VSEA Supervisory and Corrections Units Receive New Contract Summaries & Comparison Of Proposals

This morning, the Chairs of the VSEA Corrections and Supervisory Unit Bargaining Teams emailed a comprehensive contract summary to all their Unit members, highlighting the Teams’ gains achieved in this past round of bargaining and providing a comparison sheet of the State’s bargaining proposals versus what the VSEA Teams proposed. If you belong to either of these Units, please check your email for this important notification.

Vermont State Colleges’ Members Reach Tentative Agreement On New Contract

Unlike the NMU, Supervisory, Corrections and Judiciary Units’ Bargaining Teams negotiating experience in 2015/2016, VSEA’s State Colleges’ Bargaining Team was able to reach a tentative agreement this week with the Chancellor’s office on a tentative contract agreement—without having to resort to employing a fact finder, or the Labor Board.

Details of the tentative agreement are currently being sent to all VSEA VSC members, and a ratification ballot will soon follow in the mail.

Important Notice! VSEA Union Representative Territories Are Changing!

New Approach To Pair Union Reps With Specific Agencies/Departments

VSEA Organizing Director Vinnie O’Connor and Field Services Director Gretchen Naylor announced this week, via email to all members, that, beginning Monday, May 23, VSEA’s six Union Representatives will now be assigned to specific state agencies and departments, as opposed to regions and territories, which has been the practice.

In case you missed it, here is what O’Connor wrote to members in his email about the change:

Last year, in an effort to provide more targeted, hands-on support for hundreds of state employees working in the Agency of Transportation, a decision was made to assign one VSEA Union Representative almost exclusively to this Unit. The experiment was very successful, and now VSEA leaders want to duplicate its success by making similar Unit/Agency VSEA Union Representative assignments statewide and across government.

At its May 12 meeting, the VSEA Board of Trustees voted to approve this staff reshuffling, and here are some of the reasons they gave for the decision:

• Greater efficiency to provide services to VSEA members;
• Continuity of service for members and employer;
• Streamline operations;
• Tracking workplace trend’s by Departments/Agencies; and
• Building stronger member leaders on Departmental issues.

Please note that this reshuffling will not impact the status of any current Union Representative’s caseload, meaning the Union Representative originally assigned to your case will see it through with you to resolution.

Here is a list of the new Union Representative assignments (Note: Please note that VVH was missing from yesterday’s email announcement and is assigned to Rachael Fields and that DAIL is also assigned to her. The Agency of Agriculture is Nikolas Stein):

Rachael Fields

Health Access Eligibility Unit
Department of Aging & Independent Living
Department of Health
Department of Mental Health
Department of Vermont Health Access
Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital
Vermont Veterans’ Home

Brian Morse

Judiciary Unit
State Colleges’ Unit
Supervisory Unit (except AOT)

Mike O’Day

Department of Corrections (North)
Department of Public Safety (North) – Civilian
Military Department
Sworn Law Enforcement (North)
Williston 911 Dispatch

Bob South

Buildings & General Services
Criminal Justice Training Center
Department of Corrections (South)
Department of Liquor Control
Department of Liquor Control Warehouse
Department of Public Safety (South)
Emergency 911 Board
Rockingham 911 Dispatch
Sworn Law Enforcement (South)

Nikolas Stein

Agency of the Administration
Agency of Agriculture
Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Agency of Education
Agency of Human Services (Central)
Agency of Natural Resources
Department of Aging & Independent Living
Department for Children & Families
Department of Financial Regulation
Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (Civilian)
Department of Innovation & Information
Department of Labor
Department of Libraries
Department of Taxes
Green Mountain Care Board
Public Service Board
Secretary of State’s Office
Treasurer’s Office
Vermont Lottery

Dave Van Deusen

Agency of Transportation
Agency of Transportation Supervisors
Department of Motor Vehicles (Except Sworn Law Enforcement)
Office of the Defender General
Vermont State Housing Authority

Judiciary Docket Clerks Featured In Short Video, Calling On The Court Administrator To Ask For More Money To Fairly Pay Them

For a long time, VSEA Docket Clerks have been fighting hard to be reclassified and paid more, so the Judiciary Unit Bargaining Team made their fight a bargaining priority for this round of what have been very difficult negotiations. To date, Court Administrator Pat Gabel is refusing to address the Docket Clerks’ low pay at the table, which is why the VSEA members decided to make a video to send a personal message to her.

Docket Clerks are asking VSEA members to please share the video far and wide to educate Vermonters about their fight for a fair wage and reclassification.

