Labor intervenors in the regulatory oversight of the proposed sale of Verizon's landlines to FairPoint Communications submitted testimony to the Vermont Public Service Board concluding that modifications to the transaction as proposed by settlements in Maine and Vermont do not meet reasonable standards for financial fitness.
According to expert witness Randy Barber, "this transaction could create profound – even perverse – incentives for FairPoint to cut expenses and capital spending...just when it should be continuing to invest heavily in rebuilding the communications network."
"The proposed stipulation in Vermont yet again lets Verizon off the hook for the hundreds of millions of additional dollars it should be putting into this transaction," Barber wrote to the PSB on January 24. "Instead, it forces FairPoint to dig itself even further in the hole and foot the bill for every single provision that the DPS extracted from it. In the process, it amplifies the perverse incentives to cut service and spending that FairPoint already accepted in the Maine proceedings.
"Verizon should not be permitted to abandon Vermont without making adequate provision for the future prospects of its customers, communities and employers. Absent a very significant increased financial commitment from Verizon, I conclude that FairPoint will not be financially fit to own and operate Verizon's Vermont network. The Board, therefore, should reject the proposed stipulation and affirm its earlier decision rejecting the transaction."
VT statehouse hearing set for Thurs, Jan. 31
Barber will testify at a Senate Economic Development Committee hearing at 8:30 AM in Room 10 and to the Vermont House Commerce Committee at 11:30 AM in Room 35 at the statehouse on Thursday, January 31.
The hearing was called after legislators wrote to the PSB on January 16 with concerns about the impact of the proposed revised Verizon FairPoint proposal.
The elected officials wrote that the stipulation must, "ensure that FairPoint has the financial capacity to provide affordable broadband by the year 2010 to all residences and businesses in all regions of the state that Verizon serves."
Impact of FairPoint Settlement "let Verizon off the hook"
Workers Across Burlington Show Their Support for Food Service Workers
Burlington, VT – Members of the Burlington Livable City Coalition, representing hundreds of workers and community members across the city, stood in solidarity with Burlington School Support Staff, including food service workers, by wearing livable wage pins at locations across the city on January 28th and 29th. Members of AFSCME Local 1343, representing Burlington School Food Service workers and Service and Maintenance workers, have been in negotiations since January 2007 and working without a contract since June 30th, 2007. Despite the huge livable wage victory for Burlington School Para-Educators, represented by the Burlington Education Association, in November the food service workers in the Burlington Schools continue to work for less then a livable wage.
According to the Report on Livable Wages in Burlington Schools put out in June 2007 by the Peace and Justice Center’s Vermont Livable Wage Campaign and the Vermont Workers Center, no food service workers make the hourly livable wage, 43% earned $8.59/hr or less in 2005-2006 school year, and 94% of food service workers are women. 
Dozens of nurses at Fletcher Allen Health Care, workers at City Market and the University of Vermont, as well had teachers, para-educators, food service workers and service and maintenance workers in the Burlington Schools wore Livable Wage buttons for the past two days. 
LIVABLE WAGE Burlington Citywide Button Day - Monday, Jan. 28th
The Burlington Livable City Coalition invites you to where livable wage buttons at work and in the community on Jan 28th (and Jan 29th, too if you like) to support the food serive and other Burlington school support staff workers who still don't earn a livable wage as they are in contract negotiations. Buttons can be picked up at the VT Workers' Center, 294 North Winooski Avenue or the Peace & Justice Center, 21 Church Street, Burlington.
