Vermont Workers Center Archives

Bennington Healthcare Human Rights Hearing

2009-02-09T13:45:00.001-05:00

Local residents testify about impact of healthcare crisis

Where: Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse, 108 School Street, Bennington, Vermont

When: 7:00 PM, Thursday, February 19, 2009

What: For months, volunteers for the Vermont Workers' Center have been surveying Vermonters from all across the state about their experiences with the healthcare system. The results have been clear: Vermonters believe that healthcare should be a human right, and many are suffering because of lack of access to affordable, quality healthcare. The crisis continues to worsen as the state's budget problems have led to painful cuts to State health programs, exacerbating the crisis for thousands of Vermont families.

On Thursday, February 19, this conversation comes to Bennington as part of the "Healthcare is a Human Right" campaign, which is coordinated by the Workers' Center, to build a movement that can help reform the State's healthcare system so it will guarantee care to all Vermonters regardless of income. This event is also being sponsored by the Bennington Area Regional Council. The testimony about the impact the lack of access to healthcare has had on the lives of area families will be heard by a community listening panel comprised of faith leaders, health professionals and other community leaders.

"It is really exciting that this event is happening," says Charlie Murphy, a Bennington resident who is helping organize the hearing. "People have to come out to build a movement to get the healthcare we need."

Background: After conducting over 1,200 surveys and holding hearings in Brattleboro, Burlington, St. Albans, Lyndonville and Barre, on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008, the Vermont Workers' Center issued a report "Voices of the Vermont Healthcare Crisis: Healthcare Is A Human Right." The report and accompanying video can be downloaded online.

Download print report: http://www.workerscenter.org/healthcare/

Watch 7-minute video: http://blip.tv/file/157451

Rutland Healthcare Human Rights Hearing

2009-02-09T13:42:00.003-05:00

Local residents testify about impact of healthcare crisis

Where: Rutland Regional Medical Center, Conference Rooms 3 & 4, 160 Allen Street, Rutland, Vermont

When: 7:00 PM, Thursday, February 12, 2009

What: For months, volunteers for the Vermont Workers' Center have been surveying Vermonters from all across the state about their experiences with the healthcare system. The results have been clear: Vermonters believe that healthcare should be a human right, and many are suffering because of lack of access to affordable, quality healthcare. The crisis continues to worsen as the state's budget problems have led to painful cuts to State health programs, exacerbating the crisis for thousands of Vermont families.

On Thursday, February 12, this conversation comes to Rutland as part of the "Healthcare is a Human Right" campaign, which is coordinated by the Workers' Center, to build a movement that can help reform the State's healthcare system so it will guarantee care to all Vermonters regardless of income. This Rutland Hearing is also sponsored by the Vermont Psychiatric Survivors Network and Central Vermont Peace & Justice Center. The testimony about the impact the lack of access to healthcare has had on the lives of area families will be heard by a community listening panel comprised of faith leaders, health professionals and other community leaders.

Background: On January 29, over seventy-five people attended a healthcare human rights hearing in Barre and one is scheduled in Bennington on February 19. On December 10, 2008, International Human Rights Day, after conducting over 1,200 surveys and holding hearings in Brattleboro, Burlington, St. Albans and Lyndonville the Vermont Workers' Center issued a report "Voices of the Vermont Healthcare Crisis: Healthcare Is A Human Right." The report and accompanying video can be downloaded online.

Download print report: http://www.workerscenter.org/healthcare/

Watch 7-minute video: http://blip.tv/file/157451

Feb 2: Join Candlelight Vigils Across the State to Stop the Budget Cuts

2009-01-25T15:41:00.007-05:00

The State of Vermont has a budget shortfall and Governor Douglas says it should be done without raising new revenue but through program cuts that will primarily affect children, the elderly, and low income Vermonters. Join the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC) and other organizations across the state opposing proposed state budget cuts which will be devastating to thousands of Vermont families. The VWC and other groups are organizing to stop the cuts from happening. On January 23, the VWC released a Statement on the Budget Cuts, which outlined the following principles that should be followed as we face this crisis:

Public services are necessary for a just and sustainable society.
Among the roles of government is to guarantee the human rights of all residents.
A revenue shortfall is a reason to change revenue policy not budget policy.
Public services, including education, should be funded based on ability to pay, not fees or regressive taxes like property and sales taxes.
Only by concerted collective action can people ensure that government/public policy serves the needs of the people.
Healthcare is a human right, and by establishing it as a public good it will not only be more just, but by eliminating the waste of private insurers, we will save tens of millions of dollars.

On Monday, February 2 there will be candlelight vigils in at least a dozen Vermont cities and towns.

Locations:

Bennington: Four corners Intersection of Routes 7 & 9, 5pm
Burlington: 108 Cherry Street, 5pm,
Brattleboro: Main Street Post Office,5:30pm
Hardwick: TBD
Middlebury: Traffic Island @ Middlebury Inn, 12 Noon
Montpelier: Pavilion Building, 109 State Street, 5pm,
Morrisville: Lamoille Senior Center, 24 Main St at 4 way stop downtown,5pm
Randolph: Main St in front of Northfield Savings Bank, 5pm
Rutland: Rutland Unitarian Church, 117 West Street, 5pm
St Albans: Taylor Park, 5pm,
St Johnsbury: in front of the Athenaeum, 5pm
White River Junction: Intersection of Routes 5 & 14, 5pm

Please join us and help spread the word far and wide.

More information: email james [at] workerscenter.org or call 272-0882

FEB 3: Community Forum w/Chicago Republic Sit-in Strikers

2009-01-25T15:33:00.004-05:00

RECOVERY & RESISTANCE : Sit-In Strikers from Republic Windows & Doors in Chicago

When: 7pm, Tues, Feb 3, 2009

Where: Billings North Lounge, 48 University Place, UVM, Burlington

What: In December, 260 workers at Chicago's Republic Windows occupied their plant for six days, a sit-in strike launched in response to the closing of their plant with only 3 days notice. The Vermont Workers' Center and other Jobs with Justice coalitions along with other community, faith and labor activists from across the country mobilized in support of these workers, helping them win a settlement from Bank of America and Republic owners including severance pay and compensation for unpaid earnings.

As the economic crisis deepens, millions of people face jobs loss and foreclosures. Join the Workers' Center and other groups in celebrating the successful resistance at Republic and launch the broader campaign for an economic recovery that puts human rights before Wall Street.

More info: kate [at] workerscenter.org or call 861-2877

Fletcher Allen Techs Need Your Support

2009-01-23T10:33:00.002-05:00

Almost 600 hospital technicians at Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC) are organizing to form a union, as the nurses did back in 2002. The techs and nurses are now calling on FAHC Administration to recognize their right to organize and not waste thousands of healthcare dollars on an expensive anti-union campaign. Since they formed a union in 2002 they have improved their working conditions to such a degree that what was a critical nursing shortage virtually disappeared. The union simply made the hospital a better place to work. When they formed a union there were about 1200 nurses, now there are over 1600, and the overall patient care at the hospital has improved dramatically. Now the hospital tech's are organizing for the same reasons, to ultimately create better care at our community hospital. Just like we supported the nurses back in 2002 and have continued over the years during their struggles to improve staffing at the hospital, we need to be support the hospital techs.

Sign this petition either via email (please see directions
below) or via the web at:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/techs

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/techs/forward/

Here is a Burlington Free Press article about a recent press conference with the Techs calling for the FAHC Admin agree to a Code of Conduct to respect workers' right to organize.

VWC Statement on Budget Cuts

2009-01-23T10:17:00.005-05:00

No one doubts that we are living through difficult economic times. For many working-class Vermonters, the current economic crisis is simply an intensification of the long crisis that we have been experiencing long before the recent financial meltdown. For the last several decades, there has been a shift in government and public policy towards helping the rich get richer at the expense of working people. Working people have born the brunt of this crisis in the form of stagnant wages, downsizing and outsourcing, cuts in public services, a dysfunctional healthcare system, and an increasingly regressive tax policy that rewards the wealthy with income tax breaks while driving up fees and regressive taxes like the property tax.

We believe that, in the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “[e]veryone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” We believe that these are fundamental human rights, rights that we have by virtue of being human beings, of being born into human society.

A strong and robust public sector is essential to provide all Vermonters the services they have a right to receive in order to maintain basic human dignity. Every other industrialized country, as well as many developing ones, guarantees healthcare – and often other human rights – through the public sector. The profit motive simply cannot be trusted to ensure rights, or, as recent events demonstrate, even economic stability, and private charities do not have the scale or coordination to provide a real social safety net. The last thing we need are cuts to services or more layoffs, but this is exactly what Governor Douglas’s proposed budget would bring us. The current "crisis" is not a budget crisis, it is a revenue crisis caused by repeated give-aways to the wealthy in the form of tax breaks. Using this state revenue crisis to lay off workers and cut services for the people is not only unjust, but will also actively undermine President Obama's efforts to stimulate the economy.

We are facing a worldwide economic and ecological crisis, which demands transformative change. A stimulus package from the federal government that focuses on creating “green jobs” to rebuild our physical infrastructure and make it more environmentally sound and sustainable is absolutely necessary, but it is only part of the solution. We also need to rebuild our social infrastructure, guaranteeing quality healthcare and education for all and rebuilding our tattered social safety net. Relying solely on economic growth to take care of social needs is no longer an option – we can’t afford to be forced into making choices between jobs and the environment as the planet warms.

The Vermont Workers' Center believes that the following principles need to be followed as we face this crisis:

Public services are necessary for a just and sustainable society.
Among the roles of government is to guarantee the human rights of all residents.
A revenue shortfall is a reason to change revenue policy not budget policy.
Public services, including education, should be funded based on ability to pay, not fees or regressive taxes like property and sales taxes.
Only by concerted collective action can people ensure that government/public policy serves the needs of the people.
Healthcare is a human right, and by establishing it as a public good it will not only be more just, but by eliminating the waste of private insurers, we will save tens of millions of dollars.

Human Rights Hearing in Barre

2009-01-22T17:28:00.009-05:00

Local residents testify about impact of healthcare crisis

Where: Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite Street, Barre, Vermont

When: 7:00 PM, Thursday, January 29, 2009

What: For months, volunteers for the Vermont Workers' Center have been surveying Vermonters from all across the state about their experiences with the healthcare system. The results have been clear: Vermonters believe that healthcare should be a human right, and many are suffering because of lack of access to affordable, quality healthcare. The crisis continues to worsen as the state's budget problems have led to painful cuts to State health programs, exacerbating the crisis for thousands of Vermont families.

On Thursday, January 29, this conversation comes to Barre as part of the "Healthcare is a Human Right" campaign, which is coordinated by the Workers' Center, to build a movement that can help reform the State's healthcare system so it will guarantee care to all Vermonters regardless of income. The testimony about the impact the lack of access to healthcare has had on the lives of area families will be heard by a community listening panel comprised of faith leaders, health professionals and other community leaders.

Background: After conducting over 1,200 surveys and holding hearings in Brattleboro, Burlington, St. Albans and Lyndonville, on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008, the Vermont Workers' Center issued a report "Voices of the Vermont Healthcare Crisis: Healthcare Is A Human Right." The report and accompanying video can be downloaded online.

Download print report (1.82 MB PDF file)

Watch 7-minute video: http://blip.tv/file/157451

Victory for Tenants and BLCC on City Lead Ordinance

2008-12-23T15:47:00.003-05:00

Report from Ordinance Committee:
Last night, Burlington Livable City Coalition leaders Bekah Mandell and Chris Guros presented the suggested modifications to the lead paint ordinance and our Open Letter supporting the ordinance. The letter had been signed by about fifty supporters, including parents, tenants, union leaders, educators, faith community leaders and health professionals. We also delivered a letter of support for our modifications from the Alliance For Healthy Homes (see attached), a national non-profit organization that specializes in lead paint poisoning prevention. The meeting was long, but we stayed and it was totally worth it.

After hours of deliberation, they voted to pass the ordinance and add our modifications requiring no bare soil at the drip lines and posting a sign to let tenants and neighbors know when work that creates lead hazards is being done. (The new sign will be designed by the Burlington Lead Program and will have skull & crossbones and a big L to signify poisonous lead.) The Committee also passed a resolution to require City staff to explore more fully our suggested modifications for the citywide properties public database on lead paint history, and for requiring dust wipe tests to ensure that children are not exposed to lead dust hazards, and making a Lead Safe standard modeled after the Burlington Lead Program for rental units to have failed lead inspections twice. (The committee specified that the City must come back with the results of their further study on dust wipes by the end of Feb.) The full City Council is expected to vote on the ordinance on on January 5th.

Victory for Tenants, BLCC Coalition:
This was an important first victory for the Healthy Homes Coalition. We completely re-framed the debate, from what usually is a discussion between the City officials and the landlords (and the lines get blurry there, the chair of the Ordinance Committee is a well-known landlord) and brought voice to those--renters and low-income parents--who are usually excluded from the debate. Despite opposition from the Landlord's Association to the City's original proposal, we were able to strengthen the proposal. There is little doubt that if we were not there, what was passed would have been only a somewhat watered-down version of what the City proposed. Together, we have gotten closer to keeping our children as safe and healthy as possible. We are going to keep putting all kinds of pressure on the Council to pass the ordinance and then on the City to both enforce the ordinance as written and get the dust wipes put in, so that we can really start protecting kids.This victory also represents a significant achievement for the Burlington Livable City Coalition as nurses, educators, other union members, and community folks acted in solidarity to support these tenant rights initiatives in the broader struggle for making Burlington a truly livable city for everyone.

Next Steps: Thanks to everyone for your involvement to this point, we need to keep identifying people who care about this issue (you can forward this email to people you think would be interested and have them contact us), everyone should stay tuned about next steps to pass this ordinance at January 5th Council Meeting. Also, please mark your calendars for our next Burlington Livable City Coalition Meeting will be 6pm, January 13 at the VWC.

Join Students, Staff and Faculty to Stop the Cuts at UVM

2008-12-16T20:36:00.001-05:00

Lunchtime Forum and Press Conference:
Moratorium on the Budget Cuts and Layoffs, Full Disclosure of UVM's Finances
12-1 pm Wednesday, December 17
Chittenden Room, Davis Center 4th floor, UVM
Sponsored by Students, Staff, and Faculty Together

This week, as President Fogel hands deans their budget-cutting targets, the new coalition Students, Staff, and Faculty Together will hold a lunchtime public forum and press conference to call for

* a moratorium on budget cuts and layoffs
* full disclosure of Vice President Cate's audit and analysis of the university's finances and budget assumptions/priorities
* if cuts must be made, cut from the top

Scheduled for 12 to 1 pm in the Chittenden Room, Davis Center, the press conference will feature speakers from United Staff; UE Local 267, representing UVM's maintenance and service workers; the Student Labor Action Project and Students Against War; plus faculty who support United Academics' call for transparency in budget decisions and stand with students and staff against the administration's announced plans for expanding the student body while imposing a hiring freeze, workload increases, and layoffs.

Human Rights Conference Draws 500 Participants

2008-12-14T19:18:00.008-05:00

Burlington - Five hundred people participated in the day-long Ella Baker Human Rights Conference held on Dec 13, 2009. The conference was organized by the Vermont Workers' Center and sponsored by forty-three other organizations.

Excerpts of Closing Remarks - James Haslam, Vermont Workers' Center

First off, I just have to say thank you to all the people who worked with us to make this event happen. We are very excited about the incredible broad-range of groups who came together for this event, many of these groups and individuals we have worked with for years, and many new groups and new faces, who we are just now getting to know and build relationships with.

