VSEA Members Declare Candidacy For Officer Positions

President

• Dave Bellini – Department of Corrections

First Vice President

• Aimee Bertrand Towne – Department for Children and Families
• Rubin Jennings – Office of the emender General
• Rose Lucenti – Department of Labor
• Robert "Bob" Stone – Department of Public Safety

Second Vice President

• Susan Albert – Department of Labor
• Cassandra Edson – Department of Labor
• Dave Martinson – Department of Corrections

Treasurer

• Carl Davis – Department of Corrections
• Sawyer Joecks – Department of Vermont Health Access

Clerk

• Katelyn Chase – Department of Vermont Health Access
• Karen Marchant – Department of Corrections

Time To Register For VSEA’ 73rd Annual Meeting!

Reminder postcards about Annual Meeting are being mailed soon to all members. All those who want to attend must register and reserve a room(s) by Tuesday, August 8.

Friday night, September 8, there is a dinner banquet followed by an ADULTS ONLY dance – “Flashback to the 50’s & 60’s”. Members are urged to come dressed in their best 50’s or 60’s attire and dance to the music of DJ, Allen Brown. Allen is a former VSEA member and AOT Employee. Prizes will be awarded for the best 50’s and 60’s costume. Have your picture taken in the photo booth by Emile.

VSEA members can register online today.

VSEA Union Representatives Assigned New Territories!

• Agency of Education – new Union Representative is Dave Van Deusen;
• Tax Department – new Union Representative is Dave Van Deusen; and
• State’s Attorneys Office – Union Representative will be Brian Morse, first contract-pending.

Click here for contact information, or to view the current, up-to-date full list of VSEA Union Representatives and their assigned worksites.

VSEA Member Candidates Sought For District 2 Board Seat

A petition is available online for VSEA members interested in running for the District 2 Board seat.

To be eligible for election to the District 2 seat, a member must reside or have an assigned workstation–and continue to reside or have an assigned workstation–in the respective District.

If interested, you must be a member in good standing, and you must collect the signatures of 25 or more full, dues-paying VSEA members.

Click here for a petition

The deadline to submit your petition is Thursday, August 3 , 2017!

If you are unable to access a petition online, please contact VSEA headquarters at 223-5247 to request to have a hard copy petition mailed to your home.

Waterbury
Chapter Holding
July 21 Member
Appreciation Day Event

NEK / St. Johnsbury
Chapter Annual Meeting Is
July 19!

The VSEA NEK / St. Johnsbury Chapter will launch the season, holding its Chapter Annual Meeting on Wednesday, July 19, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the ANR Office, located at 374 Emerson Falls Road in St. Johnsbury.

Please make a note of the date and try to attend, as your voice is important.

Senator Pollina Pens Commentary Asking For Tax Reform, Not More Cuts

In light of the State’s new call for 2% to 4% cuts to agencies’ and departments’ operating budgets, today’s Times Argus features a new commentary by Senator Pollina, titled "Tax Reform, Not Budget Cuts," and it reads, in part:

"Focusing only on budget cuts is a mistake. We can look for efficiencies but there are some basic problems with the cuts-only approach; our state budget already underfunds needed services and the tax system that raises the money that funds the budget is unfair. Like it or not, we need more investment in everything from social workers and early education to clean water and infrastructure. Otherwise, our problems will only get worse. Budget cuts clearly don’t help. And, our current tax system puts too much pressure on middle-income families."

"So, instead of yet another round of budget cuts, we should put down the scissors, make our tax system more fair and deliver tax relief to middle-class families."

&

"[Vermont] could also eliminate tax deductions that favor the wealthy. We are one of only seven states that allow the widest range of tax deductions and exemptions by basing state income taxes on federal taxable income. By changing to adjusted gross income, we could lower rates for everyone and recapture tens of millions of dollars in deductions that now generally benefit wealthy taxpayers."

