New Administration Wants Defined Contribution Plan For New Hires To State Government

VSEA & Labor Voice Immediate Opposition

Seven Days posted a story on December 13 that affirms reports during the campaign that Vermont’s Governor-Elect will be seeking to offer a defined contribution pension plan to newly hired state employees, as opposed to a defined benefit pension plan, which current VSEA members have.

“We are steadfastly opposed to the idea and will continue to be,” VSEA Communications Director Doug Gibson tells Digger. “This is one of those fundamental issues that hasn’t changed and won’t change,” says the NEA’s Communications Director Darren Allen, adding, “We think the (defined contribution) approach would be more expensive, less secure and undermine the retirement security of hard-working public employees.” Gibson points out that the switch could hurt the state’s ability to draw in new hires, since many enter public service just to have access to VSEA members’ hard-won benefits.

Gibson also reminds the reporter about a 2015 VPR story that highlights how millions of Americans have insurance through their employer, but how Vermonters rank dead last in the nation, in terms of how much money an individual has contributed to supplement their plan. Gibson asks why anyone would want to make what some have called a crisis situation even worse.

The story notes that State Treasurer Beth Pearce is another vocal opponent of moving from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan.

VSEA members are urged to join with your union to push back hard against any proposal to offer a defined contribution plan to new state employee hires.

VSEA Judiciary Unit Unanimously Ratifies New Contract

VSEA’s Elections, Rules and Nominating Committee was at headquarters on December 14 to tally the votes cast for and against a new, two-year agreement with the Court Administrator, and VSEA is pleased to report that Judiciary members have voted to unanimously approve the new agreement. The vote officially ends nearly a year of contentious bargaining that culminated soon after the delivery of a fact-finder’s report that supported a majority of the VSEA members’ proposals.

In addition to receiving the same wage increase as all other VSEA Bargaining Unit members, certain Judiciary Unit job classifications (i.e. Docket Clerks) will now be eligible for a fair wage review and major reforms will be made to the Judiciary’s reclassification process.

VSEA congratulates the entire Judiciary Unit Bargaining Unit for staying strong and prevailing in the end!

NMU Sick Leave Bank Really Needs Your Help!

Important Message from NMU Sick Leave Bank Committee

“First, we would like to thank everyone who has donated to the NMU Sick Leave Bank!

Unfortunately, the bank is now out of hours. We are hoping that we can get some much-needed time added before this donation period closes on December 31. The hours donated now will be all that’s available until our next donation period, which begins April 1, 2017.

Your donation of “personal” and/or “annual” leave makes a difference in the lives of fellow State employees faced with catastrophic illnesses or injuries.

We traditionally get more requests for help during the rugged winter months than at any other time of year. If you are able to donate anything, even as little as 1 hour of time, it will make a difference.

> Click Here To Donate!

If you do not have computer access, you can request a form by calling NMU Sick Leave Bank VSEA Chair, Dawn Carrillo at 802-595-0209.

Thank you and Happy Holidays!
NMU Sick Leave Bank Committee

Brattleboro Chapter Hosting Holiday Lunch

Brattleboro Chapter President Robin Rieske asked WIA to let her members know that the Chapter meeting on Tuesday, December 20, will be a special holiday lunch. Brattleboro Chapter members are invited to stop by Room 148 at the State Office Building to enjoy some pizza and cookies and hear updates from your union. The holiday lunch begins at noon and ends at 12:45 p.m. Rieske is urging members who attend to bring some food to donate to “Feed The Thousands”; a cause the Chapter is supporting this holiday season.

Please RSVP/address questions to Robin at robin.rieske@vermont.gov or call 802-275-7232.

Council Meets In Advance Of What’s Expected To Be Another Tough Legislative Session For State Employees And Public Services

VSEA Labor Educator Tim Lenoch speaking to the VSEA Council yesterday.

The VSEA Council filled the Old Labor Hall in Barre on December 15, where they began a serious discussion about how best for VSEA to address the possible coming threats to members’ services and jobs. The unfortunately ever-growing list includes another Vermont budget deficit ($55 million to $75 million), reduced federal funding for yet-to-identified programs, looming adverse Supreme Court rulings, the new Administration’s pledge not to explore new revenue sources, a severely weakened National Labor Relations Board, and the new Administration’s expressed desire for new hire to state government to be enrolled in a defined contribution plan instead of a defined benefit plan.

In addition to this important debate, VSEA Strategic Analyst Adam Norton provided Council members with an overview of the 2017 budget realities that will greet lawmakers when they return the State House in early January. You can review Adam’s presentation for yourself here. Council members also heard about the VSEA candidate endorsement process from member John Mangione, and they received an update on the Membership Recruitment Committee’s current drive to sign up new members from Committee Chair Katelyn Chase. VSEA Legislative Committee Chair Margaret Crowley also presented her Committee’s draft 2017 legislative agenda, which Council members briefly debated and then voted overwhelmingly to approve. A complete listing of VSEA’s legislative agenda is coming soon to all members in a special electronic VSEA VOICE being emailed to members in advance of the session.

