VSEA Labor Relations Director Responds To State’s Memo & Statements

Like a lot of VSEA members and retirees this week, VSEA Labor Relations Director Gary Hoadley took great issue with the weak contract explanation 
communication sent this week to state employees by DHR Commissioner Beth Fastiggi, calling it "a failed attempt to convince state employees the imposed contract changes are fair and reasonable."

In response to Commissioner Fastiggi’s very one-sided communication, Hoadley has penned his own take for VSEA members on the State’s "fair" contract deal that was imposed on state employees last week by the Vermont Labor Relations Board. 

Please take a few minutes tonight or this weekend to read Gary’s response and then share what you’ve learned with your co-workers who might not have an opportunity to read it. 

Read Gary Hoadley’s Response To The State’s Memorandum

VSEA Members & Retirees Rightfully Angry & Concerned About State’s Release This Week Of A Banned Prescription Drug List
For 2019

One major piece of damage done to VSEA members last week when the VLRB ruled to implement the Scott Administration’s last best contract offer was to give the State sole discretion in
decisions about:

• What prescription drugs state employees and retirees will be offered;
   
• The quantity state employees and retirees can receive; and
   
• How much state employees and retirees will pay.

Not wasting any time, the State provided VSEA with a list this week of all the drugs that will be banned under the new formulary, beginning in January 2019. 

> View List Here

There is a process available to VSEA members to appeal a drug denial, if there is not another drug available that meets the members’ needs.

Learn More About Appeal Process Here

Needless to say, VSEA members and retirees are extremely upset about the new ban, and they say they are ready to fight.

VSEA’s Facebook page has been posting all week about the release of the banned drug list, and members and retirees are lighting up the comments sections with insight about some of the drugs on the list and posting their thoughts and concerns about the list and about the lack of information about drug equivalents for the ones being banned. Several members and retirees have already contacted VSEA to say they take one or more of the drugs on the list and that their doctor has already informed them there is no generic equivalent.

Members and retirees who were unsuccessful this week in their efforts to get DHR to confirm that there is an alternative drug for the one they currently take tell VSEA they were surprised by DHR Commissioner Beth Fastiggi’s declaration in an April 4 WCAX story about the new drug ban that “People’s medications are not going to get cut off.” VSEA President Dave Bellini tells WIA that Fastiggi’s comment must mean that DHR has determined there are alternatives for each of the 170 drugs on the list, but as Bellini notes, VSEA members and retirees certainly haven’t seen any proof yet that there is a substitute for each of the banned medications. In fact, an April 2 email from a DHR official to a VSEA staffer reads, “The drugs indicated on that list are actually “excluded” from the formulary, so they would be replaced by a drug that is currently on the standard formulary where applicable. I unfortunately do not have a list I can share that has a direct point A to point B conversion for the medications on the list…”

In an April 4 story in Seven Days article about the banned drug list, VSEA Executive Director Steve Howard sums up what most believe is happening here, which is, “[The State is] putting [its] desire to save money over the medical needs of retirees and state employees and their families.”

VSEA Executive Director Steve Howard appeared live on WDEV’s Dave Gram show this morning to discuss the VLRB’s decision and this week’s release of the banned drug list. You can listen to a podcast of this morning’s show here (Howard begins a half hour into the show). DHR Commissioner Beth Fastiggi appears after Howard.

Take Action Today!

VSEA members are being urged to contact both DHR and the Governor’s Office to voice your anger about the new ban and urge each to abandon the move before it causes any Vermonter harm.

• Contact DHR at 802-828-6700 (press #1 then #3)
   
• It’s a good idea to start organizing and talking with your coworkers about how this is affecting you and your families. Brainstorm ideas how to fight back against these measures.
   
• Send ideas, questions and concern to leaders in your union:
   
  • Contact Board of Trustees Members Here
     
  • Contact Council Members Here
     
  • Contact Chapter Presidents Here

Note: This fight has just begun!
 

And what’s the grand savings from all this upheaval? A whopping $600,000, or roughly $2 million less than the State wants to allocate to convince out-of-state Vermonters to move back home.