..when I first started getting outraged by the injustice and suffering that pervades our society, I got really mad and fired up about it, but it took some time before I made the next big step, and I understood that it was not enough to recognize injustice, get mad and complain about it, that it was necessary to make change, become an agent of change. The myth is that the problems are so big that we can't do anything about them. What I have experienced is totally the opposite, that when people get together, there's an enormous impact we can make. We have seen people who have organized for workplace rights and won, very soon start wanting to organize for bigger things, for healthcare as a human right, to end domestic abuse, to end racism. As we learn that together we can take collective action to fight injustice and win improvements in our lives, tremendous amounts of possibilities unfold. At the Workers' Center we have been doing a tremendous amount of organizing with very few resources, and I believe we are only now scratching the surface for what is possible.

The other thing that I have come to learn is that it does start here with our own struggle for justice, our own family, our own neighborhood, our own community, but that we are all connected. Vermont is small, and this planet is actually not that big, the chain of activity that sustains and reproduces is a chain of interdependence. We have realized that we cannot only struggle for livable wages and organizing for rights on the job. The same interests that exploit workers, exploit the planet, make healthcare and anything they possibly can into a commodity to profit from.

So we started asking who benefits from the fact that healthcare is not a human right? Who benefits when workers are divided by race and immigration status? Who benefits from racism and other forms of oppression? It was only a few years ago that after Vermont passed civil unions, and afterwards the right-wing was able to use homophobia to get thousands of working class Vermonters to vote against their own economic interests. Increasingly, those same people will be pitting white Vermonters against undocumented Latino and Latina workers for jobs. We can't let them divide us. Right now public services and public sector jobs are in jeopardy because of budget shortfalls, and people like Governor Douglas will blame unions and public sector workers have it too good and are the problem. Meanwhile we continue to spend $700 million dollars a day on a totally bullshit war in Iraq. That is why we are committed to building a movement for fundamental change, one that is based on human rights, on human needs and ultimately that is based on solidarity.

At the Workers' Center we use that word a lot, solidarity. We have felt that solidarity is at the core of the labor movement, and I think ultimately to build a broad-based movement, solidarity is what it is all about. Solidarity and unity. We have inherited a world which is based on greed and the endless search for profit, and which is based on competition, selfishness and individualism. And right now, we are witnessing that this path is literally threatening the capacity to continue human life on the planet and we are possibly studying our own extinction. The parents we work with at Barnes Elementary School in the Burlington Livable City Coalition recently put up a quote on a mural outside the school that says "Sustainability is another word for Justice". I am motivated in working with you all to build this movement for fundamental change in our community because I believe that is critical for our kids' future. I was also thinking about that word community, we use that a lot too. I thought of what Gandhi once said when he was asked one time about what he thought about Western Civilization, and he said he thought it was a good idea. I think much of that is true about the word "community". Because how can we have a community when people are subjected to live in poverty? How can it be a community when people are divided by racism and homophobia? How can we call it a community when people do not feel safe, when people regularly suffer from domestic abuse and sexual violence? How can we have a community where kids from low-income families are growing up in rental housing that infested with toxic lead paint that creates permanent brain damage? How can we call it a community when healthcare is not a basic right to everyone, but a privilege to some?

That is why it is so important that we have come together for this conference, that we have learned about the broad range of struggles that we face and the justice we need to fight for in order to make our communities live up to that name.

I want to take a few minutes to let everyone know about some Workers' Center campaigns that I hope you can join us in. We've spent a lot of time thinking about how to do our work in a strategic way that facilitates convergence between our struggles and other struggles.

Of course, we must build a movement to guarantee the right of workers to organize, calling for passing the Employee Free Choice Act, and [supporting] the Fletcher Allen Techs [as they organize a union], their struggle like the nurses before them is one which is not only a workers' rights struggle, but their victory will mean safer patient care and a better hospital for the community..

One thing that we ask all of you to do, is join us in the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign. This campaign is not just about winning a single-payer universal healthcare system, though we believe that that is necessary. This campaign is about a vision of healthcare based not on profits, but on solidarity and community. A vision that encompasses not only the right to see a doctor when you need to, but the right to a comprehensive public health system that ensures that our homes are free of toxins, that we have access to mental health and recovery services when we need them, that victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence are given the support and safety that they need. This campaign is also about building enough power to make the changes that are necessary to realize that vision. The only way to build that power, and to change what is politically possible, is to have an enormous amount of people involved. We are planning on building a statewide network capable of winning and making HC a HR. In building this network, we have called for a major statewide rally on May 1st at 12 noon on the State House steps in Montpelier. We are asking each on of you to sign up today to come to that rally and help bring people with you. We will organize vans, busses, car pools, everything we can to bring as many people there as possible. Together we will have so many people at the State House people will no longer say that change is not politically possible, and we will have built a network of us connected throughout the state that will keep organizing until we have that system in place and we will keep organizing to make sure it works and stays working. We need to build a mass movement for healthcare as a human right, and all human rights for all people.

One of our major projects is to do that in here in Burlington is the Burlington Livable City Coalition, which works to make this community truly livable for all of its residents. For us it started with struggling for livable wages and workers' rights, with the concept that it made sense for for family supporting jobs and quality public services. We are working with the unions to act in solidarity, to support each others' struggles, to have nurses, teachers,UVM Service & Maintenance workers and UVM faculty, Howard Center, City Market workers all who are in difficult contract negotiations this year, to stand together. We are also working with a group of parents, tenants and educators to win real change on how the City addresses the lead paint that is still poisoning children, especially children of working-class parents in the Old North End. Ultimately, this campaign is about building power for the people who don't traditionally hold power in this city -- workers, tenants, people marginalized by race and class -- to win justice in every aspect of our lives; in the motto of the environmental justice movement, "justice where we live, justice where we play, justice where we work."

In our campaigns we talk a lot about building power. The process of how we build that power becomes an end in itself. This is the organizing tradition of Ella Baker, of leadership development, consciousness-raising, and intersectionality of issues and oppressions. The slow, patient, undramatic work of relationship building. Dealing with all the misdirected anger that exists between different parts of the community. This is why we have put a major effort over the past several years into popular education. In January and February we will be holding our third annual Solidarity School, a three-day intensive workshop for emerging labor and community leaders, which covers organizing, tactics and strategy, people's history and movement-building. This past year the Workers' Center also did a series of one-day workshops on Anti-racism & Building A Social Justice Movement. We had one hundred and seventy people participate and it was so successful that we are going to do it again in 2009, most likely in the fall.

A lot of temporary coalitions are put together for limited goals, such as a good contract or a change in public policy. We believe that we all need to be thinking about our coalition and alliance-building terms of how do we use this struggle as part of an overall strategy to build power? How do we begin to re-conceptualize our own work in a way that incorporates the goals of others, making us all stronger? How do we build a movement where we don't just support each other, but we work together strategically towards a shared vision of justice and human rights, one that is based on solidarity and community? We hope this conference has been a useful contribution to that process. So again, please sign the EFCA cards, make plans to join us on May 1st, and, most importantly, we hope everyone continues the dialogues between organizations and movements that we've had today.

Healthcare Campaign to Release Human Rights Day Report

2008-12-09T18:16:00.001-05:00

* * * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * * *

December 9, 2008
Contact: James Haslam, VT Workers' Center, 802-272-0882, james@workerscenter.org
More info: www.workerscenter.org/healthcare

PRESS CONFERENCE
After Surveying 1,200 Vermonters the Workers' Center Releases A Human Rights Day Report

Voices of the Vermont Healthcare Crisis: The Human Right to Healthcare

When: 2:30pm, Wednesday, December 10 (International Human Rights Day)

Where: Vermont Workers' Center, 294 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington, VT

What: On Human Rights Day, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations in 1948, the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC) will officially issue a comprehensive report entitled: Voices of the Vermont Healthcare Crisis: The Human Right to Healthcare. This report was compiled partly on surveys conducted with over 1,200 Vermonters and human rights hearings held this Fall across the state. The Workers' Center is also organizing a major related event at the University of Vermont's Davis Center; Ella Baker Human Rights Conference where over five hundred participants are expected.

PLEASE NOTE: Media interviews may be able to be scheduled with VWC representatives at other times that day.

Who: The Vermont Workers' Center launched the Healthcare Is A Human Rights campaign in the Spring of 2008.

More info:
www.workerscenter.org - General information on the Vermont Workers' Center
http://www.workerscenter.org/docs/Voices_of_the_Vermont_Healthcare_Crisis.pdf - Healthcare Human Rights Report (1.82 MB PDF file)
www.workerscenter.org/hrconference - On Ella Baker Human Rights Conference and list of guest speakers and workshops

Workshop at December 13 Human Rights Conference

2008-12-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

At the Dec 13 Ella Baker Human Rights Conference at the Unviersity of Vermont we will be having a workshop entitled:

The Human Right to Health & Healthcare

Presenters/Facilitators:
Dr. Deb Richter, Vermont Health Care For All
Anja Rudinger, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative
Donna Roberts Moody, Winter Center for Indigenous Traditions
Jennifer Henry, RN, President of the Nurses Union at Fletcher Allen Health Care
James Haslam, Vermont Workers' Center
Ashley George, Vermont Global Health Coalition

This interactive workshop will explore what the right to health would mean in our community using examples here and across the globe.

To register for this workshop and the whole exciting Ella Baker Human Rights Conference go to:

www.workerscenter.org/hrconference

REGISTER TODAY: Ella Baker Human Rights Conference

2008-12-02T13:55:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, December 13, the Vermont Workers' Center, together with a wide variety of community organizations, is sponsoring the ELLA BAKER HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE. The event will take place from 9am-3pm at the Davis Center at UVM. [ Register now ]

This is a major gathering of workers, students, youth, educators and health professionals to build a broad- based movement for human rights in our communities. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations, however many of the most basic rights remain unmet in the wealthiest country in the world. Skill-building workshops and activities will explore using a human rights framework to organize together in order to create fundamental change. Issues include: workers' rights, the economic crisis, the right to healthcare, anti-racism & indigenous issues, gender rights, rights of the child, war and militarism, environmental justice and building healthy communities.

The conference takes place on December 13th, the 105th anniversary of the birth of Human Rights activist Ella Baker. Ella Baker was one of the most important leaders in the Civil Rights Movement working as an organizer in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and later in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). With Ella Baker's influence, SNCC became the leading advocate for human rights in the country.

Sixty years after the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, still inspired by Ella Baker's commitment to justice, we are coming together at this conference to build a movement for fundamental change.

This event is accessible for individuals with disabilities. We will make accommodations for people with disabilities (including ASL Interpreters) upon request. Please make your request by Dec 5th by emailing conference@workerscenter.org.

Guest Speakers

US Senator Bernie Sanders
Ai-jen Poo, Domestic Workers United
Ashaki Binta, Black Workers For Justice and former director of the International Worker Justice Campaign

This event is free and lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is encouraged. To register, or learn more about the conference, please visit workerscenter.org/hrconference.

FILM: "Fundi" The Story of Ella Baker

2008-12-02T13:40:00.001-05:00

7pm, Monday, Dec 8
Vermont Workers' Center, 294 North Winsooki Ave, Burlington

Come join us on Monday, December 8th, 7pm, at the Vermont Workers' Center, 294 No Winooski Ave. We will be watching "Fundi." This 48 minute film is about the life and efforts of the great Civil Rights organizer Ella Baker. (full description below)

Come get acquainted with this great leader, in whose memory the Workers' Center has dedicated the upcoming Human Rights Conference, at UVM, on Saturday, December 13th (which is her birthday). Learn more and free registration at http://www.workerscenter.org/hrconference

This movie will kick off a series of gatherings at the Workers' Center; to include skill shares, talks, films, book discussions, music, dance, and food! Stay tuned January's schedule coming soon.

More info call the Workers' Center at 861-2877

FUNDI: THE STORY OF ELLA BAKER reveals the instrumental role that Ella Baker, a friend and advisor to Martin Luther King, played in shaping the American civil rights movement. The dynamic activist was affectionately known as the Fundi, a Swahili word for a person who passes skills from one generation to another.

By looking at the 1960s from the perspective of Baker, the "godmother of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee," FUNDI adds an essential understanding of the U.S. civil rights movement.

First Run/Icarus Films is proud to re-release this landmark civil rights documentary with a new digibeta videomaster that has been digitally restored with enhanced audio and video.

"FUNDI, the powerful film account of Ella Baker's contributions, can enrich us immeasurably, adding depth and texture to our understanding of an important part of our past, inspiring us with examples of lives lived fully and purposefully." -Harvard Educational Review

"FUNDI fills a gap for those who know little of the history of the black struggle [and] is a compelling portrait of an extraordinary woman who has devoted her life to struggle and to the people who take part in it." -Harry Belafonte

"FUNDI does exactly what Ella Baker does: it gives us the courage to act on our own - and to affect the future." -Gloria Steinem

"FUNDI restores Ella Baker, the 'godmother of the SNCC,' to her place in the history of the civil rights movement. Rrecisely and elegantly executed... there's no pomposity, no false reverence - at least none that Baker herself can't cut right through." - Pat Aufderheide, for In These Times

2005 National Women's Studies Association Film Festival; Film of the Year, 1981 London Film Festival; Best of Category, 1981 San Francisco Film Festival; First Prize Winner, Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame (1981); 1981 CINE Golden Eagle Winner

Making Real Change: It's Up To Us

2008-11-11T10:29:00.004-05:00

"This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change ... It cannot happen without you."

—President-elect Barack Obama, Nov 4, 2008

At the Vermont Workers' Center, we believe that social change comes from below, from working people and community members coming together to demand justice from those in power. The promise of this election can only be made good by people organizing at the grassroots. We must not let the momentum for a different future slow now that the elections are over. Below are some upcoming ways for you, your friends, and family to take part in this exciting moment:

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and be part of the struggle to make human rights a reality for all, at the Ella Baker Human Rights Conference on Saturday, December 13. You can register online (it is a free event, but pre-registration is encouraged). The Conference will feature workshops on healthcare, fighting racism, the economic crisis, the war, gender oppression, LGBTQ rights, immigration, movement-building and numerous other topics.
Declare 'Healthcare is a Human Right' by getting involved in our statewide Healthcare Is a Human Right campaign. To get involved, email healthcare [at] workerscenter [dot] org or sign up online.
In Burlington, the Workers' Center is coordinating a Healthy Homes Campaign, organizing tenants to demand safe, healthy and affordable housing. Watch a video about this project. To get involved, email healthyhomes [at] workerscenter [dot] org.
Volunteer with the Workers' Rights Hotline. The hotline answers questions from Vermonters about their rights at work and is a completely volunteer-driven operation. To get involved, email hotline [at] workerscenter [dot] org.
Volunteer with the Vermont Workers' Center or stop by during our new office hours. We are at 294 North Winooski Avenue in Burlington (Map) and our office hours are:
9am-noon Monday, Wednesday, Friday
2pm-5pm Tuesday, Thursday
Join our Rapid-Response Email Network.
Support our work financially by donating or, better yet, becoming a monthly sustainer.

Nov 13: St. Albans Human Rights Hearing

2008-11-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

Human Rights Hearing: "Healthcare is a Human Right"
St. Paul's United Methodist Church,
11 Church St., St. Albans
Thursday Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
(refreshments served at 7 p.m.)

"Our current healthcare system simply leaves too many people behind, and this has real consequences for people who suffer immensely as they struggle to pay for healthcare they need, but often cannot afford. At this hearing, members of the community will have a chance to tell some of these stories," said Larry Trombley, social studies teacher at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans. "Vermonters, and people in our community in particular, really view healthcare as a basic right that we can and should all share with one another."