In the afternoon, the Council received a headquarters’ update from VSEA Executive Director Steve Howard and an overview of the current VSEA budget and pressures from Treasurer Sheila Coniff. VSEA Labor Educator Tim Lenoch also provided Council members with a brief training about headquarters’ staff responsibilities and how the different departments operate day to day. The day closed with new and old business being discussed and debated.

Reminder: VSEA First Vice President Still Looking To Fill Vacant Council Seats

The VSEA Council is one of your union’s primary governing bodies, and its largest and most diverse, with departmental representatives from across state government. VSEA First Vice President Aimee Towne is reminding that she is still actively trying to fill several open seats in the body.

> Click here to view a complete list of open Council seats (by departmental heading). Interested VSEA members are urged to self nominate

Missing a Pair of Glasses?

While cleaning up after VSEA’s Council meeting yesterday two pairs of glasses were found. If you are missing a pair (or two) of glasses please contact VSEA by calling 802-223-5247 or email VSEA@VSEA.org

Be Informed!
Join VSEA’s Texting List!

Texting is a great way for VSEA to let members know about important state employee issues or fights in a timely manner, but VSEA can’t text you if we don’t have your correct cell phone number.

New NMU Bargaining Survey Is LIVE!

Not wasting any time following the recent ratification of a new, two-year contract with the State of Vermont, a newly reconstituted Non-Management Unit (NMU) Bargaining Team has already prepared a new bargaining proposal survey for NMU members to complete and submit. The goal of this year’s survey is to assess NMU members’ bargaining priorities before entering into the next round of formal negotiations with the State. The NMU’s survey will be comprehensive, covering everything from wages to benefits to working conditions.

NMU members, click here to complete the survey.

VSEA Members Invited To Participate In Special Legislative Training

VSEA Labor Educator Tim Lenoch has been working with VSEA’s legislative team to create a new training to educate VSEA members about how statutes, policies and Vermont’s legislative process can impact state employees’ working conditions—and sometimes even, their livelihoods.

This comprehensive training will be offered at five different locations throughout the state, including:

• Montpelier: Tuesday January 3 – TBD
• Bennington: Wednesday March 8 – Hampton Inn Bennington, 51 Hannaford Square
• Springfield: Wednesday March 8 – Holiday Inn Express, 818 Charlestown Rd.
• Burlington: Thursday March 9 – Zampieri Building, 108 Cherry St.
• St. Johnsbury: Thursday March 9 – TBD

> Register For Training Here

All trainings begin at 9:30 a.m., and they are open to all VSEA members, but only members in the following VSEA leadership roles are eligible for paid leave time to attend training:

• VSEA Council Members;
• VSEA Stewards;
• VSEA Chapter Officers
• VSEA Board of Trustee Members;
• VSEA Standing Committees Members;
• VSEA Unit Executive Committee Members;
• VSEA Bargaining Team Members; and
• VSEA Labor/Management Committee Members.

Please review your Collective Bargaining Agreement’s “VSEA Rights” section for specific language about paid leave time. Find your contract here.

Important! You must request time off to attend this training at least two weeks prior to your desired date.

Wondering How The Vermont Legislature Works?

Williston lawmakers Jim McCullough and VSEA’s own past-president Terry Macaig recently penned an informative column for their local paper, The Williston Observer, which explains how the Vermont legislature works. The two legislators cover topics like “How Committees Work” and “How Bills Are Drafted,” as well as explaining salaries and term limits and how to be successful.

The pair’s column ends:

“We both agree that ‘we are continually amazed how long it takes to get things done while, at the same time, how fast things happen. At any given moment the Legislature is like your best and worst day at university, complete with your best and worst professors. The Legislature works best when you do your civic duty and communicate with your legislator. Good government is a participation sport.’”

Wisconsin Corrections Workers Blame Governor’s Anti-Union Experiment For Increased Number Of Assaults On Staff

Photo credit: Nancy Hauck

The national labor union AFSCME reports on December 9 that Wisconsin Corrections workers are furious with Governor Scott Walker’s infamous Act 10, which passed in 2011 and has since served to “virtually strip away the rights of public employees to bargain collectively for wages, benefits and working conditions.” The workers say that Act 10 has caused chronic short-staffing at most Wisconsin prisons, which has led to a spike in the number of completed- and attempted-assaults on employees.