Thanks, as always, Senator Pollina for once again trying to be a voice of reason to ensure Vermont’s public services are no longer the featured dish on the menu when the Legislature needs to find money.

Read Full Commentary

Vermont’s Post-Irene Mental Health Crisis Continues.

VSEA Members Warned The State & Lawmakers

The story’s topic is one WIA has written about several times since the State and lawmakers decided to implement a community-based mental health treatment model following Irene’s destruction of the old State Hospital and the subsequent RIF’ing of 80-plus seasoned workers—and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better—and it’s costing the state a lot of money to boot.

Here are some excerpts from the story:

"While [VT & NH] have taken steps to address these problems — New Hampshire in response to a 2012 federal lawsuit and Vermont in response to the loss of its state hospital — neither has sufficient community resources to help people transition from an intensive treatment facility back into their communities. They also lack sufficient supports to help people maintain good mental health and prevent recurring crises. Though treatment in an involuntary inpatient setting may relieve patients’ immediate suffering, their illnesses often persist.

No official interviewed in either state could readily define what combination of community supports, additional inpatient beds and other resources would provide adequate capacity."

And then there’s the cost to the State because of the issues:

"Since Tropical Storm Irene destroyed the 54-bed Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury in 2011, Orange County Sheriff Bill Bohnyak and his deputies have often been called to assist with mental health patients at Gifford, he said.

“Almost every other week we’re getting a phone call to go do one of these mental health ‘sits,’ whether it’s at Gifford or somewhere else in Vermont,” Bohnyak said. “If we have people available, we’ll send them. If not, we have to call other county sheriffs.”

"Randolph police and the Vermont State Police also lend a hand when necessary, according to Gifford officials.

"The sheriffs bill the state of Vermont $50 per hour per deputy, Bohnyak said. That covers time and a half for a deputy and the cost of a vehicle, he said. Two deputies per shift are required for a mental health sit, or six total for a 24-hour period. "The deputies are not just at the hospital for an eight-hour shift, he said. Instead, they’re there until the patient leaves the emergency room. “(It) could be days or weeks,” he said."

Note: Remind your elected officials that it’s past time for Vermont to address how to adequately and responsibly treat our citizens suffering with acute mental illness. This is an issue that has been allowed to fester now for far too long.

Turns Out Vermont Inmates Are No Longer Vermonters If Sent To Pennsylvania

VSEA and its DOC members have long questioned the logic behind the State and lawmakers saying on one hand that they support Vermont’s commitment to rehabilitation and returning Vermont inmates to society better than they were and then, on the other hand, shipping them to out-of-state warehouses with less rehab. But now comes this disturbing revelation in a July 12 Valley News Commentary by Jim Kenyon:

"But this deal is a bit different. Vermont and Pennsylvania have entered into what’s called an Interstate Corrections Compact. The arrangement gives Pennsylvania the power to ‘treat (Vermont inmates) as their own,’ Dominic Damato, Vermont DOC’s out-of-state manager, told me. That’s a bit worrisome — particularly when it comes to the use of solitary confinement, an area where Pennsylvania has less than a sterling record."

Kenyon also writes:

"Why should Vermonters care about how its prisoners are treated out of state?

"After all, they’re usually felons serving lengthy sentences. They’re just getting what they deserve, the argument goes.

"For starters, it’s shortsighted.

"According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, at least 95 percent of all state prisoners will be released at some point. Many of the Vermonters being kept out-of-state eventually will come home to live and work.

"If Vermont inmates leave Pennsylvania more broken than they arrived, it won’t benefit anyone.

"The DOC’s decision, made with the blessing of Gov. Phil Scott and the Legislature, to give Pennsylvania up to $10.5 million a year to incarcerate as many as 400 inmates has criminal justice experts such as Robert Appel shaking their heads.