More info call James at VWC at 861-2877 or Colin at PJC 863-2345 x8
JOIN US SATURDAY: Building A Movement For Worker Justice
Saturday, January 26
BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR WORKER JUSTICE CONFERENCE
9am, UVM Davis Center (There is no-charge, use this link and click on Register at the bottom of the page to REGISTER RIGHT NOW)
Check it out Jan 23rd story in Seven Days
A major gathering for workers, students, educators and health care providers to build a movement for workers' rights, livable wages, economic justice, quality healthcare for all and global solidarity. (See sponsors below)
Agenda
8:45-9:10 REGISTRATION
9:15-9:50 WELCOMING SESSION
Organizing for Our Future
Special Guest: Larry Cohen, President, Communications Workers of America
10-10:50 WORKSHOP SESSION 1
* Developing An Economy That Works For All (Traven Leyshon, President Washington-Orange-Lamoille County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO and Director of Highroad Vermont)
* Defending Social Services & Fighting Privatization (Ed Stanak, former president of the VT State Employees Association)
* Using The Media Effectively In Your Campaigns (Darren Allen, Vermont NEA & Doug Gibson, VSEA)
* Lessons from the Verizon Stop The Sale Campaign & The Next Steps in Universal Broadband Access in New England (Larry Cohen, CWA and Mike Spillane IBEW Local 2326, goes for both sessions)
* Building a Campaign for Livable wages (Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, former director of the VT Livable Wage Campaign and organizer with Vermont NEA)
* Getting Started: Basics in beginning to organize for change in our communities (James Haslam, Director of Vermont Workers' Center and Phil Fiermonte, longtime community & labor organizer)
* Global Trade, Outsourcing & Workers Organizing Across Borders (Dan Brush, organizer with Teamsters Local 1L, Earl Mongeon and Lee Conrad from Alliance @ IBM)
* How to survive and thrive in a career in healthcare (Jen Henry, RN, president of the Fletcher Allen nurses union)
11-11:50 WORKSHOP SESSION 2
* Strategies in Starting to Organize At Your Workplace (James Haslam, Vermont Workers' Center)
* Labor Mobilizing For Elections (Jan Schaffer, AFL-CIO)
* The Labor Movement and the fight for quality universal healthcare (Traven Leyshon, Washington-Orange-Lamoille CLC, Highroad Vermont)
* People vs. Money: Grassroots Lobbying To Win Legislation (Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, former director, VLWC and organizer, Vermont NEA)
* Creating A Beautiful Revolution: Using Art In Our Campaigns (Jessica Morley, President UE Local 203, & members of the Vermont Workers' Center Art Committee)
* No Child Left Behind, Act 82 & the Future of Public Education Funding in Vermont (Angelo Dorta and Darren Allen of Vermont NEA)
Starting From Scratch: How to start organizing at your school (Kate Kandelstein, UVM SLAP and other SLAP and CLEA leaders)
12-12:45 BROWN BAG WORKING LUNCH
A People's History of Healthcare in the United States: Presentation by Jonathan Kissam, Vermont Workers' Center Education Committee
— OR —
STUDENTS AND WORKERS UNITED: Building a statewide network of workers' rights struggles at schools. Speakers from UVM SLAP, Green Mountain College SLAP, CLEA, Vermont Workers' Center, United Staff, United Academics and UE Local 267 (UVM service and maintenance workers)
12:45-2:00 PLENARY: Building a Movement for Healthcare for All, Livable Wages and Workers' Rights
Facilitated by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
Panel includes:
JEN HENRY, President, UPV/AFT
ANGELO DORTA, President, Vermont NEA
ANGELA DIGIULIO, Student Labor Action Project
LARRY COHEN, President, Communications Workers of America (CWA)
2pm GROUP PHOTO and MARCH
Participants are invited to join the Many Struggles, One Movement march, part of a Global Day of Action: Act Together for Another World. Themes are: TROOPS HOME NOW, HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, CLIMATE JUSTICE march leaves from UVM Davis Center to Church Street. Bring your banners, signs, and join hundreds of people and giant puppets
(There is no-charge, use this link and click on Register at the bottom of the page to REGISTER RIGHT NOW)
SOCIAL FORUM SOCIAL – VWC Fundraiser
6:30pm, Vermont Workers' Center, 294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington
Discussion about World Social Forum and US Social Forum process, video from VT delegation in 2007 in Atlanta, and then fun, food and drinks.
Building A Movement For Worker Justice Sponsors:
Alliance@IBM/CWA Local 1701
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1343
Child Labor Education & Action (CLEA)
Communication Workers of America (CWA)
Ironworkers Local 7
Senator Bernie Sanders
Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), UVM Chapter
Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), Green Mountain College Chapter
United Academics UPV/AFT
United Electrical Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) Local 267
United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) Local 5109
United Professions of Vermont, American Federation of Teachers (UPV/AFT)
United Staff at UVM
Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Local 5221, UPV/AFT
Vermont Livable Wage Campaign — Peace & Justice Center
Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA)
Vermont Workers' Center — Jobs With Justice
Washington-Orange-Lamoille Counties Central Labor Council AFL-CIO
Week of Action Jan 20-28
Many Struggles, One Movement!
