VSEA.org

Unions have been dissatisfied for years with their lack of “pre-decisional involvement” in management decisions. They say that, at many agencies, decisions are already made before management comes to labor to discuss them. Labor leaders such as Bill Dougan, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, have often said that sometimes, top agency leaders commit to pre-decisional involvement, but managers in front-line offices seem to ignore those orders. “The most important topic for me is pre-decisional involvement,” Dougan said. “Where the work needs to be done, where the rubber meets the road is those labor-management forums down at those individual installations.”

State Representatives Terry Macaig and Jim McCullough penned a commentary recently that provides a good overview of how Vermont’s legislative process works.

"The result…is an older, wealthier body of representatives comprised mostly of retirees and white-collar professionals. ‘I think it looks like a bunch of people my parents’ age and older,” says Adam Howard, a 39-year-old former House Republican from Cambridge. “You just don’t get working family people down there. When you think about who demands the most from [state] services, they’re the least represented down there. That says a lot.”

“VSEA and our VSH members are really pleased by Governor Shumlin’s willingness to push forward on this important project, regardless of the amount of FEMA money secured. It’s no secret to anyone that we needed a new Vermont State Hospital yesterday, and VSEA thanks the Governor for pressing forward to do what is right and what is necessary.”

VSEA’s legislative team leaders and other union staff visited the VVH on January 3 for a tour and a chance to conduct face-to-face meetings throughout the day with key VVH and public officials, such as Board of Trustees President Joseph Krawczyk and Senator Dick Sears (D-Bennington).