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“In these negotiations, we find that we are once again fighting to ensure that Fletcher Allen respects the importance of our work, improves staffing, and continues working with us to ensure our ability to follow best practices and provide safe patient care. We Put Patients First every day, and we ask the same of Fletcher Allen.” |
With a vote of 16-13, the Vermont State Senate voted to grant child care providers the right to choose to collectively bargain with the state over issues the state controls. The child care providers will be partners with the state in setting policies related to their profession. |
AFT Vermont members will be joining in the May 1st march and rally in Montpelier as part of the movement to Put People First, including health care for all and higher education free from oppressive debt. |
Hart Research Associates found that by a margin of 26 percentage points, Vermont voters favor allowing early childhood educators to engage in collective bargaining with the state. |
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To Innovate, Look to Those Who Educate
 In her latest column appearing in the New York Times, AFT president Randi Weingarten describes how the AFT Innovation Fund is providing an alternative to school reform efforts that ignore the expertise of educators and their unions. The fund supports AFT affiliates that engaged in collaborative efforts that focus on promising ideas and proven programs that can be scaled up. Read the full column. |
Brian Tokar, negotiation team member, stated that the team will be looking for access to basic job security, benefits and the ability to advance. Tokar stated his hope that “the new administration at UVM would bring a fresh start in relations with students and faculty.” |
The Saving American Democracy Amendment states that:
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On February 7th, UP members from UVM and the Vermont State Colleges stood with hundreds of students calling on the legislature to increase funding for higher education.
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A message from United Professions AFT Vermont President Ben Johnson about the accomplishments of our Union in 2011 and our goals in 2012. |
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Over 500 faculty, staff and students turned out for the “Higher Education Funding” rallies at Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon and Vermont Tech on October 20th! At least 500 signed petitions in support of “Better Funding for the State Colleges and we had great media coverage. |
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Nurses are held in high regard. Gallup's Annual Honesty and Ethics Poll Shows Nurses are again at the top for the 11th year in a row! |
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Vermont Medical Team Visits Haiti A team of medical professionals from Vermont traveled to Haiti on Wednesday, July 27 to gather information on the healthcare needs in order to establish a union-run clinic and provide healthcare skills training, in collaboration with the global union federation, Public Services International (PSI) and its affiliate in Haiti, the Confederation of Workers in the Public and Private Sectors. |
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.VERMONT GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES SHARE THEIR VIEWS 2010 Vermont Gubernatorial candidates from the Democratic, Republican and Progressive parties were invited to complete an issues questionnaire and participate in interviews held at the United Professions AFT Vermont office in Burlington. All Democratic candidates and the Republican candidate submitted questionnaires. However, only the five Democratic candidates - Susan Bartlett, Matt Dunne, Deb Markowitz, Doug Racine, and Peter Shumlin - accepted the interview invitation. |
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Six candidates bidding to be Vermont’s next governor have confirmed their attendance at this Saturday’s gubernatorial candidates forum at the Brattleboro Area Middle School, sponsored by the Vermont Early Educators United—AFT.
The forum is the first public event in the area where all candidates were invited. As of June 22nd, the following have accepted the Early Educators’ invitation: Sen. Susan Bartlett, former senator now business executive Matt Dunne, Sec. of State Deb Markowitz, Sen. Doug Racine, Sen. Peter Shumlin, and Dennis Steele. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie has declined.
The event will be open to the general public. |
United Professions AFT VT Members at May 1st Healthcare is a Human Right Rally
United Professions AFT VT was the largest contingent at the May 1st Healthcare is a Human Right march and rally. Thousands of Vermonters converged on the statehouse on May 1st in a demonstration to show that Vermont should be the first state to demand healthcare as a human right. |
Early Educators Continue to Make Their Voices Heard, with Thousands of Postcards Delivered to Legislature
As the Legislative Budget Conference Committee convenes to churn out the final budget, Vermont early educators made sure to let them know that "Vermont Kids Are Not a Budget Fix!" |
Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Member Mari Cordes Interviewed on VPR about Vermonters in Haiti Click Here to listen to the VPR interview with Mair Cordes. Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Local 5221 continues to organize Haiti relief medical teams for 2-weeks periods. If you are interested in more information email haitirelief@upvaft.org To Donate please make checks out to UVM and write in memo line Batey-Libertad Medical. Mail donations to VFNHP 308 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401
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Health Care Reform S.88 was passed out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Originally, S.88 was a bill that laid out a plan for a single payer system. The bill, as passed out of committee, is essentially a summer study bill that will produce 3 options for health care reform, which will be developed by an expert. The bill calls for a 5-person board who would choose, and work with, the expert who would develop the options - 1 appointed by tthe Speaker, 1 appointed by the President Pro Tem, 2 appointed by the Governor, and 1 appointed by the other 4 board members. The composition of this board is of great concern to the advocates, as it is heavily weighted towards the Governor, who has not been a supporter of true health care reform. The bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations committee (as there is an appropriation required). Politics are running rampant, given that 3 of the gubernatorial candidates are senators - they are all jockeying for position on this bill. Read more for an update from our lobbyists on what's been happening at the statehouse with Health Care Reform, Higher Education, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing.
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Vermont Early Educators United at the State House!
More than 80 union early educators from around the state joined child care and early education advocates at the Early Childhood Day at the Legislature on March 17th--most for the first time ever! Although many early childhood educators couldn't be there because of their "day jobs," more than 800 hand cut-outs representing educators and children from around the state were delivered to legislators and draped as garland around the State Capitol, produced by Early Educators providers actively working to build their union. |
MONTPELIER - January 6, 2010: United Professions leaders joined more than two hundred Vermonters from the Vermont Worker's Center "Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign (HCHR)," to fill the Cedar Creek room at the Statehouse today to deliver thousands of postcards to the leadership of the State Legislature and to take action on the two single-payer healthcare bills, S.88 and H.100, and mend the broken healthcare system this year. |