Week of Action, January 20-28
Sunday, January 20
Community Dinner and Information Fair on PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING & NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND 6pm, Lawrence Barnes Elementary, 123 North St, Burlington Sponsored by the Burlington Livable City Campaign and Barnes PTO
Monday, January 21
AT THE RIVER I STAND(powerful film about MLK assassination and Memphis sanitation workers' strike) 7pm, Vermont Workers' Center, 294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington
Tuesday, January 22
UNDOING RACISM (short film, discussion and planning) 6-8pm, Vermont Workers' Center, 294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington
Wednesday, January 23
PANEL ON RACISM AND WAR
6pm, 116 Aiken, UVM sponsored by Peace & Justice Center
Thursday, January 24
Burger King Solidarity Action for Coalition of Immokalee Workers
12noon, Williston Rd, S. Burlington (Email james [at] workerscenter.org if you can help)
Friday, January 25
Michael Moore's SiCKO 7pm,
VT Workers' Center, 294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington
(Bring your friends who haven't seen this film yet)
Saturday, January 26
BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR WORKER JUSTICE CONFERENCE
9am, UVM Davis Center (There is no-charge, over a dozen great workshops, Register On-line)
PANEL: BUILDING A MOVEMENT FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE AND LIVABLE WAGES
12:45pm, UVM Davis Center.
Panel featuring:
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Larry Cohen, Communication Workers of America (CWA), national president
Angelo Dorta, Vermont NEA president
Jennifer Henry, Fletcher Allen nurses union and UPV/AFT president
Angela DiGuilio, UVM Student Labor Action Project
MARCH: TROOPS HOME NOW, HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, CLIMATE JUSTICE
2:30pm, march leaves from UVM Davis Center to Church Street
Bring your banners, signs, and join hundreds of people and giant puppets
GLOBAL WARMING PANEL
4pm, Contois Auditorium, Burlington
lead sponosr Global Justice & Ecology Project
SOCIAL FORUM SOCIAL – VWC Fundraiser
6:30pm, Vermont Workers' Center,
294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington
Discussion about World Social Forum and US Social Forum process, video from VT delegation in 2007 in Atlanta, and then fun, food and drinks.
Monday, January 28
Citywide LIVABLE WAGE BUTTON DAY to support Burlington school support staff workers
The Burlington Livable City Coalition invites you to where livable wage buttons on Jan 28th (and Jan 29th, too if you like) to support the food serive and other Burlington school support staff workers who still don't earn a livable wage as they are in contract negotiations. Buttons can be picked up at the VT Workers' Center, 294 North Winooski Avenue or the Peace & Justice Center, 21 Church Street, Burlington.
Video from 2007 US Social Forum
Video about the Vermont Workers' Center delegation to the first US Social Forum, in Atlanta, GA, June 2007.
Save Vermont Healthcare from the Insurance Companies!
Healthcare Rally INSIDE The Statehouse, in Montpelier
TOMMOROW: Wednesday, January 9, 11 am to 1 pm
The Vermont Workers' Center urges members and supporters to join folks for this rally because we believe healthcare should be a basic right to every Vermonter the VT Hospital Security Plan H304 is a possible step in that direction.
*H.304 guarantees every Vermonter hospital coverage for life
*H.304 cuts health insurance premiums by 40 %
*H.304 reduces billing costs and saves us $66 million in overall hospital costs annually
For background on H304 visit: www.takebackvermonthealthcare.org
and check out related article in Times Argus published Jan 6, 2008.
If you are interested in working with the Workers' Center to establish healthcare as a basic right to all Vermonters, email james [at] workerscenter.org and write in the Subject: Healthcare Action Committee .
Highlights of 2007, Movement Building in 2008
Highlights of 2007, Movement Building in 2008
As 2007 began, the Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC) was focused on keeping the momentum of the Burlington Livable City Coalition after the 2006 contract victories for Fletcher Allen nurses (UPV/AFT Local 5221), Burlington Teachers (BEA) and University of Vermont (UVM) Service & Maintenance workers (UE Local 267). We were still in the midst of a difficult struggle of COTS employees who ultimately had their right to organize denied by their administration and Board of Directors.
In February, we partnered with the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign to organize a Vermont Workers Rights Board Hearing with Bernie Sanders hearing testimony from dozens of people from a wide variety of workplace struggles fighting the economic “Race To The Bottom.” People working in education, construction, hospitality and factories all talked about the need to organize together to reverse the economic trends and combat corporate policies that hurt working people everywhere.