Similar "Human Rights Forums" have been held in Brattleboro and Burlington and will be held all across the state as the Workers' Center continues its effort to fight for a just healthcare system that values human lives over profit. All are welcome. For more information call Erika Simard at 802-316-7827.

170+ Attend VWC Workshops on Anti-racism & Building A Social Justice Movement

2008-11-04T08:06:00.003-05:00

From October 25 - November 2nd the Vermont Workers' Center held seven workshops around the state on Anti-racism & Building A Social Justice Movement with trainers from the Catalyst Project. Participants included high school and college students, teachers, union leaders, state employees, retirees, Americorp volunteers and Vermont non-profit staff. Here's what one participanet sent us:
"I just got back from the Anti-Racist Conference with the Catalyst Project and am so energized! I brought 8 kids and an ELL teacher, all of whom are interested in taking the knowledge they learned today and bringing it back to our school. Barre has not traditionally been kind to people of color, even though they have a history of heavy immigration to the area, including radicals from Italy and France. For most of us, it isn’t fear or not liking those that are not like us that creates the racism, but sometimes a pure lack of knowledge or ignorance. I’ve seen an increase in behaviors from students who are listening to some incredible hate filled attacks on Blacks and other people of color in the media and are not real sure what to do with this information. They are confused. This conference has helped me harness some ideas to help direct these students with the help of our now core group of anti-racists! One student said she learned more about history today than she has in entire classes. Another said her head was spinning she learned so much. There was learning on the part of the adults in the room, as well. Our students brought a perspective that could not have been replaced.

Thanks Worker’s Center for bringing this important Anti-Racism Conference to central Vermont."
- Amy Lester, School Counselor, Spaulding High School and Barre Technical Center

The VWC is holding a major statewide Human Rights Conference on December 13th at the University of Vermont, which will feature workshops on anti-racism. Online registration will begin soon.

WORKSHOP: Anti-racism & Building a Social Justice Movement

2008-10-24T06:23:00.000-04:00

WHAT: A series of full day anti-racism workshops for community members. It is a workshop which is meant for anyone actively engaged in efforts for social change (or would like to be). Each of these workshops will explore institutional racism, white privilege, and how people, especially white people, can put this analysis into practice to build powerful, multiracial movements for justice.

WHEN: Full-day trainings will be held 9am - 4pm on:
Saturday, October 25, St. Michaels College (SMC)
Sunday, October 26, University of Vermont (UVM)
Monday, October 27, Aldrich Library, Barre
Thursday, October 30, Brattleboro Union High School (BUHS) (New!)
Saturday, November 1, Vermont Workers' Center, Burlington
Sunday, November 2, University of Vermont (UVM)

WHO: These trainings are being coordinated by the Vermont Workers' Center and facilitated by the Catalyst Project, which is based in San Francisco. The Vermont Workers' Center is a movement-building community-based workers' organization based in Burlington. Sponsors of these trainings include: ALANA Community Organization, Burlington Livable City Coalition, Community Service Programs of Student Life (UVM), Dept of Multicultural Student Affairs (SMC), New Directions of Barre, Post Oil Solutions, SMC Peace & Justice Center, Students For Peace & Global Justice (UVM), Student Labor Action Project (UVM), Student Labor Action Movement (SMC) and Vermont Anti-Racism Action Team (VARAT).

The training will be led by long-time anti-racist activists Chris Crass and Ingrid Chapman of the Catalyst Project:

Chris Crass is an organizer and trainer with the Catalyst Project, a center for political education and movement building. He has worked in struggles for economic, racial and gender justice for the past 20 years. His essays on collective liberation politics, anti-authoritarian leadership, feminism, and movement building have been published widely in Left Turn, Clamor and on ZNet and Infoshop.org.

Ingrid Chapman is a working class organizer and trainer with the Catalyst Project. Her roots within social and economic justice organizing began as a leading member of the global justice movement in the late '90s. Ingrid has led Catalyst Project's New Orleans Solidarity Program, working with the Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund and Common Ground supporting the struggles for the right of return and equitable rebuilding. The last 5 years she has worked with Oakland residents in struggles for tenant rights, community safety and alternatives to incarceration and policing.

REGISTER: Fee is $25 for adults, students/youth are free. Lunch included. Register for any one of the full-day workshops at www.workerscenter.org/register (space is limited)

More Info: Contact James Haslam at 802-272-0882 or james@workerscenter.org

Oct 23 Human Rights Hearing in Burlington

2008-10-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

Human Rights Hearing: "Healthcare is a Human Right"

Where: Burlington City Hall, Contois Auditorium (149 Church St., Burlington)
When: Thursday Oct 23 at 7:00 p.m. refreshments, 7:30 p.m. hearing

Burlington - For months volunteers for the Vermont Workers' Center have been surveying Vermonters from all across the state, including many in the Burlington area. The results have been clear: Vermonters believe that healthcare should be a human right.

The state, however, has come up short on this issue. More than 11 percent of all Vermonters are without health insurance, including more than 11,000 children. Thousands more are woefully under-insured, and cannot afford their costly premiums and co-pays, which are only rising as the cost of healthcare soars.

The Vermont Workers' Center is currently undertaking its "Healthcare is a Human Right" campaign to help end this injustice. The goal of the campaign is to spread awareness and build a movement that can help reform the state's system so it will guarantee care to all Vermonters, regardless of income. On Thursday Oct. 23, this discussion is coming
to Burlington at Burlington City Hall, Contois Auditorim. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. (refreshments will be available).

Community faith leaders and healthcare professionals and other community leaders will serve on a Community Listening Panel to hear testimony from residents. Speakers will address the failure of the state's healthcare system, the plight of those who try to navigate through it, and effective ways to bring about change. The event will give members of the Burlington community a chance to share stories highlighting how our flawed system has caused them suffering and
hardship.

"In speaking to Vermonters, we have found that many have suffered greatly, both personally and physically, when they try to navigate through a a healthcare system that leaves so many behind," said James Haslam, the director of the Vermont Workers' Center, which is located at 294 North Winooski Avenue in Burlington. "This event will give members of the Burlington community a chance to make some of these stories heard."

The event will include the following listening panel:

Mayor Bob Kiss, City of Burlington
Rabbi Joshua Chasan, Ohavi Zedek Synagogue
Jennifer Henry, RN Nurses Union President, Fletcher Allen Health Care
Rebecca Haslam, President, Burlington Education Association
Rev. Sarah Flynn, ALL Souls Ministry in Vermont
Roddy Cleary, former minister Unitarian Universalist Church in Burlington
Al Robinson, Imani Health Institute
Ann Goering, MD, Winooski Family Health
Mohamed Abdi, Somali Bantu Association
Hal Colston, Neighbor Keepers
Denise Foote, Barnes Elementary School PTO

Similar "Human Rights Forums" will be held all across the state, including St. Albans (Nov. 13), Lyndon (Nov. 18), Barre (Jan. 29), Rutland (Feb. 12) and Bennington (Feb. 19) as this effort continues to fight for a just healthcare system that Vermonters' health over profit.

More info email erika@workerscenter.org

Presidential debate on healthcare as a right or commodity

2008-10-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

From our allies at the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI):

Last night's presidential debate addressed the key issue for health care reform in the United States: do candidates see health care as a right or as a commodity? [ NY Times Coverage ]

"I think it should be a right for every American." This was Senator Obama's answer.

What does this mean for Obama's health care plan? Does the plan really treat health care as a right? As advocates, it is our responsibility to push his campaign to move beyond rhetoric and present a plan that protects the human right to health and health care.

In the debate, the question unfortunately pitted rights against responsibility ("Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?"), neglecting that all rights entail responsibilities. Senator McCain described health care as a personal — not collective — responsibility: "I think it's a responsibility [ ... ] it is certainly my responsibility. It is certainly small-business people and others, and they understand that responsibility".

Both candidates sidestepped the initial question that referred to the use of health care as a commodity: "Senator, selling health care coverage in America as the marketable commodity has become a very profitable industry. Do you believe health care should be treated as a commodity?"

In response, Obama outlined how his plan would help people to "buy insurance", and McCain compared accessing health care to "purchas[ing] other things in America".

These responses reflect the findings of a recent human rights assessment of the presidential nominees’ health care plans. Here’s a summary of that publication:

Senators Obama and McCain have put forward health care reform plans that fail to meet human rights standards, according to an analysis by the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) and the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI). This assessment, based on human rights standards for health care reform, finds that both plans rely on market competition to solve the current health care crisis, without addressing how markets could be incentivized to put health protection ahead of the drive for profits.

Despite significant differences in approach, the nominees' plans share a focus on a consumer product — insurance coverage — rather than on actual health care, a public good. Neither plan recognizes the human right to health care — a right guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The assessment develops detailed standards for the implementation of the human right to health care in the United States and suggests basic steps the nominees could take towards meeting those standards.

The publication, "The Human Right to Health Care: Nominees' Plans Lag Behind Public Demands," is available in PDF format at the NESRI website.

Healthcare & Domestic Abuse: Human Rights Hearing Testimony

2008-10-03T06:54:00.000-04:00

The following was submitted by a individual we surveyed this summer in Brattleboro. It was read in its entirety at the Human Rights Hearing in Brattleboro.

Sept, 2008

I am a resident of West Brattleboro, Vermont. Earlier this month at Brattleboro's Gallery Walk, I was asked to participate in a survey about health insurance. While I do have health insurance provided through my ex-husband, I felt it was important to share my experiences. I was delighted that at long last, someone was even willing to ask the questions. I am quite certain that my experiences are shared by many in vulnerable situations.

One of the questions on the survey asked if I had ever stayed in an abusive relationship in order to maintain health insurance benefits. Indeed I have. Years ago, while I was still married to my ex, who was an abusive active alcoholic, I made an attempt to leave the relationship. I had two small children at the time: ages 6 and 3. My oldest child had recently been diagnosed with cancer. It was not an easy time to launch into the perils of
single-parenthood as I knew my life was at risk. It never occurred to me that my daughter's life would be on the line not only from the cancer, but from her own vulnerability to the consequences of domestic violence.

As I was preparing to exit the relationship, my husband threatened me that if I left him, he would cancel the health insurance for the family. Once the insurance lapsed, the cancer would have caused my child to be excluded from alternative coverage due to her pre-existing condition of cancer. It was a certain death sentence for my 6 year old child. A risk I was not
willing to take.

At the time, the courts would not have issued an immediate injunction against his canceling the health insurance. Once it was cancelled, my daughter's cancer would have precluded her from coverage through another policy. My ex knew that, had calculated that, and used it in the cruelest way to force me to stay in the relationship.

So I stayed. Of course I stayed. If leaving meant that your child would surely die a very painful death – an entirely unnecessary death, wouldn't you stay? Of course you would. Any responsible parent would. Over the years, the cancer recurred 7 times, each time leaving me entirely unable to exit the relationship. I stayed married to the abuser for 22 years waiting until I had opportunities to ensure my daughter's safety and her health insurance. The moment I was assured that she had insurance of her own, I left my husband.

Oddly enough, he has maintained the health insurance on me for 15 years since our divorce! Why? He is under no obligation to do so. The reason is because he, as the subscriber to the policy, has all the advantages. As the subscriber to the policy, he is able to find out who my physicians are and what treatments or tests I may have had. I can keep my location secret from him, but if I use the health insurance, then he has access to the location of my doctors. It is a short leap to figure out my whereabouts.

HIPPA regulations do little or nothing to prevent this in situations of domestic violence. They leave the onus of responsibility on the insurance companies, who are classically unwilling to pay whatever slight administrative or clerical costs to shield the information from an abuser.
Their comments to me have been that they are not willing to protect victims of domestic violence because it may leave them vulnerable to litigation if they were to "slip up" and not implement a policy. So they are better protected by having no policy of protection to begin with.

I spent 22 years in that abusive relationship and because of this nightmare with the health insurance coverage, I am still "attached" to that man who so willingly imperiled my life and my daughter's life to maintain power and control over me. The health insurance companies, in my opinion, are in collusion with him by their callous unwillingness to consider the
circumstances of abuse.

People ask of battered women all the time: why don't they just leave? Believe me; it is not because leaving has never occurred to us. We contemplate it every moment we can remain alive to do so. We are fully aware of the statistics that say the risk of lethality (being the victim of homicide) rises 70% as a woman prepares to leave an abusive relationship.
If you knew that taking an action, increased your chance of death by 70% would you do it? Victims are well aware of those risks, because they live it and because on average, a victim attempts to leave 6 times before being successful. They don't remain in an abusive relationship because they like it (If she stays, she must like it) or because they are just lazy (victims are acculturated to hyper vigilance because they must assure their own
survival in order to remain alive long enough to raise their children).

There are many, many reasons why a victim stays. But she NEVER stays because
she likes it. Never.

The time has come to provide some relief for victims of domestic violence. If that one hurdle of the health insurance had not been placed in my way, I not only could have gotten my child through her cancer treatments, but she would not have been subject to all those added years of having to witness domestic violence.

I have asked that this testimony be given anonymously. Not because I am ashamed of my past, or even particularly because I still fear him, although I do. I have asked because I have never been able to tell my daughter the real reason we stayed through all the abuse. She certainly has asked because she wants to know why she had to suffer through all those years.
But I could never look her in the eye and tell her that her own father was willing to sacrifice her life for his own selfish purposes. I couldn't tell her that the system has been unwilling to do anything to protect me, or her, or whoever may be suffering the same abuse today.

Somehow, someway, we must gather enough support to provide health coverage for everyone so that stories like mine never happen again. You have the capability to do something about this. Please don't turn away.
------
If you have or know of any stories like this where the lack of the basic right to healthcare violates our most fundamental human rights please contact us at 802-861-2877 or healthcare[at]workerscenter.org

Healthcare System Put on Trial In Brattleboro

2008-09-30T08:48:00.000-04:00

Brattleboro, VT — On the evening of September 25th more than fifty Brattleboro residents came to St. Michaels Episcopal Church to participate in the first Human Rights Hearing on Healhcare. This was the first of a series of hearings to be held throughout the state as part of the Vermont Workers' Center's new Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign. Since last May 1st, volunteers and allies of the Center have been on the streets of most the larger towns and on many job sites asking fellow Vermonters to fill out a survey about their experiences with the healthcare system. Our goal is to have over 1000 of these personal interviews done by December, and we will release a report on our findings on December 10th, which marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations in 1948.

The Brattleboro hearing was co-sponsored by Vermont the Citizens Campaign For Health (VCCH), the ALANA Community Organization and the Brattleboro Union High School student group Child Labor Education and Action. Testimony was heard by a community listening panel chaired by Shela Linton of ALANA and Richard Davis of VCCH, which also included Carol Whitaker, RN, a nurses' union leader at the Brattleboro Retreat; Kathleen Clark, RN, Vice President of the Brattleboro Federation of Nurses at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital; Daniel Herlocker, RN, also a union member at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital; the Reverend Lise Sparrow, minister at the Guilford Community Church; Rosa Palmeri of Child Labor Education & Action; and Dianne Champion, Brattleboro District Director of the Vermont Department of Health.

The first testimony came from Nancy Hodecker who told of the painful experience of losing her husband to tongue cancer. She said he was uninsured, and ignored the sore because of health costs until it was too late and he had developed class four cancer. Other testimony highlighted the relationship with healthcare to homelessness, racial discrimination in treatment sometimes received in the healthcare system, and a powerful report of a Brattleboro resident who said that she stayed in an abusive relationship for 22 years because her husband threatened to cut her and her children — one of whom had cancer — off from his insurance if she left him.

