NMU Bargaining Team Declares “Impasse” And State Goes Public!

A lot of press this week about the decision on Tuesday night by members of VSEA’s Non-Management Bargaining Team to declare “impasse” in their months-old contract negotiations with the State. The decision, as NMU members and VSEA learned on Wednesday, was not the State’s preferred course of action and, sadly, it responded by taking cherry-picked details of its negotiations with the NMU public, via a press release.

Forced to respond in the press, VSEA Executive Director Steve Howard told the Vermont Press Bureau,

“The negotiations are different this year. There is a feeling that the state is more interested in politics than finances. We’re not here to score political points. We’re here to ensure our workers earn a fair wage.”

Here is the full Vermont Press Bureau story and others about this week’s unfortunate events:

Vermont Political Observer Story

VTDigger

VT Press Bureau

Angered By This Week’s Action By State? All The More Reason To Sign The VSEA 2015 Contract Respect & Dignity Petition! Sign online here!

State employees across Vermont are letting headquarters know that they are angry about the State’s decision to go public with bargaining details this week.

“State employees are the backbone of our state’s middle class,” reminds VSEA First Vice President and NMU Bargaining Team member Aimee Towne. “It’s appalling how the State is now orchestrating a new attack on working Vermonters, divulging just one of many bargaining supposals to the press in what I can only assume was an unfortunate attempt to turn public sentiment against state employees. We’re hard-working Vermonters, and I for one am tired of being asked to take wage or benefit cuts, or be on the menu every time there’s a budget hole, while large businesses are awarded tax breaks and there’s no additional ask of the wealthiest among us. The State’s action this week is, unfortunately, politics-as-usual at its finest.”

VSEA members who share Towne’s anger about this week’s actions by the State, and its ill-advised release of sensitive bargaining information, are urged to help send a strong message to the State and lawmakers about state employee respect and dignity by signing your union’s “2015 Contract: Respect & Dignity” petition. The petition calls for good-faith bargaining, an end to cuts and for lawmakers to stay out of the collective bargaining process (language prompted by a letter from the Chairs of two powerful House committees with their suggestions for what and how to bargain with state employees). To date, VSEA has collected nearly 1,000 signatures on the petition, but we need more!

You can sign the online petition here.

VSEA’s Fund For Lara Sobel’s Children Eclipses $10,000

VSEA Promotes Fund On VTDigger.org

Last week, VSEA was proud to announce that the “VSEA Fund for the Children of Lara Sobel” had eclipsed the $10,000 mark and showed no signs of slowing down, which is a great thing. Of note this week is the Vermont Trooper’s Association’s $1000 contribution to the Fund, which is very welcome and appreciated. The Fund total is currently $13,000-plus.

To expand the Fund’s reach, VSEA published a new set of ads this week on the online media site VTDigger, encouraging all Vermonters and others to donate what they can to help.

If you haven’t donated yet to the VSEA Fund for the Children of Lara Sobel, but want to do so, please go to www.vsea.org/donate (and please share this link with everyone you know!).

Contributions can also be mailed to VSEA C/O The VSEA Fund for the Children of Lara Sobel, 155 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 Attention: Amy Haskins.

All contributors will receive a purple "Lara Sobel Strong" wristband.

Thanks in advance for your generosity.

Buy Union-Made Halloween Treats!

Just in case you haven’t stocked up yet. From the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus Program page:

“When those little ghosts and goblins come collecting on Halloween, make sure you have a full supply of union-made-in-America treats for them like Jelly Belly’s candy corn. Here’s a brief list of choices of candy products made by members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM); snack foods by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); or fruit and nuts from members of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

VSEA Vets’ Home Members Mobilize To Fight For Fair Schedule. Win Request For Mediator

WIA has reported previously on a campaign by nursing employees at the Vermont Veterans’ Home to create and implement a fair schedule with management. The workers had been under the impression that a schedule they had come up with would be put to a vote against a schedule management was proposing, but, according to the workers, management made a last-minute decision to cancel a vote and to just implement its schedule. Needless to say, that decision didn’t sit well with the workers, and they mobilized quickly, drafting a petition against implementing the management schedule and getting a majority of workers to sign it. The workers then presented their petition to the Vets’ Home Board at its October 14 meeting in Bennington. After receiving the petition and reviewing the facts, the Board voted overwhelmingly to support the workers’ call for a mediator to be hired to help resolve the dispute.