Thanks in advance for your help and support for these workers.

> Watch the short video here!

Another VSEA Member Declares As Candidate In Vermont House Race

Add Cheri Goldstein’s name to the growing list of frontline state employees who will be working this year to follow in the footsteps of VVH member (now Union Representative) Rachael Fields, who was victorious in her first-ever run for the House in 2012.

Goldstein becomes the second VSEA member in House Speaker Shap Smith’s district (the towns of Elmore, Morristown, Woodbury and Worcester) to announce a run to succeed him. Earlier this year, VSEA First Vice President Aimee Towne announced that she too is seeking election to one of the two seats up for grabs in the Speaker’s old district. Goldstein has worked in state government since 1999, and she is currently a Workers’ Comp Claims Adjuster in the Office of Risk Management.

Judiciary member Evan Hill has also announced earlier this year that she is seeking election to one of two House seats to represent Grand Isle.

> Read Cheri Goldstein’s Announcement

VSEA is asking members who live in Cheri, Aimee, Evan and Rachael’s districts to consider casting your vote for a fellow state employee. The more rank-and-file worker voices in the State House, the better!

Waterbury Chapter Meeting On May 27

VSEA’s Waterbury Chapter is meeting Friday, May 27, beginning at noon in the State Office Complex’s Mountain Ash Room in Waterbury.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chapter President Tracey Harrington by email at Tracerann@gmail.com.

VSEA Mourns Loss Of DOC Member Tim Simoneau!

The Simoneau family at a 2006 VSEA Council meeting, where Tim’s daughter was awarded a VSEA scholarship.

VSEA is mourning the untimely death of VSEA member and onetime Board and Council member Tim Simoneau, who worked for the DOC for 21 years, primarily at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport. Simoneau died of natural causes.

As mentioned, Tim was an active VSEA member for a long time, serving in several leadership roles during his working career. In addition, Tim and his wife also gave selflessly of themselves; adopting several children with special needs and making it their mission to prevent and someday end child abuse.

WIA published a story in 2007 about Tim and his wife being called to the State House to be honored for their work to prevent child abuse. They were part of a ceremony to commemorate the first year that April was designated “Child Abuse Prevention” month in Vermont. The story is a pretty good example of the kind of people the Simoneaus are and the kind of man Tim was.

When VSEA member Tim Simoneau isn’t working as Corrections Service Specialist at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport, he and his wife, Tammy, are busy caring for their large family, many of whom are foster children. One of those children is daughter Madison, who became the Simoneau’s foster child in August 2001 when she was just eight months old. In 2003, the Simoneau’s officially adopted Madison.

“Madison was a shaken baby and she is the first ‘broken baby’ placed with us,” says Simoneau. “The issue of child abuse prevention is important to us because we see what happened to Madison and we never want to see this happen to another child.”

Madison and the Simoneau’s were front and center on April 3 when Gov. Douglas held a special ceremony to pronounce April as “Prevent Child Abuse Month.”

“This was a great event because it drew much-needed attention to this very important issue,” says Simoneau. “It also gave my wife the opportunity to talk publicly about an issue that we discuss a lot at home. And it was also a good way for people in the audience to hear firsthand about the issue of child abuse prevention.”

Tim and his wife belong to many organizations linked to the issue, including: Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, Parent to Parent of Vermont, Federation of Families with Special Needs and a Traumatic Brain Injury group.

Simoneau says that VSEA members who want to get involved in the issue of child abuse prevention should start by considering becoming a foster parent through the State’s Department of Children and Families. Members can also donate money in October through SECCA contributions to groups like Prevent Child Abuse in Vermont and other similar organizations.

“It’s important for people to get involved,” says Simoneau. “More important, never shake or abuse a child!”

VSEA is sending its deepest condolences to the entire Simoneau family.

Packed House For 2016 VSEA Steward Summit!

Big turnout today in Waterbury of VSEA Stewards; rank-and-file state employees who are a VSEA member’s first line of defense when confronting a workplace issue. The Stewards are from all across Vermont, representing numerous agencies and departments, and they are participating in the all-day summit to learn more about the best ways to advocate for workers.

VSEA thanks all our Stewards for your service to your union!

Printable Week In Action?

At today’s Steward summit in Waterbury, a participant asked about a printable version of the Week In Action for her worksite bulletin board. She explained that the version sent via email was not especially printer friendly. The Communications Department is pleased to let this member and others know that a printable version of WIA is posted every week to VSEA’s website, as part of the site’s weekly WIA post. Just look for the link: "Click here to view/ download a text version of this issue" at the top of each issue. We hope this helps!