“’We’re prohibiting rather than promoting rehabilitation, which is a core function of government,’ said Appel, who worked on behalf of prisoners during his eight years as Vermont’s defender general. ‘We shouldn’t be shipping them out of state. It’s doing nothing to help their successful re-integration into Vermont, once they’re released.’”

In a related news story, the Burlington Free Press published a story on July 10 about how some of the 270 Vermont inmates who were shipped to Pennsylvania to be warehoused there are adjusting to their new digs.

From the BFP story:

"Vermont prisoner advocates and the Burlington Free Press have received letters of complaint from inmates alleging a hostile environment and unfair treatment at Pennsylvania’s SCI Camp Hill. They have also raised concerns about property and protocols."

Note: WIA includes this entry because VSEA has long advocated against sending Vermont inmates and millions of Vermont taxpayer dollars to out-of-state facilities. Bringing our state’s inmates home creates the potential for hundreds of Vermont state jobs to be created–and for some much-needed, new revenue to be generated. It also helps better ensure that Vermont inmates will be retuned to our communities better than when they entered the system.

Central Vermont Chapter Hosts Member Appreciation Day Event

VSEA members belonging to the Central Vermont Chapter didn’t let a little rain stop it from hosting a July 13 “Member Appreciation Day” event on the State House lawn.
The event is the Chapter’s way to say thanks to state employees for the services they provide and for their dedication to Vermont and Vermonters.

Although there was a steady drizzle during the event, it didn’t stop a good number of state employees from stopping by for some free ice cream and a chance to learn more about their union and the fights ahead.

Pictured above are VSEA members enjoying their ice cream and their new tote bags as well as a shot of VSEA Organizer Jen Larson (with hat) educating VSEA members about some of the key issues facing state employees in the coming months, such as federal budget cuts and a potentially terrible Supreme Court ruling.

VSEA All-Member Appreciation Day Event Is July 29!

VSEA will fire up the barbeque at noon, and members are welcome to spend the day enjoying the lake, hiking trails or any of the park’s other outdoor activities.

To ensure VSEA has enough food on hand for the event, please RSVP to this event by Friday, July 14. Learn more about this event or RSVP online here. You can also email your RSVP, including the number of people in your party, to VSEA Administrative Assistant Sue Devoid at sdevoid@vsea.org.

Note: WIA was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Lamoille Valley’s Chapter Annual Meeting at Lake Elmore in 2016, and the setting is gorgeous and there are a lot of activities for people of all ages. Nice place to spend a day.

Submit Your 2017 VSEA Annual Meeting Award Nominations Online Today!

It’s time again to submit your nominations for a 2017 VSEA Outstanding Performance Award in the following categories:

1. VSEA Chapter of the Year;
2. VSEA Steward of the Year;
3. The Frank A. Mazza Memorial Award — For Outstanding Service to VSEA;
4. The Terence D. Macaig Award — For Outstanding Public Service; and
5. The Linda Coan Memorial Award — Outstanding VSEA Staff Member

Submit your nominations online here. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, August 8, by close of business.

VSEA’s Special Events Committee is urging members to give some thought to each of these awards and if you know of a deserving state employee—or a deserving Chapter—then please don’t hesitate to submit your nomination(s).

Winners will be announced at VSEA’s Annual Meeting banquet on
September 9 in Stowe.

Join Us Again For… VSEA NASCAR
DAY 2017!

Sunday, September 24, 2017

New England 300 – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, NH

Low $80 price gets you:

• A Premium Ticket;
• Barbecue Lunch; and
• Transportation by Lamoille Valley Transportation*

Full payment must be submitted to VSEA by Friday, August 25.

To make your reservation, please submit this online form here!

A VSEA chartered-bus pickup schedule will be announced soon!

Questions?
Please feel free to contact VSEA Union Representative Bob South by email at bsouth@vsea.org

Visit the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Website here

VSEA Insurance Benefits Enrollment
In Montpelier & St. Albans In Coming Weeks

Learn More Or Schedule An Appointment Today!

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.