In March, we were working on our other main priority, which was training emerging workplace leaders. Twenty-five participants from over a dozen Burlington-area workplaces attended out first ever VWC Solidarity School, a skill-building three day training focused on organizing in the workplace.
In April, another event brought together many of struggles of 2007 when we mobilized a March for Livable Wages & Family Supporting Jobs in Burlington that started at HO Wheeler School with school support staff workers, then went down the retail and food service downtown sector of Church Street, some of whom were fighting for the Tipped Minimum Wage increase, then stopped outside a Verizon facility to join workers who were ramping up their fight to Stop The Sale to Fairpoint, before finally heading up to UVM where the Student Labor Action Project for the second year in a row had created a Tent City encampment in their struggle to create livable wage and right to organize policies at their university.
In honor of May Day, we held our 9th Anniversary Dinner and Celebration, which between breaking bread with the UVM hunger strikers, the inspirational Elaine Bernard and the moving speeches by Vermont members of the Iraq Veterans Against The War was truly a night to remember.
On June 12th, the Burlington Livable City Campaign mobilized for a huge turnout for the School Board meeting calling for livable wages. Also that month we partnered with Vermont Health Care For All and VPIRG to raise funds for hundreds of free tickets to uninsured Vermonters to see Michael Moore’s film “SiCKO.”
When July began, a large group of VWC members were in Georgia, as in Atlanta, GA comprising our big delegation to the first-ever US Social Forum in Atlanta (check out a very cool short video from the VT crew).
July ended with one of our biggest Steering Committee meetings to date on the Burlington Waterfront, and at that Summer Meeting we decided to turn our focus for August and much of September on the Stop The Sale of Verizon to Fairpoint Struggle affecting over 600 Vermont workers and thousands more in NH and ME organized with CWA and IBEW.
We got very familiar with the Vermont county fair circuit as we tabled to Stop The Sale all over the state. This was heating up Labor Day Weekend, when IBEW Local 2326 was tabling at the Champlain Fair, we were down at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland, we organized a big event at the Old Labor Hall in Barre, sent a crew to canvass to Stop The Sale in Northfield and still helped organize the 6th Annual Burlington Labor Day Celebration drawing 300+ people.
October 9th was a particularly busy, but fruitful day. First we mobililed members to join the Fletcher Allen nurses union for a rally to Save The Nurse Midwives and the FAHC midwifery program. Then that evening as part of the Livable City Coalition we brought another community delegation to the Burlington School Board demanding livable wages for support staff. With the help of this solidarity, by the end of that week, there had been two victorious settlements, as the midwifery program had been taken off the chopping block and the Burlington paraeducators got a livable wage agreement after years of struggle.
In November, as part of Vermont Labor Against The War, VWC members loaded into two vans to participate in the huge anti-war rally in Boston and a couple of days later joined the Burlington Education Association to celebrate the paraeducator livable wage contract ratification. On November 17th, the VWC opened its doors to the new Burlington office, and now we truly have a Center!
On December 10th, Intl Human Rights Day, we kept up the pressure on the Burlington School Board for livable wages for the rest of the support staff by holding a candlelight vigil outside their negotiations with food service workers. We also published the VWC 2008 People’s Calendar, which thanks to some gifted designers and hardwork researching dates and photo archives - truly came out amazing (we still have some left, order yours before they are all gone, very cool).
We closed out the year by holding a solidarity action protesting the demolition of public housing in New Orleans. And then the surprise big news came out, thanks to the hard work of the Verizon workers and many of you, and despite the hundreds of thousands spent of advertising and lobbying, the Vermont Public Service Board rejected the Verizon Sale! In NH and ME it passed, but once again Vermonters proved to be a tough bunch to fool. This fight isn’t over yet, but despite serious odds we pulled out a big victory in Round 1. The Verizon sale will still comeback with revisions to try to get approval (stay updated at www.stopthesalenow.org )
Now 2008 is here, there are huge challenges, but already there are signs working families have had enough and will organize for change. On Jan 3rd, we organized a press conference supporting 400+ workers (90% + who are women) at Stanley Associates in St. Albans who are organizing a union in response to massive speed-ups and wage cuts from this federal contractor. They are incredibly united, but will need everyone’s support (see photo and letter we sent to CEO).