Thanks to all VSEA members who take the time to print out WIA and post it on your work site bulletin board. Beware the educated union member!

Council Members’ Agenda Item Ideas Sought

VSEA First Vice President Aimee Towne sent an email this week to Council members, soliciting suggestions for items to include on the agenda for the body’s June 7 meeting at Castleton University. Council members asked Towne for the solicitation at the body’s February meeting.

Aimee is urging Council members to email their agenda suggestions to her no later than May 26 to ensure that the meeting gets warned appropriately.

Contact Aimee by email at atowne@vsea.org or by phone at 802-793-4754

VSEA History Lesson

August 1944

Here’s one of the first entries in the booklet, from August 29, 1944:

The Committee mails the proposed V.S.E.A. Constitution and By-Laws to State employees with a copy of an August 9 letter to the Committee from Governor Wills. Governor Wills (R) wrote: “I am heartily in favor in the formation of a Vermont State Employees’ Association. I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to look over the Constitution and By-Laws of the proposed organization, and it would appear to me that they very adequately meet the needs and requirements of such an organization. It also seems to me a splendid purpose can be served by such an organization, and you have my best wishes for success in its operation. A ballot was enclosed; the Constitution required 51% of the employees to join before the organization could be formed.

VSEA Member Candidates Sought For Three Board Of Trustees’ District Seats

Petitions are now available online for VSEA members interested in running for one of these three VSEA District Board seats:

District 1 – Barre & Central Vermont

District 2 – Waterbury & Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital

District 5 – Rutland & Bennington

To be eligible for election to one of these Districts, 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 Wednesday, June 1, 2016!

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.

Free Press Story Highlights Ramifications Of Private Contractor Contributions To Elected Officials

The May 15 Burlington Free Press featured a story titled “Vermont Contractors Funnel Money To Politicians,” and the reporter provides several examples of how contractor contributions are possibly buying influence with elected officials, or could be interpreted as trying to buy influence.

Here’s an excerpt:

Politicians and contractors deny any suggestion of unethical behavior.

“We don’t perceive it as a conflict,” said Joe McNeil, whose law firm McNeil, Leddy & Sheahan gave [the State’s top official] $1,000 in 2014 while working to negotiate the state employees’ contract.

“It’d seem that in a state as small as Vermont, if political contributors were eliminated from consideration from open bid competitions, the state might be disadvantaging itself,” McNeil said. McNeil said the firm gives contributions to politicians who represent “the values that we share.”
Some observers have called for a state ethics law that would prohibit campaign contributions from state contractors.

“You need not prove actual corruption to be concerned about the appearance of corruption,” said Paul Burns, who has pushed for greater restrictions on contractors’ contributions as executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group

“Most people believe it’s just wrong for campaign contributions to grease the skids for future contracts,” Burns added.

On a related note, the group In The Public Interest published a story this week titled “What Government Contractors Really Mean When They Say They’ll Do It Cheaper,” and it’s worth a read. It begins:

The decades-long experiment of contracting out public goods and services by governments, known as “privatization,” has often had dire consequences for the public, workers, and the environment. Our report, Cutting Corners: How Government Contractors Harm the Public in Pursuit of Profit, details the negative impacts on the public of cost-cutting by contractors across a variety of public goods and services and at every level of American government.
To maximize profit, companies have often cut corners by reducing the quality and accessibility of services, reducing staffing levels, lowering worker wages, and sidestepping protections for the public and the environment.

AFL-CIO Updates Executive Paywatch Website

The national AFL-CIO announced this week that it has released the 2016 edition of its popular CEO Paywatch website, with a wealth of information about the pay and bonuses being awarded to our nation’s Chief Executive Officers. There’s information like:

• Have you heard of Masimo Corporation? You should pay attention, because in 2015, its CEO, Joe Kiani, had in total compensation (most of it in stock awards);
• The average CEO of an S&P 500 Index company made 819 times a year’s pay for a federal minimum wage worker;
• “CEOs at the 25 S&P companies with the most unrepatriated profits are paid 79% more than the other S&P 500 CEOs.”; and
• “For every domestic job lost, U.S. multinationals create nearly seven jobs overseas.” (And we should fight that not by scapegoating workers in other countries but by pushing to improve their wages and working conditions.)

Check out the difference between the average working Vermonters’ annual pay versus Vermont CEO’s here.