• In Case You Missed It:
  Week In Action: March 30, 2018:
  "VLRB Rules For State’s Last Best
  Contract Offer"

Senator
Sanders Issues Statement Of Support For VSEA Members

Turns out more than one VSEA member had the wherewithal to contact Senator Sanders’ office this week about the State’s banned drug list and the VLRB’s imposed contract terms and conditions. In response to the calls and emails, Sanders’ office posted a statement to his Facebook page that reads:

"I stand with Vermont state employees and retirees. At a time when workers across the country are being squeezed by flat wages and rising health care costs, our public sector workers – who do critically important work in our communities – must have access to fair wages, health care, needed medicines, and a secure retirement.​"

Thanks Senator!  

Vermont Ranks Near Bottom In Nation For Personal Income Growth & State’s Imposed Contract
Won’t Help

Governing magazine reports on April 3 that the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released its annual report on the growth of Americans’ personal income, by state, and the news isn’t great for Vermont.

Nationally, per capita personal income increased 2.4 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to the BEA, but here in Vermont, growth rose just 2.1 percent, placing our state near the bottom in the nation.

In explaining its methodology, the BEA says “while expanding economies propped up some states, others benefitted from higher government benefits or investment earnings.” Well, VSEA members know that their government benefits actually got reduced in this round of negotiations, which tightens the economic screws even more on low- and middle income state employees, as well as retirees living on a fixed income.

Next Brattleboro Chapter Meeting Is April 10!

The VSEA Brattleboro Chapter is holding its next meeting on Tuesday, April 10, beginning at 12:00 p.m. in the State Office Building’s Conference Room, located at 232 Main Street in Brattleboro. Pizza and beverages!

Please RSVP Here
or email Robin here: robin.rieske@vermont.gov

Please direct any questions or comments to VSEA Brattleboro Chapter President Robin Rieske, via email at robin.rieske@vermont.gov.  

VSEA Board of Trustees Meets April 11

April 12 Employee Appreciation Day Event At The Chittenden County Regional Correctional Facility

VSEA members working in or near the Chittenden County Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington are invited to attend a special Employee Appreciation Day event on Thursday, April 12, at the facility, located at 7 Farrell Street in South Burlington. VSEA staff will be hosting the event at both the morning and afternoon shift changes.

Stop by during your break for treats and VSEA giveaway items and to be provided with updates on the issues and challenges facing state employees and learn more from you about how your service is functioning and what your needs are. Come share your ideas about how to build a stronger VSEA and also hear what your colleagues think. Sandwiches, donuts and coffee available!

Organizer’s Worksite Meeting On
April 12 In Montpelier!

VSEA Organizer Carmen Scoles is holding a meeting on April 12 with VSEA members working at National Life and the Dewey Building Montpelier. The meeting begins at 12:00 p.m. in the Dewey Building’s Conference Room R206 in the Dewey Building, located in Montpelier. There will be pizza and beverages for members attending. A contract update will be provided, and there will be a discussion about the Janus lawsuit’s progress to date.

Members with questions can contact Carmen by email (cscoles@vsea.org) or by phone at 802-223-5247.

Employee Appreciation Day Event For ANR Members On April 13

VSEA Agency of Natural Resources members working in or near the State Office Building in St. Johnsbury are invited to attend a special Employee Appreciation Day event on Friday, April 13, at the ANR office, located at 374 Emerson Falls Road in St. Johnsbury. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 1:00 p.m.

Stop by during your break for treats and VSEA giveaway items and to be provided with updates on the issues and challenges facing state employees and learn more from you about how your service is functioning and what your needs are. Come share your ideas about how to build a stronger VSEA and also hear what your colleagues think. Sandwiches and drinks available.

Next Newport/ Island Pond Chapter Meeting Is April 13

VSEA’s Newport / Island Pond Chapter is holding its next Chapter meeting on Thursday, April 13, at the Kingdom Brewery, located at 353 Coburn Hill Rd. in Newport Town. Pizza and beverages for members attending. There will be a contract update, as well as a discussion about the Janus vs. Illinois lawsuit.

Questions? Contact Chapter President Joe Silvestri by email at:  joseph.silvestri@vermont.gov.

VSEA Member Talks About Reintroducing The American Marten Beck To Vermont

WCAX’s “Wildlife Watch” segment this week was about the reintroduction of the American marten to Vermont after forest clearing and unregulated hunting drove the species to extinction in the 1800s. The actual reintroduction began in 1989, and VSEA member and Fish and Wildlife employee Kim Royar updates viewers on how the animal is doing and reports on rising marten populations and migration patterns.