The event closed by passing around an "I'll Be There" sign-up sheet for the May 1, 2009 Healthcare Is A Human Right Rally at the State House in Montpelier. Almost every single person in attendance signed it. Other hearings are planned in Burlington on October 23rd, St. Albans November 13th and St. Johnsbury November 18th. More hearings are planned in other cities and towns throughout the state.

Main Street not Wall Street! Action October 1st

2008-09-30T08:43:00.003-04:00

While attention has focused recently on the Wall Street financial crisis, working families in Vermont and across the country have been facing an economic crisis in recent years, including: unaffordable healthcare, the lack of livable-wage jobs, foreclosures and a general decline in spending power. The Vermont Workers' Center is part of a national labor-community-faith coalition called Jobs With Justice, which is organizing a national day of action on October 1st. Across the country, people will conduct rallies, street theater, bake sales and actions to tell Congress and Wall Street that people are fed up with corporate greed and demand action to address the economic crisis facing working people, not just Wall Street financiers.

Workers' Center members will be giving Vermonters an opportunity to make their voices heard about what priorities Congress should have in dealing with the economic crisis, through a Vermonters Speakout Survey. The Workers' Center will deliver the responses to Vermont's Congressional delegation.

Workers' Center members will be gathering at the corner of Main Street and Church Street in downtown Burlington at noon on Wednesday, October 1st.

More information:

The first bail-out "compromise" failed largely due to overwhelming opposition from working families, because it did not address the needs of Main Street and constituted yet another give-away to the wealthy. Jobs with Justice is telling Congress:

Make the people that created and profited from the mess pay for the clean-up, now.
Any infusion of capital must have specific, binding public ownership requirements.
Restructure and rein in the reckless private financial institutions.
Pass a real recovery plan, for Main Street as well as Wall Street, paid for with progressive taxation, that addresses the needs for good jobs, affordable housing, health care, pensions, infrastructure and 'green' economy.

"Where is the bail out for the 47 million uninsured Americans without healthcare and the many millions of others facing unaffordable increases in costs for basic healthcare. Isn't that a crisis? Where is the bail out for those communities impacted by plant closings that throw thousands out of work. Isn't that a crisis?," says Dawn Stanger, President of the Vermont Workers' Center - Jobs With Justice. "Why is it only a crisis in our country when it involves Wall Street banks, private equity firms, investment houses and the wealthy that control their shares? And why does Wall Street's crisis suddenly become all of our problem."

Congressmen Welch's statement on why he voted against the bailout

Economist Dean Baker's cut on why the bill was bad

A piece on how to pay for the progressive economic recovery plan we need

Tell Congress: No Wall Street Bail-out! We need you to STEP UP!

2008-09-24T14:46:00.002-04:00

Watch Danny Schechter explaining how the bailout will preempt any new administration from following through on promises, then TAKE ACTION!

September 25: Brattleboro Human Rights Hearing

2008-09-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

Human Rights Hearing: "Healthcare is a Human Right" to be held at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, Thursday September 25 at 7:00 p.m.

Brattleboro - For months volunteers for the Vermont Workers' Center have been surveying Vermonters from all across the state, including many in the Brattleboro community. The results have been clear: Vermonters believe that healthcare should be a human right.

The state, however, has come up short on this issue. More than 11 percent of all Vermonters are without health insurance, including more than 11,000 children. Thousands more are woefully under-insured, and cannot afford their costly premiums and co-pays, which are only rising as the cost of healthcare soars.

The Vermont Workers' Center is currently undertaking its "Healthcare is a Human Right" campaign to help end this injustice. The goal of the campaign is to spread awareness and build a movement that can help reform the state's system so it will guarantee care to all Vermonters, regardless of income. On Thursday, September 25, this discussion is coming to Brattleboro at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. (refreshments will be available).

Community faith leaders and healthcare professionals and other community leaders will serve on a Community Listening Panel to hear testimony from residents. Speakers will address the failure of the state's healthcare system, the plight of those who try to navigate through it, and effective ways to bring about change. The event will give members of the community a chance to share stories highlighting how our flawed system has caused them suffering and hardship.

"We have learned that Vermonters really view healthcare as something that should be a human right — a value that we all share," said Ellen Schwartz, a Brattleboro resident and a volunteer for the Workers' Center. "We are also have found people who have experienced a great deal of suffering because we do not have this right. This hearing will be an opportunity to make some of these stories heard."

Similar "Human Rights Forums" will be held all across the state, in the coming months as the Workers' Center continues its effort to fight for a just healthcare system that values human lives over profit — an attainable goal, given Vermont's passionate and engaged citizenry.

All are welcome. For more information visit workerscenter.org/healthcare, or call Erika Simard at 802-316-7827.

Other sponsors for the events include: Vermont Citizens Campaign For Health (VCCH), ALANA Community Organization and CLEA.

###

Northrup Grummon workers win contract in St. Albans!

2008-09-23T11:29:00.003-04:00

Statement from the Northrup Grummon workers UE Local 208:
"On Friday Sept. 12th, UE Local 208 ratified its first Union contract. The contract contains a 9% wage increase over three years, an increase in benefits and other protections. The vote to accept the agreement marked the end of the struggle for a first contract over the past few months. UE Local 208 members at USCIS would like to thank the Vermont Workers' Center for all your support. You have been there for us every step of the way from forming our Union to winning our first contract. We know you will continue to support our struggle for justice at USCIS. We look forward to working with and giving our support to the Vermont Workers' Center in the future."

This is a great victory, here's how one of our members, Damon Hall with the Ironworkers Local 7, put it in a letter published by the St. Albans Messenger this week:

Good that you stood up for your rights

9/22/2008

I would like to congratulate all the workers employed by Northrop-Grumman who did not give up the battle for their rights as workers! It can be a long hard road when you are trying to organize and negotiate a contract, especially when faced with a brutal anti-union campaign that scares workers with lies. You all have stood up and shown others here in VT that it can be achieved if you stick together and work as one. With wages going down and fuel skyrocketing the job world out there can be pretty gruesome. Workers that organize can negotiate their wages & benefits instead of being forced to accept what is fed to them. My hat goes off to all of you and I hope others out there realize that you have to work hard and fight for the things you believe in because it is not going to be handed to you. The benefits in end far out way the battles along the way. E PLURIBUS UNUM (out of many, one.)

Damon Hall

Swanton

Vermont AFL-CIO Endorses Campaign

2008-09-15T09:44:00.000-04:00

This resolution was approved unanimously September 14th at 2008 Vermont State Labor Council Convention:

REAFFIRM OUR SUPPORT FOR SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

Submitted by: Washington-Orange-Lamoille and Champlain Valley Central Labor Councils & UAW Local 1981

WHEREAS, workers, their families and their unions are waging an increasingly difficult struggle to win or to keep good health care coverage.

WHEREAS, almost every union at every contract deadline must battle and sacrifice merely to sustain health care benefits. The rising costs of health insurance are blocking workers' progress in wages and other areas. All of our unions face a healthcare crisis. But the crisis extends far beyond union members. Nearly 50 million people in the United States are currently without health insurance. More than 75 million went without health coverage for some length of time within the last two years, and millions more have inadequate coverage, or are at risk of losing coverage.

WHEREAS, while we in the United States spend approximately twice as much of our gross domestic product as other developed nations on health care, we remain the only industrialized country without universal coverage. Even though we spend far more per capita, we lag behind our international peers in terms of quality, health attainment, and over-all health system performance. We spend more and get less. Our problem worsens each year as insurance costs increase and gradual solutions have failed to make a dent in the problem.

WHEREAS, the U.S. health system continues to treat health care as a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than as a social service to be distributed according to human need. Insurance companies and HMOs compete not by increasing quality or lowering costs, but by avoiding covering those whose needs are greatest.

WHEREAS, people of color, immigrants and women are denied care at disproportionate rates, while the elderly and many others must choose between necessities and life sustaining drugs and care. Unorganized workers have either no coverage or inadequate coverage. The Institute of Medicine has found that each year more than 18,000 in the U.S. die because they had no health insurance.

WHEREAS, economic necessity and moral conscience compel us to seek a better way.

WHEREAS, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) (joined by 91 cosponsors, including Rep. Peter Welch) has introduced HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act, also called Expanded and Improved Medicare for All. This single-payer health care program proposes an effective mechanism for controlling skyrocketing health costs while covering all Americans. The bill also restores free choice of physicians to patients and provides comprehensive prescription drug coverage to seniors, as well as to younger people.

WHEREAS, HR 676 would cover every person in the U.S. for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care. HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save billions annually by eliminating high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs. The transition to national health insurance would apply the savings from administration and profits to expanded and improved coverage for all.

WHEREAS, a single payer program as provided by HR 676 is the only affordable option for universal, comprehensive coverage.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO reaffirms our September 2006 Convention’s support for HR 676, "Expanded and Improved Medicare for All," a single payer health care program, as currently written.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will work with other Labor Organizations and community groups to build a groundswell of popular support and action for single payer universal health care until we make what is morally right into what is also politically possible.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will send a copy of this resolution to Congressman Conyers and to the AFL-CIO Executive Council.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will take other actions to mobilize our members and our community at the grassroots, including urging our affiliates to work with the Vermont Workers Center’s Healthcare is a Human Right campaign.

Photos from yesterday's St Albans rally

2008-09-09T10:24:00.003-04:00

More photos at the Workers' Center photo album

ST. ALBANS RALLY MONDAY

2008-09-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

Support UE Local 208 on Monday, September 8th at 2:15 in a rally for a fair Union contract.

UE Local 208 --USCIS Vermont Service Center workers-- have been in a months-long struggle for a fair first union contract. The majority women workforce has not received a raise in at least four years and now the company has proposed a wage freeze. Next week will be the last scheduled bargaining date, and the only issue left on the table is wages. These workers need your support now in their fight for a fair raise.

Senator Bernie Sanders has written a letter to the CEO of Northrop Grumman. You can download this letter and see news and contract updates at the justiceatuscis.org website.

The rally will be in front of the Tabor Building at 75 Lower Weldon St., St. Albans at 2:15 pm.

Directions to the rally at Tabor Building:

I-89 to exit 19, straight through light, right onto Main St. at stop sign, left onto L. Weldon St., the address is 75 L. Weldon St.

Healthcare Is A Human Right

2008-08-29T23:38:00.005-04:00

Brattleboro Reformer, Labor Day Weekend Editorial
http://www.reformer.com/localeditorials/ci_10330416
(also ran in Burlington Free Press, Rutland Herald and Bennington Banner)

By Dawn Stanger

Friday, August 29

BURLINGTON — The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, proclaimed, "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one's family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care."

Although these principles were adopted at the urging of the United States, our government has failed to achieve these rights for all of us. Our rights to health and medical care are denied by a private, for-profit health insurance system. We are the wealthiest country in the world. What good is government if it doesn't help us to do together what we can't achieve individually?

Labor Day honors the contributions of our grandparents and great-grandparents who struggled to create a better society for us.

There is a saying, "The Labor Movement: The Folks Who Brought You The Weekend," but united workers struggled for more than just the 40-hour week. The minimum wage, Social Security, the end of child labor, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and more all were the results of their work. We are proud of our ancestors and toast them.

But in the U.S., that list falls short.

For the Vermont Workers' Center, Labor Day 2008 marks a renewal of the struggle to make health care a basic human right, not linked to employment or income. Now, only rich people can afford care from the "cradle to grave." It is a moral imperative that we createAdvertisementa new system that recognizes this basic human right for all of us.

This summer, our folks have been all over the state surveying Vermonters. The question, "Do you believe we have a human right to health care?" is just one being asked as part of our "Health Care is a Human Right" campaign. We aim to change what's politically possible with grassroots organizing among regular Vermonters.

Health care should not be a marketed commodity upon which the few get rich denying care, while the many die, suffer and amass huge debts. The private health insurance system has failed. This is not just a crisis of the "uninsured." It's a crisis the insured as well.

We already knew that 50 percent of all bankruptcies were caused by health care costs, but we didn't yet have personal stories from Vermonters. The survey responses we have collected from hundreds of Vermonters have been real eye-openers. Approximately two-thirds of those surveyed have refrained from getting treatment or drugs because they couldn't afford it.

A majority has kept jobs for fear of losing health insurance. Almost one in five experienced discrimination accessing care. More than one in 10 stayed in abusive relationships for insurance. Now we'd like to learn even more from you.

We collect surveys by knocking on neighbors' doors, and talking at work, community events, and house parties hosted by volunteers (and we can always use more). Next, we'll host "Human Rights Hearings," where community leaders can hear from those most affected: working Vermonters, the unemployed, retirees, the un- and under-insured. The Vermont Workers Center expects to hold hearings in Brattleboro, Burlington, Barre and the Northeast Kingdom in coming months, expanding from there. We hope, for all Vermont's families, that some Labor Day in the years to come we'll celebrate the successful struggle of working families for the basic human right to health care.

Dawn Stanger is president of the Vermont Workers' Center and a Teamster who works for United Parcel Service. For more information about the campaign, to volunteer or take the survey, contact the Vermont Workers' Center at 866-229-0009 or visit www.workerscenter.org/healthcare.

Northrup Grumman workers contribute "ethics" posters to company contest

2008-08-21T11:18:00.004-04:00

Northrop Grumman, one of the companies that employs service center workers fighting for a first contract in St. Albans, held an "ethics" themed poster contest. UE Local 208 Northrop Grumman employees created their own submissions to the contest. See more of their posters at justiceatuscis.org . Also, on August 18th Workers' Center members helped lead a community/worker delegation which included State Senator Ginny Lyons and State Rep. Chris Pearson to the regional office of Homeland Security in South Burlington. We went to ask them to tell their DC adminstration the community was concerned and that the workers deserve livable wages. Here is a link to photo and recap»

Healthcare Campaign Off to a Great Start

2008-08-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

This summer, volunteers and staff from the Vermont Workers' Center have been asking working Vermonters a simple question — "Do you believe we have a human right to healthcare?"

That question is part of a survey being conducted as the first phase of the Workers' Center's Healthcare Is a Human Right campaign. This campaign aims to change what is "politically possible" in the healthcare debate through grassroots organizing and expanding public understanding of the human rights framework. "Sixty years ago, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the nations of the world — including the U.S. — declared that everyone has a basic human right to medical care and security in the event of sickness or disability," said Dawn Stanger, president of the Workers' Center. "Sadly, that right is not respected in the U.S., the wealthiest country in the world."

So far, the Center has surveyed over four hundred Vermonters, with a goal of reaching well over a thousand this fall. Some of the survey results have been eye-openers. Approximately two-thirds of respondents had refrained from getting health care at some point because they felt they were unable to afford it. A majority have stayed in a job only because of health insurance benefits. Almost one in five have experienced discrimination in trying to access healthcare, and more than one in ten respondents have stayed in an abusive relationship in order not to lose health benefits.

Surveys are being collected door-to-door, in workplaces, at community events and house parties hosted by volunteers. "The effort is really to try to speak to people who haven’t been involved in politics before," said Colin Robinson of the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign, which is joining the Workers' Center in the campaign.

The next stage of the campaign will feature Human Rights Hearings in locations around the state in the fall, where community leaders will gather to hear testimony from those most affected by the healthcare crisis: working Vermonters, the unemployed, retirees, the un- and under-insured. The Workers' Center expects to hold hearings in Brattleboro, Burlington, Barre and the Northeast Kingdom in the coming months, expanding to more locations as the campaign continues.