VSEA Executive Director Steve Howard attended the Board meeting, and he told the Bennington Banner "The schedule management put out has serious deficiencies. First of all, it barely, and sometimes doesn’t, meet state minimum nursing standards. Secondly, it has collective bargaining impacts that will create grievances that are unnecessary. It has impacts on the lives of the people who are here today and the nurses on the floor that they simply can not tolerate."

Note: WIA will let readers know the mediator’s decision, once it is made.

Central Vermont Chapter Meeting

Monday, October 19

VSEA’s Central Vermont Chapter is hosting a Chapter meeting on Monday, October 19, at VSEA headquarters in Montpelier. The meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Chapter President Cassandra Edson by email at cassandraedson@hotmail.com.

Lamoille Valley Chapter Meeting

Wednesday, October 21

VSEA’s Lamoille Valley Chapter is hosting a Chapter meeting on Wednesday, October 21, at the State Office Building in Morrisville. The meeting begins at 4:45 p.m., and dinner is being provided. For more information, please contact Chapter President Aimee Towne by email at aimee.towne@vermont.gov.

Brattleboro Chapter Mourning Loss

Submitted to WIA by Brattleboro Chapter President Robin Rieske

“The Brattleboro Chapter would like to acknowledge the recent passing of our VSEA union brother, John Angil.

John worked as the Radiological Director for the Vermont Emergency Management Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security and was active in his local VSEA chapter. Last year, John helped out at our local EAD, and he stood on the picket line with Fairpoint strikers, bringing coffee and good company to those workers. John was always quick to respond to VSEA requests and will be missed. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.”

Cards or donations can be sent to: Angil Household, 12 Old Chesterfield Rd., Spofford NH, 03462

VSEA Vets’ Home Utility Workers Win Reclassification

After more than a year trying, 28 utility workers at the Vermont Veterans Home are celebrating a big win, as the Department of Human Resources’ Classification Division ruled recently that they should be reclassified into a higher pay grade. The workers’ original request for reclassification (RFR) was denied in 2014 due to a technicality, so the workers re-filed their RFR in July 2015 and it was approved this month. The reclass will be retroactive to July 2015.

“After a year-and-a-half fight, we finally won a much-deserved raise for the utility workers at the Vets’ Home,” VSEA member and VVH Steward Tess tells WIA.

The Vermont Labor Relations Board will be determining soon whether or not the workers’ initial request in 2014 should have been flagged for a technicality or if the workers are eligible for retroactivity back to the July 2014 date when they originally filed their RFR.

VSEA Welcomes New Legislative Specialist Nancy Lynch

VSEA is pleased to welcome Nancy Lynch, who recently joined your union staff as its new Legislative Specialist.

Lynch is a natural fit for the position, as she has spent the bulk of her working life advocating for: working people; women; affordable, quality health care; victims of sexual and domestic abuse; persons with disabilities and other great causes and movements. She’s also familiar with state employee issues and concerns, having worked in Vermont state government, for both DVHA and the Secretary of State’s office.

“I am truly honored to be given the privilege to represent the members of the VSEA at the State House,” Lunch tells WIA. “Having grown up in a union household, where my father was heavily involved with his union over the course of his entire working life, and having been a member of the union myself, I understand the history of the labor movement and the important role unions play to ensure the health and well-being of all workers. In my role as Legislative Specialist, I will work tirelessly to protect the rights of all of the hard-working state employees of this great state, and I very much look forward to doing so.”

Members can reach Nancy by email at nlynch@vsea.org.

VSEA Labor Educator Reminds That Some Fall Trainings Are Open To All

VSEA Labor Educator Tim Lenoch asked WIA to remind members that many of the trainings scheduled throughout the fall 2015 are open to all members (indicated below in blue).

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

Health and Safety Issues

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Wednesday, October 28

The Grievance

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Friday, November 6

Steward 1: Introduction and the Basics

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Friday, November 13

VSEA Council Members and Chapter Officers

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Wednesday, November 18

The Labor Activist (open to all members and union officers)

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Wednesday, November 25

Labor Management Committees for Stewards and Labor Team Members

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Wednesday, December 2

Steward 2: Protecting the Contract and Building the Union

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Friday, December 4

Representing Co-Workers in Investigations and Disciplinary Meetings

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Wednesday, December 9

Steward 3: The Contract and Challenges in the Workplace

VTrans Training Center, 1716 US Rte. 302, Berlin
Friday, December 18

Click here to register for a training(s)!