VSEA members should have received an email earlier today, informing you that it is once again open enrollment time for VSEA members who are not currently enrolled in your union’s very popular Northeast Delta Dental Supplemental Program. The VSEA supplemental program is designed to enhance your current State-provided dental insurance benefit.
This enrollment period is also when members already in the program can amend their number of dependents also using the program, if this number has changed in the past year.
The deadline to enroll in the supplemental dental plan, or amend your current plan, is Friday, May 14, 2021.
If you are currently enrolled in the plan but are not making any changes, you do not have to do anything.
VSEA President Aimee Towne told a crowded Zoom meeting tonight that the House Government Operations Committee voted 9-2 today to pass a proposal that would put 9 non-labor persons and 6 labor persons on a soon-to-be-formed pension task force. VSEA is thanking Representatives Bob Hooper and Tanya Vyhovsky for voting against the HGO’s unjust proposal that stacks the deck against Vermont labor on this important task force.
The HGO proposal now moves to the House Appropriations Committee for review. VSEA will be reaching out soon to members and retirees to begin lobbying Committee members to vote the HGO proposal down. VSEA continues to float an alternative task force proposal that would equally allot seats between labor and non-labor.
If the Appropriations Committee passes the HGO proposal, it would then move to the House floor for a vote. Up next would be a trip to the Vermont Senate.
This week, the House Committee on Government Operations is voting on a bill that would permit the taskforce being set up to make recommendations on your retirement to be dominated by your boss and other managers. As the bill is written now, the voice of your union and other labor unions would be completely drowned out by these bosses.
If we don’t push back right now, we will lose this fight to shape the debate about the future of your retirement.
That’s why we need you to call or e-mail your Vermont House representative today to tell them that:
The Pension Taskforce and VPIC should be equally balanced between Labor and non-Labor members.
Ask them to share this message with their colleagues on the Government Operations Committee, and with the Speaker of the House.
A vote in the Committee is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Your call could be the difference in the fight stop this terrible proposal before it’s too late!
Hundreds of state employees, teachers and troopers rallied against pension cuts last Saturday at the State House. Thanks to all who attended. More photos from Saturday.
