YOUR CHOICE FOR AN INDEPENDENT VOICE!

Representing 5400 members
including
staff at the Vermont State Colleges

Got Layoffs and Recall Rights?

What does protection mean?

As reported recently on VPR, there have been staff layoffs at the Vermont State Colleges (VSC). The layoffs are in response to a 5.1% decrease in enrollment at Johnson State College (JSC).

With this recent example at Johnson State, prior to deciding on the number of positions that are to be eliminated, VSEA-VSC union members worked together to identify and present cost-saving alternatives to the President of JSC.

Currently as UVM staff without a union contract, we are at the mercy of our employer on all issues related to workload, staffing levels, hiring policy, work practice, wages and benefits.

Having a union does not get in the way of business decisions, but in fact, having a contract provides a mechanism to engage in a process in a meaningful way and to establish key protections.

VSEA members at the State Colleges have been able to negotiate a legally-binding contract with the Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges. Their contract defines an agreed upon process in the case of lay-offs and recall rights to ensure that staff have access to vacant positions.

What rights do you have as UVM staff in the case of a layoff?

Click here to review the lay-off and recall articles from the contract between the Vermont State Colleges Staff Federation (VSCSF), and the VT State Colleges Chancellor.

To review the contract in full, go to the "Our Contracts" link on the left hand column of the VSEA website and scroll down to the VT State Colleges contract link.

SUMMER SOLIDARITY!

Why do hundreds of UVM staff support

becoming members of VSEA?

Come find out!

Click here for the pdf invitation

Join your colleagues and union staff

every Tuesday from 11:30-1:30 pm at Room 225 Old Mill

from June 17th through August.

We will be hosting drop-in informational events serving tea (iced and hot) with baked goods. But the real calories will come from the exchange of information! Bring your questions! Bring your friends/co-workers! No question is too small!

At the first UniTea on TUESDAY June 17th from 12:00-1:00PM, we will have examples of contracts and contract language from local unions, including the faculty union and the VT State Colleges, and other university/college staff unions.

ALSO on June 25th from 11:30-1:30PM in front of the Bailey-Howe Library, we are sponsoring a fun splash of an event with FREE Lemonade (courtesy of Kids Lemonade from the King St Youth Center) and other local treats!

Come meet supporters, come ask questions and bring your co-workers out for some free lemonade!

Support from a VSEA Member:

My name is Kathy Rotondi. I have worked for the Vermont Judiciary for 5 years after retiring from a long professional career in private industry.

I serve on the Judiciary Bargaining team and our Labor-Management Committee. I am proud to do so.

Not having the protection of the union in my previous employment, I feel much more secure now knowing that I no longer serve my employer at will.

It's great that you have an opportunity to join us in VSEA. We all deserve the same rights and protection.

Best,

Kathy Rotondi

Proud Member of VSEA

Support from Students!

Staff work hard in support of students, and deserve reasonable salaries, secure benefits, and retirement with dignity. As UVM increases student tuition, it is also reducing staff positions, increasing workloads, and taking more money out of our paychecks to cover our benefits.

The entire UVM community suffers under these conditions.

When this is the result, one has to wonder, where are the administration's priorities?

READ MORE in a recent New York Times article about the links between college costs, student debt, and the soaring compensation of college presidents: NYTIMES ARTICLE

AND A BURLINGTON FREE PRESS article on student debt and the recent action in the Vermont Legislature: BFP article

MORE ABOUT VSEA

What Is the Vermont State Employees' Association?

The Vermont State Employees' Association is an independent union of over 5,400 Vermont workers that have joined together to have a voice in the decisions that affect our jobs.

In addition to the clerical and technical staff at the Vermont State Colleges, our union consists of state employees.

At the core of the union's program is the work that members and union staff do together to bargain contracts with management and ensure that these agreements are upheld in each of our workplaces.

VSEA has a team of professional staff to support members in enforcing the contracts, training workplace stewards, carrying out direct action on key issues, lobbying, communications and legal support.