Friends and Allies
Working with our allies
In addition to the Vermont Workers’ Center, over the past years we have partnered with many wonderful people and organizations working to make Vermont better. Read up on some of the issues below.
UVM Medical Center
UVM Medical Center opts to sell outpatient dialysis clinics to for-profit Fresenius
In 2011, we worked with the Vermont Workers’ Center, dialysis patients and patient advocacy groups such as Disability Rights Vermont to ensure that the State of Vermont did not approve a Certificate of Need that would allow Fletcher Allen Health Care to sell its well run outpatient dialysis clinics to Fresenius, a multinational dialysis company with questionable and variable patient outcomes, a company that would fall outside the jurisdiction of the developing state health care system.
The State of Vermont
The State of Vermont denied the Certificate of Need based on arguments that included many that we provided in testimony. “We, including our hard working dialysis nurses and techs, have stated publicly from the beginning our concerns that a huge for-profit multinational corporation like Fresenius would not be able to provide our dialysis patients with the high quality of care that Vermonters receive now, and that making profit from the medical needs of human beings violates the spirit and principles of the Vermont Health Care Reform law, Act 48,” stated Mari Cordes, President of Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.
The VSEA Union
The Aftermath of Irene and Impact on Vermont’s Psychiatric Patients: Working with VSEA Union members and many mental health advocates
When Tropical Storm Irene blew through Vermont, many people lost their homes – including those residing at the Vermont State Hospital. State employees and rescue workers acted heroically throughout the state, and at the state hospital, to bring people to safety. In the months that followed, the Shumlin administration plan to reduce the number of centralized, acute, inpatient psychiatric beds from 54 to 16 met strong resistance from many mental health advocates. Not only did Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals members rise to the occasion addressing a sudden increase in acuity with the influx of acute care psychiatric patients into the emergency department and the psychiatric units, they advocated for a strong and sensible state psychiatric health care system. Psychiatric and emergency department nurses, Vermont State Employees Union members (www.vsea.org), Fletcher Allen Health Care, Vermont Psychological Association, psychiatrists, social workers and mental health workers from around the state, have worked for months to help the Shumlin administration and state legislature understand the need for enough (at least 32) critical care mental health beds in a centralized facility. This work continues.
Vermont Veterans’ Home
Our union and NYSNA have joined with the Vermont State Employees Union (www.vsea.org) to help improve staffing conditions for residents, and working conditions for health care staff at the home.
Equal Care Coalition (ECC)
The Equal Care Coalition consists of Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, RU12?, Outright Vermont, Vermont Cares, Vermont physicians, and Vermont Workers’ Center, with assistance from GLAAD and theTransgender Law Center. The group formed in 2012 when a VFNHP member brought attention to the fact that Fletcher Allen Health Care’s self insurance had language that specifically excluded health insurance coverage for medically necessary transgender care. The group worked quickly to address that situation through the Fletcher Allen/Vermont Managed Care appeals process and discussion with Fletcher Allen management and board members. The ECC also worked to have legislation drafted that would prevent insurers in the state of Vermont from using the same discriminatory practices, and with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) to have a clarifying bulletin issued. In April of 2013, the DFR did issue a strong bulletin clearly preventing discrimination based on gender identification.
Vermont State Leadership
Many thanks to the many others who have steadfastly stood by us over the years in the name of quality care for our community, including:
U.S. Congressional Delegation
- Senator Bernie Sanders
- Senator Patrick Leahy
- Rep. Peter Welch
Vermont Leaders
- Governor Howard Dean
- Many Vermont Legislators
- Claire M. Lintilhac (helped VFNHP stop UVM Medical Center’s elimination of their 24-hour midwifery service)
- Rabbi Joshua Chasan
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Summary of Technical Professionals Tentative Agreement & Voting Info
Dear Technical Professionals, We reached a Tentative Agreement on our next contract! Before I get into the details of the agreement and next steps, I want to say how grateful I am to organize with all of you. The dedication that so many of you showed, especially our...
2/21 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
We had our second to last scheduled bargaining session last night, and our first with a federal mediator present. Turnout at last night's meeting was incredible with Technical Professionals packing the room from the outset. This is exactly the kind of energy and...
2/15 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
We had our 6th bargaining session last night during which we put across 6 proposals, Mgmt responded to 12 of our proposals, and we tentatively agreed on 3 Articles. We remain significantly far apart on economic articles with Mgmt failing to offer competitive...
2/8 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
2/8 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update We had our fifth bargaining session with Management last night during which we shared 15 counter proposals and the Administration gave us 9. Outside of Management's proposals regarding call pay and differentials, we...
1/30 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
We had our fourth bargaining session with Management last night, putting across several counters and also receiving responses from the Administration to several proposals we had shared at prior sessions. Here are the highlights of what was discussed last night:...
Technical Professionals Bargaining Kicks Off
Dear members, Technical Professionals contract bargaining began on Wednesday, and our Bargaining Team made 30 proposals across the table, while Management offered 27 proposals. Here are some of the highlights: Differentials- We proposed increased differentials...
2022-2023 Nurse Wage Scale
https://vfnhp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/FY22-FY24-Nurse-Wage-Scales-1.pdf
Summary of 7/5 Nurse Contract Tentative Agreement
VFNHP-Tentative-Agreement-Flyer-1Download
Ratified Nurse Contract Agreement
VFNHP-Nurses-FullTA-7-5-2022
Management’s Offer as of 6/15
Management did not offer any changes to this package at the 6/22 Bargaining Session. VFNHP- 615 Bargaining UpdateDownload
6/1 Bargaining Update
Nurses and Techs gathered in the McClure lobby to show solidarity with our Bargaining Team ahead of the 6/1 bargaining session. Contract negotiations have stalled, as we did not reach agreement at this week's session. VFNHP has given a package for the hospital to...
5/11 Nurse Bargaining and Incentive Update
Last night, the VFNHP Bargaining Team spent over 3 hours hearing the same thing from management: The hospital will not agree to any financial proposals beyond the $1.3M for their charge and preceptor differentials proposals. Seven proposals, including increasing all...
VFNHP Bargaining Update 5/4/22
Contract bargaining update 3Download
Nurse educator proposals 4/27/22
Educator Side Letter (1)Download
Bargaining Update #2
Contract bargaining update 2Download
VFNHP Proposals 4/6/2022
Dear members, Nurse contract bargaining began last night, and our Bargaining Team made 34 proposals across the table, while Management offered 11 proposals, only one of which was economic (Charge/Preceptor differential). Here are some of the highlights: Increased...
Negotiations for all
At the opening of VFNHP-Nurse negotiations with the UVMMC administration, all of the VFNHP proposals were designed to:* Protect and improve patient care * Provide safety and respect * Improve benefits and compensation to recruit and retain nurses and support...
2022 VFNHP Nurse Bargaining Platform
VFNHP-Nurse-Bargaining-Platform-FlyerDownload
Members Speak out for Safe Staffing and Quality Patient Care as staffing crisis continues.
TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS CONTRACT WINS
Articles 22-Wages, 23-Differentials, & 24 On-CallMarch 2023-Minimum of 6.5% base wage increase for all Technical Professionals. Go here for the full wage scale.-Minimum hourly wage: $19.66 -On-Call increases to $6.00/hr-On-Call bonus-Moving all Technical...
VFNHP Technical Professionals 2/21 Supposal
If Mgmt agreed to these proposals (including ours from above as well) Wages: Here is our 2/21 Wage Proposal. Differentials: Here is our 2/15 Differentials Proposal. On-Call/Call In: Here is our 2/21 On-Call/Call-In Proposal Article 2-...
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