Nice work F&W!

Now Is The Time To Enroll In VSEA’s Popular Delta Dental Supplemental Plan Benefit

VSEA members should have received a letter and/or email by now, announcing a new, open-enrollment period to participate in your union’s very popular Delta Dental Supplemental Plan. The 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.

All enrollment forms will be due back on a May 4, 2018.

Note: If you are already taking advantage of this benefit, and you have no changes this year to your coverage, you do not need to send back a new form, as you will be automatically renewed.

A New VSEA Benefit – LifeLock Identity Theft Protection

From the email:

"We think your identity is worth protecting. LifeLock works to help protect your identity in a digitally-connected world. Protection from LifeLock helps safeguard your finances, credit and good name. Nowadays, that is more important than ever. Help protect your personal information by enrolling in LifeLock before April 30th to take advantage of special pricing being offered to VSEA employees."

View the full email or enroll here.

Teachers On The March! First West Virginia, then Oklahoma and Kentucky and now Arizona

After West Virginia teachers recently staged a successful statewide strike, Oklahoma teachers followed suit this week, walking out of their schools and into the streets to demand more funding for their classroom needs. Kentucky teachers also joined in the protests this week as well, walking out of their classrooms to publicly blast changes to their pension plans. And Arizona teachers are also now planning a walkout.

“I think West Virginia sent a signal to people that this can happen,” Kentucky teacher Kelsey Hayes Cotts tells The Guardian. “It works and it sent a signal to the nation.”

Recent press about teacher strikes / walkouts:

• The Recent Teacher Strikes Are About More Than Just Teachers
   
• Striking a Match: Teachers Walkout In More States
   
• Why Teachers In Oklahoma & Kentucky Are Walking Out And What To Expect
   
• Teachers Stand Up For Decent State Budget, Their Pensions & Public Responsibility
   
• The Teacher Strikes Could Be The Future Of Alt Labor
   
• The Data Tells All: Teacher Salaries Have Been Declining For Years
   
• Watch Oklahoma Teachers Do Some A+ Trolling Of Legislators

278 Days Without A Contract, NH State Employees Rally

The Valley News reports on April 5 that New Hampshire state employees and their supporters were at the Capital on April 4 to commemorate the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and lobby state lawmakers to bring and end to a 278-plus-day contract stalemate.

“Today we draw on the great perseverance of those sanitation workers who never gave up and eventually won,” Richard Gulla, president of SEA/SEIU Local 1984, said at a rally…

Gulla said thousands of transportation workers, state troopers and social services providers — not all of whom are represented by his union — had been left without employment agreements because the governor’s negotiators declined to accept cost-of-living wage increases and pay raises for longtime employees.

“Let (Sununu) know we will not be forgotten and we will not be ignored,” Gulla said.

Some state lawmakers are listening:

“It’s not good faith negotiation to not put a proposal on the table in 278 days,” said state Rep. Lee Oxenham, D-Plainfield, who accompanied the labor marchers and floated the idea of introducing a House resolution urging a deal. “These people are doing hard, good work for us, and we’re not giving them the respect they deserve.”

In Advance Of Janus Ruling, NY Lawmakers Debate Legislation To Protect Public-Employee Unions & Their Members

“It’s to let employees know what they’re getting. Why should you be getting benefits if you don’t pay dues?” asks Assemblyman Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn) in an April 3 New York Post story. “If you’re not paying dues, then there’s not enough money for the unions to provide you service.”

The proposed legislation would also make it easier for unions to sign up workers and more difficult for workers to withdraw, by requiring the government to begin dues deductions “no later than 30 days” after getting an authorization form.

Disney Workers March To Protest
Poverty Wages

"Hundreds of Disney World workers marched more than a mile on March 23 to the entrance to Disney Springs, an entertainment and shopping complex on Disney property.

In response to the unions rejecting Disney’s initial offer, Disney withheld bonuses up to $1,000 from 41,000 union employees in Florida and California under the condition they accept the company’s wage proposal by August 31 or forfeit the bonuses entirely."

Read the entire article here.