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This letter appeared this week in the Valley News. Thanks, Ashley!

No Way To Thank Vt. State Employees

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Vermont state employees have been working mornings, nights and weekends to make sure that vulnerable Vermonters are taken care of. It has not been easy.

In my division, Economic Services, we have been the backbone for providing emergency housing, food and fuel benefits and cash assistance for struggling Vermonters. On top of procedural changes, our caseloads have increased exponentially.

Department of Labor employees worked relentlessly for months processing benefits. Can you imagine being a teacher during the pandemic? I truly do not know how they did it. I am in awe. I could go on about all the state departments and divisions that worked very hard this last year.

Last year, Rep. Cynthia Browning introduced an amendment to eliminate a negotiated pay increase for state employees. Thankfully, our legislators voted no. Less than a year later, lawmakers want to thank state employees for their hard work by taking money from our pensions that was (again) already agreed upon in order to fix budgetary issues we have not caused.

Continue Reading Here…

Big Win. No Pension Reform This Session!

Saturday Pension Rally In Burlington Cancelled!

Springfield Chapter Still Rallying This Evening But Not Saturday!

Here’s The Pension Proposal The VSEA Board Adopted This Week

Press Accounts: Mid-Week Rallies Against Pension Proposal

Solidarity & Thanks!

VSEA & Colleges Agree To Settle Grievances Over The Emergency Closing & Work-Week Changes

Court Employee Awarded $60,000 Due To “Substantiated” Racial Discrimination

April 9 Deadline To Submit Bylaw Changes

Still Time To Apply For A 2021 VSEA Scholarship! May 7 Deadline

March Is Women’s History Month

Upcoming Meeting: Board Of Trustees

Quote Of The Week!

More Than 200 Technologists Vote To Join VT AFT

Read The Full Newsletter Here!

• Any final proposals put forth will not negatively impact current retirees or active employees who are within ten years of current normal retirement eligibility and inactive vested members;
• Application of one-time monies towards UAAL, $225M;
• Designate a revenue source with annual contribution, $50M;
• Increase Employee Contribution .35% across all groups;
• Creation of Group G: would move Corrections who supervise offenders or work in the facility, VVH, VPCH, MTCR or any successor psychiatric facilities into this plan that would offer full retirement at 55 or early retirement at 50. Contribution rate would be same Group C; 
• Group F: Incentivize current members eligible for retirement to continue working past 30 years with 1% increase to their AFC per year;
• Group C: Incentivize current members eligible for early retirement at 50 to continue working with 1% increase to their AFC up to age 55;
• Pass language codifying Burlington Firefighters decision into statute. (a move to make pensions seen as a contract.);
• Further investigate/study prior investment performance to codify best practices;
• Audit/Evaluation: Conduct an independent evaluation of the pension fund’s performance, using an expert analyst contracted through the auditor’s office. The evaluation will identify reasons for the fund’s performance and independently ascertain and certify the performance, valuation, and fees of alternative investment managers like private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and commodities going back to 2011. Identify alternate and potential investment strategies to improve/stabilize performance; and
• Governance Best practices shall be defined as the recommendation of the study initiated by VPIC. Independence of members of the system on VPIC shall be a priority with no governor’s veto.

VSEA Board Holds Special Meeting To Address Harmful Pension Proposal

VSEA Leaders Continue To Meet This Weekend With Members & Retirees To Talk About The Proposal

Pension Fight Generates Press

VSEA Sends Reminder Postcards To Lawmakers That Pension Dollars Keep Vermont’s Economy Sound & Improve It

Send A Pension Message Visually!

Don’t Let Up!

And When Talking With Your Local Lawmakers…

Reminder: VSEA Pension Resources

Pension Protection!

Add This Frame To Your Facebook Profile Picture

AOT L / M Committee Looking For Classified AOT Employee In Finance To Fill Seat

Steward Training For Judiciary Is Next Week

April 9 Deadline To Submit Bylaw Changes

VSEA 101 Trainings Continue

Women’s History Month

Quote of the Week

Full newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3cqOMkI

Lawmakers today decided that two hours wasn’t enough to handle the number of Vermonters who want to speak for or against the Speaker’s pension proposals, so they added a second hearing.

Public Hearing 2 – Pensions
Monday, March 29
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sign up To Speak: https://bit.ly/31jcCbq

Watch Hearing On House Committee’s Youtube Channel: https://bit.ly/3lN3hSG