senator Anthony Pollina (PD Washington County) made the following statement opposing the eliminating of the Vermont Risk Assessment Division and outsourcing of Vermont jobs:

The Shumlin Administration’s plan to eliminate the State’s Risk Management Division is just bad policy, and will result in the loss of jobs and a weaker economy with no real benefit to the State.

We need to bring jobs into Vermont – not send jobs out of Vermont. There are real costs to sending jobs out of State. The proposal to outsource Risk Management makes no sense.

Eight Private, Out-Of-State Firms Bid To Take Over State’s Risk Management Division Services. Workers Say, “Keep It Local!”

March 21, 2016 2:36 pm

On March 17, BGS’ Purchasing Division unsealed the bids from eight private, for-profit companies who want to take over workers’ comp, liability, etc. services from the State’s Risk Management Division. The State proposed cutting the Division and its dozen-plus workers as part of its budget package. VSEA members in the Division have been fighting back for months now at the State House, and now they will be able to openly question why lawmakers would want to contract these services to an out-of-state firm, driven by profit.

Weekly News From Your Union: March 18, 2016

March 18, 2016 5:10 pm

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Vermont-NEA Members Urge State to Reach Settlement With VSEA

March 17, 2016 2:20 pm

The Vermont-NEA released the following statement in solidarity with VSEA members. Thank you for the support Vermont NEA!

State’s largest union calls for state to return to table and reach quick, fair settlement

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont-NEA’s 12,000 members stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters of the Vermont State Employees Association in their quest to reach a fair settlement with the administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin.

“As fellow public employees, we stand with the thousands of Vermont state workers who have so far been unable to convince the administration to reach a fair settlement, despite months of negotiating and compromising,” said Martha Allen, a K-12 librarian from Canaan, who serves as Vermont-NEA’s president. “It is long past time for the state to get back to the table. We urge the administration to do so.”

Here We Go Again… Lawmakers Must Find $35 Million In New Revenue

March 15, 2016 12:19 pm

According to VTDigger, Vermont lawmakers will once again have to scramble in the next few weeks to find millions of dollars in new revenue to balance the budget. Mind you, the Governor built no money into his budget for state employee wage and benefit enhancements, so if VSEA Bargaining Teams can negotiate a deal, that money will also need to be found. VSEA members will remember though that Speaker Shap Smith told the crowd at State House Day that he would be "keeping an eye on the budget as it nears its vote in committee," knowing that the Governor’s budget did not contain any funding.

VSEA members and the union’s legislative team will be watching the budget debate closely in the next few months, praying that cuts to public services don’t once again become the primary vehicle to fund Vermont’s annual budget holes.

There are alternatives. Just ask the Public Assets Institute or the VT Blue Ribbon Tax Commission.