For more information about the campaign, to volunteer or take the survey, contact VWC Healthcare Organizer Erika Simard at 861-2877 (Burlington) or 866-229-0009 (toll-free), or visit workerscenter.org/healthcare

BURLINGTON LABOR DAY CELEBRATION

2008-08-14T11:46:00.010-04:00

Monday,
September 1st
PARADE
PICNIC
CONCERT
at BATTERY PARK

PARADE: 10:30am gather at the Waterman Building parking lot, UVM off South Prospect Street, march down Main Street to downtown and end at Battery Park.

FREE PICNIC: with Ben & Jerry's ICE CREAM at Battery Park

GREAT MUSIC: Utah Phillips Tribute Concert to Benefit the Vermont Workers' Center

This fun family event celebrates the contributions of working people in this state and unites Vermonters across workforces in the ongoing struggle to raise the standards in our communities. If your organization is interested in marching in the parade, call Maria at 658-3113 to register with the Labor Day Celebration Committee.

Tribute Concert: The concert is free with suggested donations to go to the Vermont Workers' Center, a working families organization located at 294 North Winooski Avenue. The Vermont Workers' Center has launched the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign and helps coordinate the Burlington Livable City Coalition.

Utah Phillips (1935 - 2008): the great folksinger, storyteller and labor activist, passed away this May. Utah performed extensively and tirelessly for audiences on two continents singing and collecting the songs of working people and the workers' movement for decades. He made two Grammy nominated albums with Ani Difranco called Fellow Worker and History Didn't Go Anywhere. Local bands and performers will include: John Holland, The Trout River Crew, Andy Lugo (Second Agenda), Electric Halo, Andy Schlatter, Nick Gruswitz, Julie Winn & Jonathan Kissam and many more. More info on concert call James at 861-2877

Canadian Trade Unionists Visit VWC

2008-07-22T11:25:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday, a delegation from the Canadian Labour Congress (shown above, with VWC Healthcare Organizer Erika Simard) visited the Workers' Center. The visit was part of a week-long class called The Changing Face of the Canadian Labour Movement: Unions Responding in Solidarity led by Karl Flecker, National Director of the Congress's Anti-Racism and Human Rights Department. The purpose of the course was to help rank and file trade unionists examine the changing demographics and new issues facing workers today, including water/trade, immigration, globalization, security, and migrant issues.

The Canadians got a chance to speak with Donna Iverson, a Burlington paraeducator and leader of the livable wage victory, and Vermont NEA staff and former director of the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, about the strategies and tactics used in the long struggle for livable wages in the Burlington school district. They also spoke with VWC Healthcare Organizer Erika Simard about the Healthcare Is a Human Right campaign, and, like most international visitors, expressed shock at the inhumane and inefficient and healthcare "system" in the U.S.

VWC Coordinating Committee member Jonathan Kissam gave them a walking tour of the Old North End, discussing the demographics and some of the neighborhood community struggles that the Workers' Center has been involved in, including supporting efforts to keep Lawrence Barnes school open.

St. Albans Messenger Article on Campaign

2008-07-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

Health care as a human right?
Written By Michelle Monroe
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

ST. ALBANS CITY — The Vermont Worker’s Center (VWC) has launched a statewide campaign to re-conceptualize health care as a human right and change what is “politically possible,” according to VWC organizer Erika Simard.

VWC is a member-run organization best known for its worker’s rights hotline. This is the first time the organization has run a statewide, grass roots campaign. It was inspired, in part, by the number of calls concerning health care that are received on the hotline, Simard explained.

The initial phase of the campaign, which will culminate in a Sick Day at the state capitol on May 1, 2009, will focus on a survey of Vermonters beliefs about health care and experiences with the current health care system. VWC is also hoping to organize house parties where attendees will have the chance to view a shorter version of the Michael Moore film “Sicko.”

VWC plans to hold hearings on health care as human right, and to compile its survey results and hearing testimony into a written report. The intent, Simard said, is to put “the health care crisis on trial.”

Dozens of Vermonters have already signed on to be part of organizing committees around the state, according to Simard.

Those people will use their natural connections with neighbors, friends, family and co-workers to build a grass roots organization, Simard said.

Janice Santiago, a St. Albans resident who has signed on to help with the campaign, said she will probably start with her neighbors. “I think health care is a vital human need,” Santiago said.

“The effort is really to try to speak to people who haven’t been involved in politics before,” Colin Robinson of the Peace and Justice Center said.

The Peace and Justice Center (PJC) has joined with VWC for this campaign. The Center is currently focused on passing legislation guaranteeing paid sick leave for all Vermonters. According to information provided by the Peace and Justice Center, 66 percent of Vermont’s private employers do not offer paid sick leave, and 135,000 Vermont workers do not have paid sick days.

Traditionally, Robinson explained, PJC has focused its efforts on securing a livable wage. “The livable wage keeps going up because the cost of living keeps going up,” Robinson said. Until rising costs for health care, housing, energy and other necessities can be brought under control, a living wage may not be attainable, according to Robinson.

The campaign is not connected to the upcoming elections, Simard said. “We have a broader view that we’re working on,” she said. “Something needs to change,” Simard said, adding, “The only thing that really makes sense is to make it a human right and build from there.”

“The United States is the only ‘industrialized’ country that doesn’t provide health care as a right to every resident from cradle to grave,” VWC states in campaign literature.

Discussing the financing of health care, VWC points out that in order to cover the costs of providing health care to the uninsured, hospitals and other providers raise the fees charged to private insurers, which in turn raise their fees. “Establishing healthcare as a human right where universal coverage comes from an equitable system of taxes only makes sense. It would establish a system where we all pay what we can afford and everyone is covered,” VWC states.

July 14: Rally to Support Service Center Workers in St. Albans

2008-07-04T12:12:00.006-04:00

UPDATE: Over 60 service center workers and supporters from the VWC rallied in St. Albans on July 14, while USCIS workers in California took action as well. More »

UE Local 208 USCIS Vermont Service Center workers need your support at their march and rally on July 14th. They are fighting for a fair first contract by August first and need as much community support as possible to demand that the companies respect this deadline and bargain now. These workers — the vast majority of them women — have waited long enough for decent wage increases and better benefits.

Monday July 14th 2008
2:00pm

Beginning at Tabor Building 75 Lower Weldon St, St. Albans then marching to Taylor Park in the center of town at 2:30pm.

More information about the workers' struggle is available at justiceatuscis.org.

Download a flier for the march and rally here (in PDF format).

Directions to the Tabor building in St. Albans where the rally will begin:

Directions (from I-89): Go straight off exit ramp through the light until you reach S. Main St. Make a right on S. Main St. Make a left onto Lower Weldon St. The address is 75 Lower Weldon St [ Google Map ].

Take One Action for Healthcare Is a Human Right This Summer

2008-07-02T09:54:00.000-04:00

The success of this campaign will depend on the efforts of hundreds and thousands of Vermonters — workers, students, retirees and folks on disability — reaching out to their co-workers, friends, neighbors and communities about the campaign. Please consider volunteering to take at least one action for the Healthcare is a Human Right campaign this summer:

workerscenter.org/healthcare/volunteer

Healthcare Campaign Begins

2008-07-01T13:57:00.000-04:00

The Workers' Center is pleased to announced that we have hired a new organizer for the Healthcare is a Human Right campaign: Erika Simard, who lost her healthcare benefits three years ago when Specialty Filaments, the factory she worked at for 22 years, closed in 2005.

"Healthcare should not be a commodity and it should not be something that is tied to employment. It needs to be a basic public good, something that as a community we establish everyone has access to," says Simard.

This summer VWC members, volunteers and allies are conducting outreach to thousands of Vermonters in communities across the state, including conducting a Vermont healthcare survey to collect the voices of the healthcare crisis. Supporters, union members and new campaign activists have begun holding healthcare house parties with their friends and neighbors to learn about the campaign. In the Fall, there will be public healthcare human rights hearings with testimony of "healthcare horror stories" and on the right to health. On December 13th, the Workers' Center is holding a Human Rights Conference, in commemoration on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights held at the University of Vermont. In this process, the Workers' Center will be building the statewide action network capable of mobilizing thousands of Vermonters for the May 1st Healthcare is A Human Right Rally at the State House.

"Many Vermont policy makers say they agree that healthcare should be a basic right to all Vermonters and many even say they support single-payer healthcare in theory. But they say it is just not politically possible. So this campaign is to change that," says James Haslam, lead organizer/director of the Vermont Workers' Center. "Our goal is to begin a strategic reframing of healthcare as a basic human right and the healthcare crisis as a human rights emergency. Right now we have a segrated healthcare system, some people have great care and many go without the care they need because of the costs. Right now the insurance companies are focused on how to deny coverage. We need a system that is geared to keep people healthy."

If you are interested in learning more about getting involved, filling out a survey and helping getting more surveys filled out in your community and possibly holding a healthcare house party email erika@workerscenter.org or call Erika at 802-316-7827.

A New Path Towards Social Justice

2008-06-24T15:05:00.002-04:00

Traven Leyshon, Workers' Center Coordinating Committee member and President of the Central Vermont Labor Council, interview with Bill Fletcher, Jr. and Fernando Gapasin on their new book, Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path Towards Social Justice. Joined by VT Workers Center Director James Haslam.

Workers' Center Launches Healthcare is Human Right Campaign

2008-06-16T18:11:00.011-04:00

At its 10th Anniversery Celebration in the Old Labor Hall, the Vermont Workers' Center officially launched the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign, a new major statewide grassroots organizing campaign to change what is “politically possible” for healthcare in Vermont. The first phase of the campaign will culminate in a statewide Sick Day Rally on Friday, May 1st, 2009 for a Healthcare is a Human Right Rally at the State House.

"Healthcare should not be a commodity and it should not be something that is tied to employment. It needs to be a basic public good, something that as a community we establish everyone has access to," says new Workers' Center organizer Erika Simard, who lost her healthcare benefits three years ago when Specialty Filaments, the factory she worked at fors 22 years closed in 2005.

This summer VWC members, volunteers and allies are conducting outreach to thousands of Vermonters in communities across the state, including conducting a Vermont healthcare survey to collect the voices of the healthcare crisis. Supporters, union members and new campaign activists have begun holding healthcare house parties with their friends and neighbors to learn about the campaign. In the Fall, there will be public healthcare human rights hearings with testimony of "healthcare horror stories" and on the right to health. On December 13th, the Workers' Center is holding a Human Rights Conference, in commemoration on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights held at the University of Vermont. The goal is that in this process, the Workers' Center will be building the statewide action network capable of mobilizing thousands of Vermonters for the May 1st Healthcare is A Human Right Rally at the State House.

"Many Vermont policy makers say they agree that healthcare should be a basic right to all Vermonters and many even say they support single-payer healthcare in theory. But they say it is just not politically possible. So this campaign is to change that," says James Haslam, lead organizer/director of the Vermont Workers' Center. "Our goal is to begin a strategic reframing of healthcare as a basic human right and the healthcare crisis as a human rights emergency. Right now we have a segrated healthcare system, some people have great care and many go without the care they need because of the costs. Right now the insurance companies are focused on how to deny coverage. We need a system that is geared to keep people healthy."

On May 1st, 2009 there there will be busses, carpools and caravans from all over the state converging on Montpelier. The Workers' Center is asking Vermonters who are sick of the rising costs of healthcare and believe that healthcare should be a human right to mark their calendars and plan to call in sick that day and come to the rally. Small businesses who agree that healthcare should not be tied to employment but available to everyone and financed publicly through fair taxes, are asked to make it a "Healthcare Holiday" and join their employees for the rally in Montpelier. If you are interested in learning more about getting involved, filling aout a survey and helping getting more surveys filled out in your community and possibly holding a healthcare house party email erika@workerscenter.org or call Erika at 802-316-7827. The campaign's blog is www.workerscenter.org/healthcare.

Livable Wage Victory for Burlington Food Service & Custodial Workers

2008-05-05T11:16:00.004-04:00

Livable Wage Victory for Burlington Food Service & Custodial Workers:
Burlington, VT – After a three and a half year campaign, Burlington school food service and custodial worker of AFSCME Local 1343 won an agreement that will bring its all of its members up to a livable wage by the end of the contract. This agreement is being celebrated as a ground-breaking victory. This is the second livable wage victory in less then a year, last fall the Burlington para-educators had the first livable wage victory in the Burlington Schools.

“It is incredibly exciting that after such a long struggle all the food service and custodial workers will receive a livable wage. Many of us struggle to make ends meet and work second jobs to get by,” says food service worker Sandy McAuliffe. “This a good step towards ensuring our families can meet their basic needs.”

The campaign for livable wages for Burlington food service and custodial workers has not been without struggle. It took three years of educating school board and community members, as well as organizing faith leaders, elected officials, other union members and hundreds of Burlington residents to show their support.

From the beginning of the campaign for livable wages, it was clear that in addition to being an issue of fighting poverty, it was also about gender wage inequity. This livable wage victory for food service workers finally helps to close the gender wage gap between municipal workers, who are guaranteed a livable wage by ordinance and are mostly men, and food service workers, who are predominately women and make less than a livable wage. “The fact that the food service workers are predominately women and were not guaranteed a livable wage was a clear example of gender wage inequity that is still all too pervasive in our society,” says Colin Robinson, Director of the Peace and Justice Center’s, Vermont Livable Wage Campaign. “It is wonderful that this inequity if finally being corrected within the Burlington school district.”

This livable wage success for food service and custodial workers helps to ensure that Burlington remains truly livable for more of its residents, however this is not the case for everyone. The Burlington Livable City Coalition (BLCC), a group of community organizations and unions that works to ensure Burlington is truly livable for all its residents, came together in part of this struggle. "The City of Burlington has been nationally recognized for being one of the most "Livable Cities In the Country", yet there are still thousands of families living in poverty and thousands of workers still being paid poverty wages. The Burlington School workers victory is a victory for the entire community. You cannot have a livable city without livable wages," says James Haslam, Director of the Vermont Workers' Center who helps coordinate the Burlington Livable City Coalition. "We know our city will be a better city when all the jobs pay real livable wages, when the children of this city are not forced to grow up in poverty, and when people can live in dignity. We thank the many people in this community who supported this fight and have joined the Burlington Livable City Coalition"

The agreement will bring food service and custodial workers up to a livable wage over the next four years. This livable wage victory comes of the heels of a livable wage victory for the Burlington para-educators last fall and is a huge step forward in making sure Burlington remains livable for all its residents.

See Burlington Free Press story "Burlington school workers earn new contracts" May 7, 2008

VWC on Radio Africa

2008-04-30T17:38:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, VWC leader Jonathan Kissam sat down with the Radio Africa crew to discuss worker rights, protections, and advocacy campaigns. With limited English and lack of legal awareness, Vermont's African-born community members are some of the most vulnerable to workplace mistreatment.

Listen to the interview (mp3 format) at:

http://www.africansinvermont.org/radioafrica/?p=42

10th Anniversary Dinner Celebrates Victories, Announces New Campaign: Healthcare Is a Human Right!

2008-04-28T11:19:00.008-04:00

VWC members and allies sing Solidarity Forever at the 10th Anniverary Dinner.

At the Vermont Workers' Center 10th Anniversary Dinner last night, 150+ people celebrated ten years of struggle, recognized workers' victories from the past year, and kicked off the VWC's new Healthcare Is a Human Right campaign.

Barre Education Association president John Pandolfo spoke about Act 82, an unnecessary, dangerous and confusing law on local school funding passed by the legislature in 2007, which would require two votes to pass many school budgets. The Vermont NEA has been campaigning for the law's repeal, and the state house of representatives voted to repeal it in 2007; the repeal legislation is now sitting in the Senate.