If you hadn’t heard yet, we are coordinating a huge Jan 20-27 Week of Action which includes on January 26th helping organize a really huge event, Building A Worker Justice Movement in Burlington (it would be great if you pre-registered right nor on-line! And even greater if you got some others to do the same, download flyers). On January 28th we are organizing a citywide livable wage button-day in Burlington to support the rest of the Burlington school support staff. Starting in February we are holding the 2008 Solidarity School Training on Saturdays spread out through the winter (let us know if you are interested, email james [at] workerscenter.org )
Help us Build A Movement in 2008! Change is in Air!!
Community Calls On Stanley To Respect Workers' Rights
(Stanley workers speak at press conference in their St. Albans union office)
On Thursday, the Vermont Workers’ Center organized a press conference with workers at Stanley Associates in St. Albans who are organizing with the UE and and elected officials to release a public letter to Stanley to respect workers right to organize. The letter (text below), signed by US Senator Bernie Sanders and two dozen other Workers' Rights Board members, elected officials, local business owners and community leaders requests that Stanley not spend tax-dollar money on union-busting consultants and otherwise interfere with workers right to organize at its Vermont facilities employing over 400 Vermonters. Attending the press conference were Franklin State Senator Sara Kittell and State Representatives Kathleen Keenan and Jim Fitzgerald of St. Albans and Michel Consejo of Sheldon Springs, Vermont. Media coverage included WAMC - North Country Public Radio, WCAX News Channel 3 (link to transcript), WPTZ News Channel 5, St. Albans Messenger (read frontpage story here) and Channel 15 Community Public Access in St. Albans.
On December 27th, Stanley workers petitioned for a union election with the United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE). See last Friday's lead cover story in the St. Albans Messenger.
Text of Community Letter:
January 3, 2008
Philip Nolan , CEO
Stanley Associates, Inc.
3101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22201
Fax: 802-527-4689, 703-683-0039
Dear Mr. Nolan:
We understand that workers now employed by Stanley Associates, Inc. are organizing and call upon you to respect their right to form a union without interference. We have heard workers concerned with cuts to pay and new management practices are exercising this basic human right to explore collective bargaining. We support them in this endeavor and request that Stanley not engage in anti-union activity or otherwise interfere with this process.
We have heard it reported that Stanley is very proud of being found a good employer by Fortune Magazine. We hope you will now act as a responsible employer and respect your employees’ right to organize. In receiving this latest $225 million government contract, Stanley has the responsibility to tax-payers not to waste any of this money on an anti-union campaign.
We have asked workers to keep us informed about their organizing efforts, and hope they will be able to report that their rights to make this decision have been respected.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Sincerely,
Bernie Sanders, US Senator
Ron Allard, Vermont State Representative, St. Albans, Vermont
Rabbi Joshua Chasan, Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, Burlington, Vermont
Michel Consejo, Vermont State Representative, Sheldon Springs, Vermont
Hilary Denault-Reynolds, Owner-Operator Heroes Kingdom Store, St. Albans, Vermont
Joey Donovon, Vermont State Representative, Burlington, Vermont
James Fitzgerald, Vermont State Representative, St. Albans, Vermont
Gary Gilbert, Vermont State Representative, Fairfax, Vermont
Dan Green, Owner-Operator Greenstone Landscaping, St. Albans, Vermont
James Haslam, Vermont Workers’ Center, Director, Burlington, Vermont
Helen Head, Vermont State Representative, South Burlington, Vermont
Donna Howard, Owner Operator Eloquent Page Bookstore, St. Albans, Vermont
Richard Howrigan, Vermont State Representative, Fairfield, Vermont
Kathleen Keenan, Vermont State Representative, St. Albans, Vermont
Sara Kittell, Vermont State Senator, Fairfield, Vermont
Mark Larson, Vermont State Representative, Burlington, Vermont
Virginia Lyons, Vermont State Senator, Williston, Vermont
Mark MacDonald, Vermont State Senator, Williamstown, Vermont
Norman McAllister, Vermont State Representative, Franklin, Vermont
David McWilliams, AFSCME Local 1343, St. Albans, Vermont
Christopher Pearson, Vermont State Representative, Burlington, Vermont
Rebecca Smith, Burlington Education Association, President, Burlington, Vermont
Kristy Spengler, Vermont State Representative, Colchester, Vermont
Rachel Weston, Vermont State Representative, Burlington, Vermont
David Zuckerman, Vermont State Representative, Burlington, Vermont