“Act 10 created this crisis,” explains a Wisconsin AFSCME official. “A Wisconsin corrections officer in 2010 earned a fair wage and fair benefits, had a voice in his workplace and considered it a career to be proud of. There was little turnover, professionalism was respected, and assaults were low. Today, wages are low and benefits are costly. COs have less voice on the job, especially in facilities where the union has little presence and turnover remains high. These institution’s populations continue to grow and overcrowding has become the norm.”

The official adds that conditions have gotten so bad that “new officers hired after Act 10 are beginning to understand why rebuilding a strong union presence is more important than ever.”

Most Endangered Jobs Of 2016

The website CareerCast.com published a report this week, listing 2016’s “most endangered jobs.” Here is the list:

10) Computer Programmer
9) Newspaper Reporter
8) Broadcaster
7) Seamstress/Tailor
6) Insurance Underwriter
5) Jeweler
4) Disc Jockey
3) Meter Reader
2) Typist/Word Processor
1) Mail Carrier

Illinois Begins To Educate And Train State Workers About Ransomware

In a sign of the times we live in, the State of Illinois has begun training its state workers about how to defend against “ransomware,” or the term used to describe when hackers steal government information electronically and then demand money to “un-encrypt” the stolen files. It’s the latest cyber threat, and IL government leaders believe the best way to prevent it is to “make sure government workers know not to click on suspicious links.”

“We don’t pay ransom, so everyone needs to know we don’t pay ransom for ransomware,” explains IL’s DII Director Kirk Lonborn tells the Alton Valley News.

The State of Illinois was hit by ransomware attacks 120 times in 2015.

VSEA Labor Educator Announces Winter/ Spring 2017 Training Schedule

VSEA Labor Educator Tim Lenoch asked WIA to announce a new round of trainings he has scheduled throughout the winter 2016. If you are interested in registering to attend one or more trainings, you can do so by clicking here. Please direct your training questions to Tim at tlenoch@vsea.org.

All trainings begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Location may change based on worksite location of registered participants. If this happens, registered participants will be notified at least a week ahead of the training. Mileage and lunch may be reimbursed or provided.

TOPIC TRAININGS

Representing Co-Workers in Investigations and Disciplinary Meetings
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, January 9

Stewards & The “Hostile Work Enviroment”
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday January 31

Health and Safety Issues In The Workplace
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, February 7

Stewards & Labor Management Committees
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, February 16

The Grievance
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, February 23

Diversity For Public Sector Union Members
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, April 4

Stewards & Contract Review
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, April 20

TARGETED DEPARTMENT/BARGAINING UNIT TRAININGS

Nursing/Health Care Facility Stewards
Mendon
Thursday, February 2

Department of Corrections Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, February 14

Supervisory Bargaining Unit Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, March 14

Vermont State Colleges’ Stewards
VTC Campus, Randolph Center
Thursday, April 6

Judiciary Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Tuesday, April 11

DCF Stewards
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, April 27

NEW STEWARD TRAININGS

Steward 1: Introduction and the Basics
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, March 2

Steward 2: Protecting the Contract and Building the Union
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, March 16

Steward 3: The Contract and Challenges in the Workplace
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, March 30

Steward 1: Introduction and the Basics
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, May 4

Steward 2: Protecting the Contract and Building the Union
VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Thursday, May 16

ALL STEWARD TRAINING

All-Steward Training
VTC Campus, Randolph
Friday, May 26

> Click here to register for a training(s)!

VSEA Insurance Representative Will Be At The Department of Health Access
Next Week

By Appointment Only:

VSEA Insurance Representative Joanne Woodcock will be at the following locations to talk with interested VSEA members about member-only insurance benefits.

Dept. of Vermont Health Access
312 Hurricane Lane
Williston, Vt.
December 20 and 21
12:00 to 4:00

Receive information on disability coverage, family life insurance, family accident and cancer coverage. You must be a member paying full dues to be eligible for this VSEA benefit. If you are an agency-fee payer, Joanne can provide you information about signing up for full membership.

All applications have to be taken in person.

Email Joanne@vseainsurance.com for an appointment. Please provide your age, hourly wage and job description so I can send a quote BEFORE we meet. See attached brochure here.

Subscribe To VSEA!

VSEA’s Communications Department is happy to disseminate any and all communications the leadership, Chapters, Units, and others request, however, the lists the Department currently pull from are provided to the union by the State of Vermont. VSEA’s Communications Department has found the lists to be dated, incomplete and sometimes lacking key information that was entered by a VSEA staff person but later overwritten or deleted during a State data dump.

To help VSEA more effectively reach active members—and really all those members who want to know what’s going on in their union—VSEA will be working hard in the coming months to collect members’ emails on its own and begin to build contact lists that cannot be altered by a State download.

You can help us get started by clicking here and signing up for the VSEA communications you are interested in receiving.

Thank you in advance for subscribing. Please urge your colleagues to do the same.