VWC President Dawn Stanger presented 2008 Solidarity Awards to several groups of workers and community members who stood up for justice over the past year:

Fletcher Allen Nurse Midwives, members of UPV/AFT Local 5221 who successfully organized with parents and the community to keep the FA midwifery program.
Burlington School Support staff who are members of the Burlington Education Association and AFSCME Local 1343 who after a three year struggle have had a big livable wage victory.
Child Labor Education & Action - Vermont high school leaders of CLEA led a successful fight to win legislation for anti-sweatshop procurement policies for the State of Vermont. Their sweat-free legislation passed and they expect the governor to sign the bill tomorrow.
Rescue Inc., workers who organized with IAEP Local 48, part of SEIU - who did the hardest, most courageous and smartest things workers can do, withstood an anti-union campaign and successfully formed their union.
And finally, the workers contracted with Stanley Assoc., Northrup Grummon and Choctaw at the Vermont Service Center in St. Albans, who withstood an intense anti-union campaign and won. Now more than 200 workers in Vermont and hundreds more in CA are UE members.

We also recognized two special groups of people, the "Unsung Heroes" and 2008 Solidarity School Graduates:

Unsung Heroes: These our the folks who run the Hotline, put stamps on postcards, make the turnout calls, make the flyers, do the “grunt” work of movement building, the everyday, mundane tasks:

Joyce Werntgen, Andy Crawford, Tina Scanlon, Julie Winn, Nick Parrish, Jennifer Shewmake, Angela DiGuilio, John MacLean, Emma Gordon, Kate Kanelstein, Michelle Lewis, Renna Temple and finally Amanda Blatchely, who designed the beautiful Solidarity Report and Healthcare Is a Human Right logo, posters and bumperstickers.

2008 Solidarity School Graduates: These are the people who participated in our second annual Solidarity School, the Workers' Center's comprehensive leadership training. These skill-building trainings cover organizing one-on-one, talking to your co-workers, building strategic contract and community campaigns, and the People's history of labor and social change.

2007 participants who came back to help lead in 2008: Marilyn Eldred, Jen Larsen and Rebecca Smith

2008 graduates: Nick Parrish, Chris Guros, Lynn Parrish, Michelle Lewis, Jennifer Shewmake, Angela DiGuilio, Emma Gordon, Kate Kanelstein, David Hamilton, Margaret Russell, Tim Billadeau, Linda Scrivens, Dottye Ricks, Amy Lester, Susan Hunter, Jeannette Weilland and Renna Temple

The youngest Solidarity School graduate, SLAP activist Renna Temple, addressed the audience and gave an inspiring speech about the real meaning of solidarity.

Finally, Erika Simard, a former Specialty Filaments worker, closed the program by telling of her harrowing experience with the healthcare system. After being laid off and losing her health insurance when Specialty Filaments closed, she realized that the drugs she needed to deal with her heart condition and keep her alive would cost more per month than her unemployment and training benefits. She concluded by introducing the VWC's newest campaign, Healthcare Is a Human Right:

Under this title, Healthcare Is A Human Right, we will build a statewide action network capable of winning and building a real democracy, where we are organized enough and strong enough to make all policymakers do what is right. Here’s the real exciting part of this announcement, one year and a couple days from now, on May 1st 2009, there is going to be an enormous rally at the State House, with thousands of Vermonters demanding healthcare as a basic human right. That day is a Friday, and the rally is going to be in the middle of the day. We are going to ask everyone who is sick of the current healthcare crisis and insecurity that we all face, to call in sick that day, take a sick day, a community health day, and join us at the State House. Some business owners who agree with us will decide to shut their doors that day and join their employees in Montpelier. Busses and car pooling caravans will come from every part of the state, to declare Healthcare Is A Human Right. Many politicians say that they agree with this, that it is good in theory, but its not politically possible. With this historic rally and the new network of working families that pull it off, we will change what is politically possible. We will make the healthcare crisis, a crisis for politicians, by mobilizing thousands of Vermonters to join us. Throughout our History, Vermonters have been known for being front runners, so lets show them what we can do!

Erika Simard's complete remarks >>

More photos from the dinner >>

WCAX Coverage of the Rally Against Act 82 >>

Speech Announcing the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign

2008-04-28T09:44:00.000-04:00

Speech by Erika Simard at the Vermont Workers' Center dinner
April 27, 2008
Old Labor Hall, Barre, VT

Hello, thanks for joining us here tonight. Even though I feel I’ve told my story a thousand times, I will continue to tell it until I make a difference. I started at Specialty Filaments in 1983 at the age of 18. As a union member, I had good pay and excellent benefits. Even though to an 18 year old, the only benefit that was worthy was my vacation time, the rest made up the benefit package. I made a lot of friends and I became pretty vocal on policies and procedures, but it wasn’t until the mid 90’s that I decided I wanted to become an active member and I joined the executive board. Over the years we became a really strong, active union, I worked my way up and I floated between Vice President and President a few times. In 2001, after fighting and winning a good contract, and feeling like I was on top of the world, I had a heart attack, I was 36 years old. At that point I was thankful for my health insurance; it’s funny how our views change as we age.

In May 2005, Specialty Filaments announced they would be closing the doors in their Burlington plant in a few months. Thank god we had negotiated in a few contracts prior, that if there was ever a closing they would negotiate severance pay with us. So our business agent from Massachusetts came up and our executive board met with the company to negotiate our severance pay. They offered us only two weeks pay and said that was all they could do, their would be no negotiations. We refused, we had dedicated workers that gave over 30 years of service, there was no way we were going to accept two weeks pay for them or anyone else.

We contacted the Workers Center, whom we had established a little contact with over the years and asked for help. We knew what we wanted, but we weren’t sure how to go about getting it. With guidance from James and support from everyone else at the Workers' Center, we fought back. It was an incredible fight that even took us to Boston to rally the companies corporate headquarters. We contacted our customers to let them know what was going on and we held numerous press conferences and even got Bernie's office involved. We spoke on the radio and television and stood in solidarity in numerous rallies outside the plant letting the community know how we were being treated. We made a lot of noise, but we didn’t make a lot of negotiation progress until we decided to put a work injury flier together. We wanted to bring attention to the fact that our workers had suffered numerous permanent injuries, all for the sake of profit ... and that was our bargaining tool.

Again the company refused to budge when we tried to negotiate; so on our way out the door, we put the flier in front of their face and told them it would be going out at 6 pm tonight in all of their neighborhoods unless they agreed to negotiate a fair severance. It worked, an hour later they were calling us to make sure it didn’t go out and agreed to negotiate. I was kinda sad we didn’t get a chance to use it; it was a beautiful piece of work thanks to the folks at Seven Days that helped us design it. But at the same time it was very graphic and showed some terrible statistics and injuries which is sad but common in factory work. As a result of the flier, we finally won a decent settlement. It wasn’t the best but it was better than a paltry two weeks. I finished my last day of work on September 24 2005, and then it hit me, I had no health insurance and I needed it to live. I inquired about state help and they told me that if I was offered COBRA I had to exhaust those benefits before the state could help me. I take a ton of different medicines, so I called to see how much it would cost to purchase them, I found out my 10 or so different meds would cost 1,800 dollars a month! I was in tears, I literally could not afford to live. I had no choice but to pay the 400 dollars a month for Cobra out of my 1200 I received from unemployment. I had to move back home with my mother just to be able to pay for health insurance because I couldn’t live on 800 dollars a month. After my unemployment ran out and I was unable to find a decent paying job with health insurance, I decided to take advantage of the TRA which is the trade readjustment allowance. It’s a federal grant that has paid for my college, because I lost my job due to our countries trade policies, and at the same time it continues to pay me the wages I had been receiving through unemployment. Even though my weekly pay is distributed through our states unemployment office, it’s actually allocated from the federal fund.

As time went by, I stayed involved with the Workers' Center when ever I could even though I had a busy college schedule. I kept in touch with James about my cobra struggles and how unfair it was for anyone to have to pay those kinds of rates. Eventually the Middlebury plant shut down and the company went bankrupt, when that happened my COBRA was cancelled, two months earlier than it should have been and I was not prepared.

I was beside myself; I didn’t know what to do. I applied for VHAP and I was denied. The allotted figure for help is $1,169 dollars a month, I made 40 dollars too much! I can remember my case worker telling me that, and I was in disbelief, I said but you don’t understand, I have heart disease! She said “Well I’m sorry, but If we gave insurance out for every little sniffle, the state would be in a huge deficit” I said, every little sniffle? I have heart disease, I need insurance. She said, “I’m sorry, we can’t help you” and hung up the phone. At that point I just went numb, I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. I kept running the figures over and over again in my head, 1,800 for medication, 1,200 for income and all I could do was cry and think “I'm gonna die”. So I called James in tears asking if he had any ideas as to what I could do.

He made some phone calls and got me in touch with Bernie's office. Phil Fiermonte tried to get me into the health center in Richford so I could get medicine and another woman from Bernie's office did some digging into my TRA grant. It was so nice to have support from caring people, James even offered to coordinate a sit-in at the VHAP office and to not leave until they gave me health insurance. My light at the end of the tunnel came when it was uncovered that my TRA money came from federal sources and therefore could not be counted as a state income. It was a loop hole in our system that no one at the agency knew of, but the woman in Bernie's office uncovered it. So I was given VHAP and it has still been an ongoing struggle. Each time I get a new caseworker at DCF, my VAHP gets canceled, so I have to call and explain the circumstances over and over again. In the end, I feel I am very lucky, but not everyone has the same results. No one should have to go through what I went through. Losing a job should not mean you lose your health or your home, and that was the choice left before me.

The reason I am here with you tonight is to announce our new Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign! Under this title, Healthcare Is A Human Right, we will build a statewide action network capable of winning and building a real democracy, where we are organized enough and strong enough to make all policymakers do what is right. Here’s the real exciting part of this announcement, one year and a couple days from now, on May 1st 2009, there is going to be an enormous rally at the State House, with thousands of Vermonters demanding healthcare as a basic human right. That day is a Friday, and the rally is going to be in the middle of the day. We are going to ask everyone who is sick of the current healthcare crisis and insecurity that we all face, to call in sick that day, take a sick day, a community health day, and join us at the State House. Some business owners who agree with us will decide to shut their doors that day and join their employees in Montpelier. Busses and car pooling caravans will come from every part of the state, to declare Healthcare Is A Human Right. Many politicians say that they agree with this, that it is good in theory, but its not politically possible. With this historic rally and the new network of working families that pull it off, we will change what is politically possible. We will make the healthcare crisis, a crisis for politicians, by mobilizing thousands of Vermonters to join us. Throughout our History, Vermonters have been known for being front runners, so lets show them what we can do!

The Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign

2008-04-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

The Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign, a project of the Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC), aims to change what is “politically possible” in the healthcare debate through grassroots organizing and a strategic reframing of healthcare as a basic human right and the healthcare crisis as a human rights emergency. While our long-term goal is a universal, single-payer healthcare system, our focus in the immediate period is not on policy, but on educating, organizing and mobilizing the broad working class around the demand that healthcare is a human right.

Healthcare Human Rights Survey – the VWC has developed a survey which we will e using as an outreach, education and organizing tool. The survey will be used to collect data and stories about the impact of the healthcare crisis on Vermont’s working class, but more importantly, as a tool to have organizing conversations, educate those being surveyed about the human rights framework, and identify potential activists and leaders. We anticipate using this survey in a variety of settings, including workplaces, community organizations, and door-to-door canvassing.

Human Rights Hearings – as the campaign develops, we anticipate holding public Human Rights Hearings on Healthcare, to provide a place where working-class Vermonters can testify about the effects of the healthcare crisis and to publicly frame those effects as a denial of human rights.

Human Rights Report – this fall, building on the data collected on the surveys and testimony heard at the hearings, the VWC will work with other allied organizations to produce a report. The purpose of this report is to put into a readable, yet serious, written report:

a human-right-based analysis of the healthcare crisis in Vermont
a re-affirmation of the economic feasibility of a universal healthcare system
"voices of the healthcare crisis" – to capture stories from the human rights surveys and hearings

Human Rights Conference – Marking the 60th Anniversary of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on Saturday, December 13th, the Workers’ Center will work with others to hold an Ella Baker Human Rights Conference at the University of Vermont (UVM). The goal of this conference will be to popularize and deepen understanding of and commitment to human rights framework and movement-building strategies among the campaign’s base and allied organizations.

Sick Day at the Legislature – on Friday, May 1st, 2009, the VWC will call on Vermonters to call in sick to work and come to the legislature to make the healthcare human rights crisis a crisis for our legislators.

[ Download a PDF flyer of this campaign description ]

VWC leaders attend US Human Rights Conference

2008-04-25T19:51:00.003-04:00

Four VWC leaders and staff attended the US Human Rights Network's 2008 National Conference in Chicago this past weekend. They learned from and networked with others around the country who are applying international human rights standards to the domestic context in the US, and will be bringing back that knowledge to help lead upcoming VWC campaigns around Housing is a Human Right, Healthcare is a Human Right, and organizing low-wage workers. Below is an account by one of the delegates:

by Erika Simard, VWC leader

I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to all, to have the opportunity and honor of attending the US Human Rights Conference in Chicago. I wanted to go because Health Care for everyone is a strong passion of mine. I have had my own issues dealing with our current system and I know first hand it doesn't work well. I don't feel anyone should have to make decisions about their health based on their ability to pay.

For me the experience was overwhelming. It was wonderful to feel so much love for mankind in a room made up of many different races and cultures. To be able to connect with others that have the same views and goals was very inspirational. The energy that flowed among all the participants was just incredible. To be able to be a part of the activities has given me a renewed sense that change is in our future and I will be part of it.

I really enjoyed the workshops and the Plenaries and just the connecting and meeting of others with the same vision. I found the workshops to be very valuable and they taught me a lot while providing me with the tools I need to help make a difference.

I went to this conference knowing in my heart that Health Care is a human right, but even though I knew it in my heart I had to connect it in my head as to why. I know now after attending the History of Human Rights workshop, why it is a human right.

The VWC does incredible work and I feel that by using the Human Rights framework it will help in any fight because it brings it home that these are international rights everyone should have. For instance, it's not just a fight for health care because we can't afford it anymore and the insurance companies are making a fortune off peoples suffering, It's a fight because it is a human right listed under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I will be able to explain to others now that it is there. I also attended a workshop that helped to give a direction of our campaign by attaching the human rights framework to values that everyone can identify with. I believe this will help as we move forward in our campaign for health care is a human right.

JOB POSTING: Workers' Center Organizer

2008-04-16T09:46:00.000-04:00

The Vermont Workers Center - Jobs with Justice has an opening for a full-time organizer to coordinate our new "Healthcare Is A Human Right" grassroots organizing project. This position will be focused on building a statewide action network of Vermonters in working class communities and organized labor to fundamentally change the politics of healthcare reform. Applicants should have experience in union and/or grassroots community organizing, strong written and oral communication skills, computer skills, drivers' license/vehicle and strong work ethic. Excellent benefits and the salary is at least $32K and will be more based on experience. For a more detailed job description, questions or to apply send your resume and a letter explaining why you would be a great fit for this job to info [at] workerscenter.org

Workers' Center Internship Opportunities

2008-04-16T07:58:00.000-04:00

2008 SUMMER & FALL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Vermont Workers' Center has openings for 2008 internship opportunities based in Burlington. We are offering great opportunities for anyone interested in workers' rights, economic justice, community organizing and connecting local struggles to global justice movements. These are unpaid positions, but tremendous opportunities for experience in a wide range of areas.
Focus areas include:
- Community & workplace issue-based organizing "Healthcare Is A Human Right"
- Community and workplace organizing, including outreach on tenants' rights
- Mobilizing solidarity & community support for workers' rights and economic justice
- Workers' rights and legal advocacy on workers' rights hotline and our drop-in community center
- Helping coordinate major Human Rights Conference in Burlington, event planning, mobilizing, and skill-building workshops (organizing, strategic planning) and political education (anti-racism/oppression, popular economics, people's history, etc)
- Video production and graphic design (ask us to see our previous design intern's portfolio)
- Non-profit administration, fundraising, grantwriting and/or database management

Please send letters of interest to james [at] workerscenter.org

10 Year Celebration Dinner !!!

2008-04-15T09:55:00.006-04:00

5pm, Sunday, April 27
Old Labor Hall, 46 Granite St
Barre, Vermont [ Map ]

Join the us to celebrate a decade of fighting for workers' rights.
Solidarity Awards for victories and struggles
Free public event: enjoy great food (SugarSnap & American Flatbread)
Bring the family, your co-workers and friends

(Don't miss this event, there is going to be a very exciting and important announcement)

Solidarity School 2008

2008-03-29T19:40:00.006-04:00

The Campaign piece was very helpful and I began to use what I learned at my workplace the next week.

On March 29, the second annual Vermont Workers' Center Solidarity School concluded. 20 union members, students and community activists participated in three days of popular education, spread over six weeks. Participants sharpened their organizing skills, discussed how to put together tactics and strategies into successful campaigns to win concrete improvements for working people, explored people's history and the impact of racism on movements for progressive change, and — most importantly, in the views of many participants — had the opportunity to "connect with other workers, hear personal stories and struggles that others have, realize our similarities."

I appreciated the diversity of the facilitators and their experiences

The 2008 Solidarity School builds on the highly successful 2007 Solidarity School, and four graduates from the 2007 school returned to help facilitate the school this year, joining veterans of the VWC Education Committee, Kate Kanelstein from UVM SLAP and Doyle Canning from smartMeme.

Extra thanks and shout-outs to the organizations whose education materials we learned from/used/borrowed/stole: Project South, National Network For Immigrant and Refugee Rights, UE Education Department, Beyond the Choir, smartMeme, POWER, and others we may have missed ...

More photos of Solidarity School 2008

Freightliner 5 Solidarity Meeting

2008-03-25T19:39:00.004-04:00

6pm, Sunday, March 30th
Vermont Workers' Center
294 North Winooski Ave, Burlington

Two fired United Auto Workers (UAW) members from Freightliner trucks in Cleveland, N.C. will be in Burlington on March 30. Allen Bradley and Robert Whiteside will speak about their campaign to regain their jobs and protect their union at the Vermont Workers Center this Sunday. Allen and Robert are part of the "Freightliner 5", five members of UAW Local 3520 who were terminated April 3, 2007 by truck maker Freightliner after they led a legal strike of 1500 workers the day before. They are traveling around the country to build support for their campaign to regain their jobs, and to protect and extend union victories in the South.

Their solidarity campaign meetings elsewhere have been tremendously inspiring for local activists. Both Allen and Robert were leading members of the Organizing Committee that successfully won their union at Freightliner in 2003 in one of the most anti-union state's in the country, "right-to-work" North Carolina. Their fight to win justice also will have long-term consequences for organizing the South, which continues to be the achilles' heel of the U.S. Labor movement. The rank-and-file activism and solidarity campaign they are engaged in go to the core of the challenges and best traditions of the U.S. labor movement, lessons that we can all learn from.

More info: http://www.justice4five.com/

Sponsored by the Freightliner 5 Solidarity Committee. Endorsers include: Vermont Workers' Center, UVM United Academics, Champlain Valley & Washington/Orange Counties Central Labor Council AFL-CIO, Vermont Livable Wage Campaign, International Socialist Organization.

Contact: info [at] workerscenter.org

Vermont Labor Against the War shows Winter Soldier Hearings

2008-03-11T04:10:00.005-04:00

In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” In 1971, a courageous group of veterans exposed the criminal nature of the Vietnam War in an event called Winter Soldier. Once again, we will demand that the voices of veterans are heard. (from Iraq Vets Against the War website)

VTLAW and the Workers' Center will host a videostream from the Winter Soldier Hearings taking place in Washington DC this week. We'll have our doors open Fri., March 14th from 4 to 8:30 pm and Saturday, March 15th from 9am to 5pm - at 294 N. Winooski Ave in Burlington. For people who want to see more, Channel 17, upstairs from us, will be showing the hearings from noon to 4 pm on Fri.

Schedule of topics:

Friday, March 14th
4:00PM - 6:00PM Rules of Engagement: Part Two
7:00PM - 8:30PM Aims of the Global War on Terror: the Political, Legal, and Economic Context of Iraq and Afghanistan

Saturday, March 15
9:00AM – 10:30AM Divide To Conquer: Gender and Sexuality in the Military
11:00AM - 1:00PM Racism and War: the Dehumanization of the Enemy: Part One
2:00PM - 3:30PM Racism and War: the Dehumanization of the Enemy: Part Two
4:00PM - 6PM Civilian Testimony: The Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan
7:00PM - 8:30PM The Cost of the War at Home

We'd love to have you join us!

International Women's Day Party March 8

2008-02-29T16:54:00.007-05:00

On March 8, 1908, working women in the needle trade industry took to the streets of New York City demanding better working conditions, higher wages, shorter workdays and the overall improvement of women's lives in this country. This year, on the 100th anniversary of that historic march, commemorated since 1910 as International Women's Day, join the Vermont Workers' Center in honoring all the working women who have fought for social justice with a short film, a panel discussion about working women's struggles in Vermont, and a social with refreshments and live music by VWC's own group, the Wildcat Strikers.

6pm Screening of With Babies and Banners, which tells the story of the women who became the backbone of The Great General Motors Sit Down Strike of 1937 — the labor movement's key to the successful drive for industrial unionism and a better life for working Americans.

7pm Panel discussion on the history of organizing around women's economic issues in Vermont and the history of the Women's Union, led by Elaine McCrate, Economics Professor at UVM.

8pm Refreshments, socializing and live music by the official band of the Vermont Workers' Center, the Wildcat Strikers.

[ download flyer ]

CHILD-FRIENDLY EVENT

The Truth About Forming A Union at Stanley

2008-02-20T11:57:00.005-05:00

[published in the St. Albans Messenger, Saturday, Feb 16th in support of workers forming a union at Stanley Inc, a federal contractor at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service center in St. Albans]

By James Haslam

Since 1998, the Vermont Workers' Center has operated a free informational service called the Vermont Workers Rights Hotline. During that time we have learned how hard it is for non-union workers in this state. "At-will" employment means lots of workers lose their jobs every day for no reason. Non-union workers also suffer from unpaid wages, unfair treatment, sudden schedule changes and arbitrary reductions in benefits.

During the past decade, the largest single source of workers rights hotline calls has been Vermont Service Center in St. Albans. When it was Labatt- Anderson we got lots of calls. When it changed over to SCOT, there was even more calls. And now, with Stanley, the calls have increased even further. In the past, workers have called about forced mandatory overtime, unfair firings and discipline, and poor treatment. Hotline callers from the VWC have also talked about the lack of raises, the wage re-classifications, and the loss of personal and sick time. Most recently, VSC workers have called the hotline to ask for the truth about the misinformation Stanley management is distributing in the work place.

We've done some research about the questions we've been asked more frequently. Here is the truth about some of the myths about forming a union at Stanley.

Myth #1: Only the Department of Labor (DOL) can do anything about wage increases.

Truth: There currently is a DOL investigation into possible job misclassifications under the previous contractors commonly referred to as SCOT. If the DOL rules that workers were misclassified, then some employees may get some back pay from the former contractors. Stanley is not a subject of this investigation. Stanley will not have to pay because of this investigation.

VSC workers can only get pay back from Stanley if a new investigation is initiated but this could take months or years to happen. The only other way VSC workers can get a higher rate pay through the DOL is if the DOL raised the job classification rates. The last time this happened was 4 years ago.

By forming a union and having the ability to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement workers will not only be able to change these wrongful misclassifications of job titles but will also finally have the ability to negotiate raises. Most importantly, if there was a union when Stanley took over they would not have been able to unilaterally cut peoples wages and change their job titles.

Finally, under the Service Contract Act, employers can submit additional wage costs which occur because of contract negotiations to the federal government for reimbursement. So Stanley workers could get a raise and the federal government could pay for it.

Myth #2: When people have unions you have to pay union dues and the dues will negate any wage increase.

Truth: Yes, part of having a union is paying union dues, but no one pays any dues until there is a collective bargaining agreement (contract) has been reached and ratified by all the workers. Workers are not stupid, they would not negotiate a contract with tiny raises that would be smaller than union dues. Studies have shown that when workers have the ability to collectively bargain wages and benefits, they do much better than when it is solely management that determines what the wages and benefits will be. In the US, union members make about 30% more than their non-union counterparts. Today, union workers on average make $5 more an hour than non-union workers. Union dues are a small price to pay for livable wages, job security and decent benefits.

Myth #3:If Stanley workers vote to form a union then they will no longer have access to Stanley's 4O1K - retirement plan.

Truth:It would be illegal for Stanley to take away any of Stanley's employees' retirement benefits because they form a union. Federal labor law prohibits companies from taking away any existing benefits because workers unionize. In fact, the only way to insure that nothing is arbitrarily taken away is to form a union and put everything into a legally binding contract.

From a workers' rights perspective the choice of having a union at Stanley is clear. It is really important for workers to have a union contract to make sure that no matter what contractor is acting as the employer, there is a fair agreement that ensures decent wages and provides workers with protection. It is not only important for the people who work at the VSC but for everyone in the community. When Stanley executives cut wages, they are essentially taking thousands of dollars out of community and putting it into their Virginia bank accounts. They are trying to make a profit at their employees' expense. If Stanley workers want fairness and respect, then the way to get it is by forming a union.

James Haslam is the Director of the Vermont Workers' Center, a membership organization of Vermonters based in Burlington and is committed to fighting for workers' rights and economic justice. There website is www.workerscenter.org and the Vermont Workers' Rights Hotline is toll-free 866-229-0009.

The Chinese Labor Movement: Stories From The Inside

2008-02-14T11:05:00.001-05:00

6:30pm, Vermont Workers’ Center, 294 N.Winooski Ave. Burlington

Talk by Ellen David Friedman, Vermont Workers' Center founding member and long-time labor organizer is just back from a half-year in Guangzhou, where she is engaged in the Chinese labor movement at several levels. Ellen will share first-hand stories ranging from her work with migrant workers groups organizing in dormitories of sweatshop factories, to involvement with reform-minded leaders of the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) -- A chance to look more deeply into the reality of life and labor dynamics for one-quarter of the world's workforce

Livable Wages Now! Burlington Livable City Coalition Goes to School Board Meeting Feb 12th

2008-02-09T00:30:00.003-05:00

After a very successful City wide Livable Wage Button Day in January the Burlington School District continues to drag their feet in negotiations with Burlington Food Service Workers and Maintenance Workers. Despite the livable wage victory for the Burlington Para-Educators and the BEA in November 2007, Food Service and some Custodial & Maintenance workers, members of AFSCME Local 1343, have been in negotiations for over a year.

At the School Board Meeting on Tuesday Feb 12th, members of the Burlington Livable City Coalition delivered this clear message to the Burlington School Board and Administration that Burlington School Support Staff deserve a Livable Wage.

See the video message "Livable Wages Now!" that we played at the Board Meeting.

See video clips of past School Board meeting delegations

To learn more read the "Report on Livable Wages in Burlington Schools" put out in June 2007. Among other things the report highlights the fact that no Food Service Workers in Burlington receive a livable wage.

Social Justice Film Series: SIR NO SIR, Feb 8th

2008-02-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

Social Justice Film Series, 7pm, Fri, Feb 8

Vermont Workers' Center Social Justice Film Series presents:
"SIR NO SIR"

7:00pm, Workers' Center, 294 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington. Free public event. This powerful film that tells the untold story of the massive movement within the military to end the Vietnam War. Sir No Sire is a feature-length documentary which focuses on the efforts by troops in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to oppose the war effort by peaceful demonstration and subversion. It speaks mainly to veterans, but serves as a ready reminder to civilians that soldiers may oppose war as stridently as any civilian, and at greater personal peril.

On January 21, the Vermont Workers' Center started there ongoing Social Justice Film Series with the powerful film "At The River I Stand" and then on January 25th played "SiCKO". Each film drew a couple of dozen local residents. After "Sir No Sir" the Social Justice Film Series presents "The Take" at 7pm on February 22nd.

More info: Call 861-2877 or email info [at]workerscenter.org

Healthcare Statehouse Rally Day - 11am, Thurs, Feb 7th

2008-02-04T16:51:00.000-05:00

Join the Vermont Workers' Center in saying Healthcare Is A Human Right! Thursday is the follow-up rally from the 200+ people who came to the Statehouse on January 9th to put H.304, the Universal Hospitalization Bill, back on the table. The Vermont WOrkers' Center believes that high-quality affordable healthcare, from cradle to grave, should be a basic right of everyone and H.304 is a possible step in that direction. High salaried hospital CEOs intent on maintaining the status quo are talking with you legislators. Are you?

Come to Montpelier this Thursday, February 7th, and make your voice heard. Meet at 10:30 AM in the Pavilion Auditorium in the Pavilion Building, 109 State Street (just east of the Statehouse). At 11:00 AM we will head into the Statehouse for a presentation and then time to talk individually with your representatives. You can find out more about the bill at SaveVermontHealthCare.org and if you want to join the Vermont Workers' Center Healthcare Action Network, email james [at] workerscenter.org or call 861-2877

Two Union Victories at Stanley Contractors in St. Albans!

2008-02-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

February 1, 2008: For the second day in a row, employees of a contractor of Stanley Associates at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Center have voted to join UE. Despite bad weather, workers employed by Northrup Grumman Technical Services Inc. traveled to NLRB polling places in St. Albans and Essex and voted 57-40 to become members of UE.

This victory came just a day after workers employed by Choctaw Archiving chose UE by 51 to 31. These are two of eight elections that will take place in the coming weeks among nearly a thousand workers in Vermont and California whose wages and working conditions came under attack when a new federal contractor, Stanley, and its subcontractors took over their workplaces.

Scheduled next is a February 27 vote by Choctaw workers in California. The union is awaiting voting dates for four additional units.

"This is not about the company," said Lisa Stenta, a Grumman employee who has worked at the service center for nine years, surviving three different contractors. "It's not about who the contractor is. It's about us taking charge of our future." She spoke of women forced to work 16-hour shifts with mandatory overtime. "We deserve better than
that. We're dedicated workers." She said past union organizing drives had failed, and nothing changed after the election, so this time workers weren't taking chances. "I feel great" about the outcome, she said.

Kelly Levick is employed by Choctaw Archiving, the group who voted to join UE one day earlier. "I'm very excited aboout our victory and the Northrop victory," she said. Kelly, with eight years on the job, attributes the workers' win to "a lot of hard work. We all pulled together and pulled it off."

Jeremy Murray works directly for Stankey, the lead contractor at the Vermont service center. His bargaining unit of approximately 150 people is still waiting for the NLRB to set their voting date. But the divisions the bosses have set up between employees under the different contractors don't really mean anything to the workers. "It's all about the group -- we all help each other," Jeremy said, and UE supporters are working together to bring everyone into the union. "We don't want to leave anyone behind. This will give us so much strength."

The campaign has been followed closely by the local and this week the local newspaper, the St. Albans Messenger, endorsed the union campaign in an editorial. Earlier, the Vermont Workers' Center has helped coordinate community support, including coordinating a letter signed by over two dozen community leaders, including U.S. Sen.Bernie Sanders, I-VT. [Click here for yesterday's Messenger story, refers to VWC & Hotline]

Five subsequent elections will decide how many additional workers in Vermont and California will be included when UE begins bargaining for improvements in wages and conditions. All the workers performed services for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), which contracts with each employer for data entry and clerical work. Stanley and Associates acts as the lead contractor for the group.

A $2 an hour wage cut imposed by Stanley when it took over operations in early December sparked the organizing drive, bringing workers together to defend their wages as well as sudden cuts in their sick and personal days and vacation time. A top Stanley executive's comment about the cuts was reportedly, "Get Over It!" — a comment which inspired one campaign slogan, "We're UE. GET OVER IT!"

In all, more than 1,000 workers, mostly women, are employed at the two service centers in St. Albans, VT, and Laguna Niguel, CA. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming elections in Vermont and ways to help out.

Impact of FairPoint Settlement "let Verizon off the hook"

2008-01-31T09:59:00.000-05:00

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."

Workers Across Burlington Show Their Support for Food Service Workers

2008-01-29T11:19:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-23T06:53:00.001-05:00

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

2008-01-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-10T08:41:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-06T07:41:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-03T15:38:00.001-05:00

(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

HUD OFFICE SHUT DOWN: Solidarity Support For New Orleans Public Housing Fight

2007-12-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today, members of the Vermont Workers' Center visited the Vermont offices of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to protest HUD's plans to demolish thousands of units of public housing in New Orleans, without guaranteeing former residents replacement housing or even allowing them a meaningful voice in the process of rebuilding affordable housing in New Orleans. It appears when HUD officials heard we were coming they shut down the whole office. When we arrived at 11am here's we found the office closed down, with a sign saying they would return at 4pm, yes 4pm!

We delivered this statement:

Just over two years ago, New Orleans was devastated by the lethal combination of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most powerful hurricanes in recent memory, and the blatantly racist and classist neglect of the federal government for the city's low-income, overwhelmingly African-American residents. In the wake of this disaster, and with the federal government seemingly abandoning its obligations to Gulf Coast residents, many Vermonters stepped up to do what we could. The City of Burlington adopted Moss Point, Mississippi as a sister city, Burlington’s Imani Center coordinated a truckload of donated food and household supplies, and many made the trek to New Orleans to work with grassroots organizations such as Food Not Bombs and Common Grounds.

For two years, federal, state and local governments have not lived up to their responsibilities to the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless or exiled. Instead of receiving the infrastructure and services to allow for the safe return of Gulf Coast residents, the region remains in ruins, peoples’ livelihoods destroyed and entire communities displaced. We are outraged that four large public housing complexes are to be destroyed in the city of New Orleans. We understand that this represents the demolition of over 4600 homes, while only 744 units are expected to be rebuilt. This comes at a time when 52,000 families throughout the Gulf Coast region are about to be forced out of trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hundreds of people who have been kicked out of their homes are resisting these demolitions. They have had no say in the decision of HUD to destroy their homes, they have been barred from participating in their local city council meetings and pepper sprayed when they try to make their voices heard. As working-class Vermonters we stand in solidarity with these activists and demand an end to the destruction of public housing. Our city of Burlington, Vermont has long required that developers tearing down existing housing units replace them one-for-one, with strict guidelines about providing affordable housing. While this has not by itself solved the affordable housing crisis in Burlington, we believe it is a good principle, and we demand that HUD, at a minimum, adhere to it. We also strongly encourage our U.S. Senators to do everything they can to ensure passage of the Gulf Coast Recovery Act (SB 1668), which would require Gulf Coast recovery efforts to abide by these principles.

It is becoming increasingly clear that affordable housing is being eliminated all over the country. From the Old North End of Burlington Vermont to the 9th Ward of New Orleans we stand together to resist the process of gentrification. We are holding HUD responsible for this racist attack on poor black communities in New Orleans and demand that money spent on destruction be put towards rebuilding the affordable, public housing that was damaged over two years ago by Hurricane Katrina

After we delivered the statement we went outside and leafletted people in the community before taking two delegations to Senators Leahy and Sanders to push for their support of Gulf Coast Recovery Act.

We also got got some good media coverage including Channel 5 and Vermont Public Radio (hear interview with Workers' Center leader Jonathan Kissam on VPR news) and we were welcomed on to Burlington's newest community radio station, The Radiator. Here is Workers' Center Director James Haslam in the radio booth:

More info: on the struggle to defend public housing in New Orleans: www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org

More info on the Gulfcoast Recovery Act: www.gulfcoastrecover.com

REGISTER NOW: Jan 26th Building Worker Justice Movement

2007-12-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

The Vermont Workers' Center is pleased to announce that on January 26, workers, students, educators and health care providers from around the state will be gathering at Building a Movement for Worker Justice.

This will be a three part conference, geared for working Vermonters, students and including our annual Justice For Healthcare Workers focus. It aims to build a stronger movement for workers' rights, livable wages, economic justice, quality healthcare for all and global solidarity. After the conference there will be a major rally and march as part of the Global Day of Action.

View agenda, download brochures and register at http://www.workerscenter.org/register/#jan26

REGISTER NOW (its free!)

Dec 10 Candlelight Vigil: Burlington Livable City Campaign

2007-12-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

On Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 3:30 pm members of the Burlington Livable City Coalition, a community coalition that works to ensure Burlington is truly livable for all its resident, held a candlelight vigil outside AFSMCE/School District negotiations asking the school district to do the right thing and pay a livable wage (including members of VT Workers' Center, Livable Wage Campaign, BEA, SLAP, UVM United Staff, AFGE, and Laborers). December 10th is recognized by the United Nations as International Human Rights Day – this action helps to bring to light that workers’ rights are human rights. It is a human right for a worker to meet their basic needs of food, housing, transportation, child care, health care and clothing – being paid a livable wage will allow for this.

“It is fitting that this contract negotiation is happening on Human Rights Day, we will hold this candlelight vigil because having livable wages is a fundamental human right,” said James Haslam, Director of the Vermont Workers Center, which helps coordinate the Burlington Livable City Coalition. “When Burlington food service workers receive a livable wage that is a victory for the entire community, and we need to move to where every worker in Burlington and across Vermont gets paid a livable wage.”

For the past three years the Food Service workers in the Burlington School District, members of AFSMCE Local 1343, have fought to receive a livable wage. However, despite the recent livable wage victory of the para-educators and the Burlington Education Association (BEA), the Food Services workers remain in negotiations with the Burlington School District.

“After our recent livable wage victory it is more important then ever that the Burlington School District will do the right thing and pay the food service workers a livable wage for their valuable work,” said Donna Iverson, an Edmunds Elementary School para-educator and leader of their recent victory.

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% earn $8.59/hr or less in 2005-2006 school year, and 94% of food service workers are women.

“As the school district continues to confront the issue of poverty in our schools, it is imperative that they make sure their employees make enough to meet their basic needs,” says Colin Robinson, Director of the Peace and Justice Center’s Vermont Livable Wage Campaign. “If the children of your own food service workers make so little that they qualify for free or reduced price lunch, you know you have progress to make in combating poverty.”

AFSMCE Local 1343 and the Food Service workers have been in negotiations since their contract ended on June 30th, 2007. No agreement was reached, however, indiciations that a livable wage settlement could happen soon.

2008 People's Calendar now available

2007-11-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

The 2008 People's Calendar celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Vermont Workers' Center and has great photos of workers' rights struggles and victories in VT from the past decade (like the cover shot is from the 2002 Fletcher Allen nurses union organizing victory!) Each month feautures inspiring social justice quotes and is loaded with Vermont and global historical dates celebrating the struggles and people that have shaped our world.

Get your copy today — order at our online store, come by our new space, or become a monthly sustainer and receive the calendar as a free gift.

Workers' Center to Join Worldwide Mobilizations January 26

2007-11-26T17:19:00.000-05:00

On January 26, 2008, people around the world will take to the streets for a worldwide mobilization to demonstrate that "Another World Is Possible," and a determination to converge our many struggles — for workers' rights, against war, for climate justice and others — into one movement.

The Vermont Workers' Center has joined with the Vermont chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Global Justice Ecology Project to initiate a "Call to Vermont Organizations" to participate in these mobilizations. We are proposing the themes of war, healthcare and climate change for a united public demonstration because we believe these are the three largest issues facing Vermonters today, but in keeping with the spirit of openness of the World Social Forum, from which the call for mobilizations originated, we are encouraging other organizations to plan additional events and activities during the week of January 21-27 around the theme that "another world is possible." Workshops, educational forums, direct actions, and social events are all encouraged.

To view the call, visit wsf2008vt.blogspot.com

We encourage Workers' Center members, supporters and allied organizations to:

1) Sign on to the call (as an organization or an individual) by emailing globaljustice [at] workerscenter [dot] org
2) Stay informed by signing up for the listserve (sign up at wsf2008vt.blogspot.com)
3) Propose (or plan) additional activities. The Workers' Center will publicize a comprehensive list of all activities during the week, so let us know what you're planning at globaljustice [at] workerscenter [dot] org

We have a real CENTER! Open House Party Nov. 17th

2007-11-06T07:42:00.000-05:00

294 N. Winooski Ave (next to Imani), Burlington (sign coming soon, above added in Photoshop). [ more about the center | photos from November 17 housewarming party ]

We are very excited to have a real Vermont Workers' Center space and its in a great building with community partners like Imani Youth & Family Center, Center For Media & Democracy - Channel 17 and other great groups in the heart of the Old North End. We need your help and we would love to have you involved. Here's what you can do:

Join the Workers' Center today, become a Sustainer and help support this work! Click here to do it secure online right now
Seeking donations: Big dry-erase board, big conference table, comfy office chairs, big couch, shelves and newer computers and copiers.
Also if you have any sweet old Workers' Center-related photos, send them to us, we're trying to collect stuff for our 10th Anniversary.

Thanks!!

SiCKO film & discussion at UVM Nov. 14th

2007-11-06T07:40:00.001-05:00

Film: SiCKO film and Panel discussion about establishing a universal health care system [POST EVENT NOTE: Huge turnout, 350+, great job to all the organizers!!]
6:00pm, Weds, Nov 14th
CC Theater (Billings Theater), University of Vermont, Burlington
Free Admission and Food

A film by Michael Moore about the US health care system. Audiences across the country have said this is Moore's best film by far and have found it to be a must-see hillarious and scathing scathing critique of the health care system of the richest country in the world. Panel discussion about stories from the frontlines of our healthcare system and steps toward establishing longterm solutions. Panel includes Dr. Deb Richter from Vermont Health Care For All, Jennifer Henry, RN and President of the Fletcher Allen nurses union, and Carmyn Stanko, President of the UVM Service & Maintenance Workers UE Local 267.

Hosted by the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) and Vermont Workers' Center
Other sponsors include: UVM United Academics, Students Against War, International Socialist Organization, and UVM Progressives

Tell Governor Douglas To Stop The Sale!

2007-11-05T13:10:00.000-05:00

Citizens to deliver message to Governor Douglas:
“Don’t let Vermont take a wrong turn on the information superhighway!”

Who: Seniors, clergy, first responders, teachers, elected officials, and telephone workers

What: Short briefing at 10:30 AM for news media at the State House. Immediately afterwards, our group will present a wheelbarrow with thousands of post cards the Governor's office.

Where: State House, Cedar Creek Room, Montpelier, VT

When: 10:30 AM, Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Why: The movement opposing the proposed sale of Verizon to FairPoint is growing. With all public hearings concluded, opponents of the sale want to make sure that the Governor gets the message: Stop the Sale!

More information about why citizens are mobilizing to stop the sale of Verizon’s landlines to FairPoint is at: www.stopthesalenow.org and www.no-deal.org

Burlington para-educators livable wage victory

2007-11-04T08:18:00.001-05:00

Statement made at the BEA press conference November 1, 2007
James Haslam, Director, Vermont Workers’ Center
The Vermont Workers’ Center is a statewide workers’ rights organization committed to fighting for workers’ rights. DO do this we work with folks across the state organizing in their workplaces and communities. What the Burlington Para-educators and the Burlington Education Association has been able to accomplish with this victory is extraordinary. This a livable wage victory translates directly into raising the standards in a profession that is sorely undervalued. Para-educators play a critical role in public education in this community and their contributions should be rewarded.
For the past year, we have helped coordinate the Burlington Livable City Coalition, a group of is community organizations and unions that works to make Burlington truly livable for all its residents. The City of Burlington has been nationally recognized for being one of the most “Livable Cities In the Country”, yet there are still thousands of families living in poverty and thousands of workers still being paid poverty wages. You cannot have a livable city without livable wages. We know our city will be a better city when all the jobs pay real livable wages, when the children of this city are not forced to grow up in poverty, and when people can live with basic dignity. The reason they call the labor movement a movement, is because one victory can inspire other victories. And we hope the food service and other Burlington School staff will be announcing their livable wage victory very soon. These victories will inspire other victories just like them.
The idea of livable wages is the basic principle of respect and what is just. If the job is worth doing than the person doing that job deserves to be able to make a living doing it. The only people I have ever known who do not believe that people should be paid livable wages are those who make far more than a livable wage. We look forward to more and more people getting involved, fighting for livable wages, and for working to make a truly livable community for all of our residents. Thank you and congratulations.

Workers' Center members join 10,000+ at Boston March Against The War

2007-10-30T18:06:00.000-04:00

Over two dozen members of the Vermont Workers' Center and Vermont Labor Against The War marched in Boston on Saturday, October 27th as part of a national rallies against the war.

See more photos

See Boston Globe Story

Free Workers' Rights Seminar in Barre and VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

2007-10-30T17:02:00.000-04:00

Hotline On The Road: The Vermont Workers Center is taking its popular Workers Rights Hotline on the road.
We’ve invited officials from Vermont’s departments of Wage & Hour, Workers’ Compensation, and the Attorney General’s office to join the Hotline Staff in answering your questions about your rights at work.

Get Answers to your Questions about
- discrimination
- unpaid wages
- harassment
- work related injuries
- howyou can help build a workers' rights movement and more
More questions call the Vermont Workers' Rights Hotline at 866-229-0009.

Volunteers Needed: The Hotlline staff of the Vermont Workers Center is seeking 1 - 2 additional volunteers who would be willing to take a weekly or twice monthly shift on the hotline. Hotline volunteers take questions from workers over the phone and provide information about their rights at work, make referrals and sometimes offer other assistance. The Workers Center will provide training for anyone wishing to join the existing hotline crew of volunteers. We are especially interested in anyone who do a Saturday or Sunday shift once a week or twice a month but are also interested in recruiting another volunteer for a weekday shift. Shifts are two hours are may be done from either the Montpelier office or from Burlington.

The hotline staff is also looking for help leafletting downtown Barre and/or Montpelier any day from now until November 8. We are distributing fliers about the upcoming Hotline on the Road event scheduled for November 8 in Barre. Email hotline [at] workerscenter.org if you are interested in volunteering.

The VWC is also looking for folks to help paint its new Burlington office. Email james [at] workerscenter.org if you can help.

Benefit a success

2007-10-22T07:09:00.000-04:00

Matt Howard from Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW) spoke powerfully at the IVAW and Workers' Center benefit show Friday night, where there was a big turnout despite some serious pouring rain outside. The weather delayed Bernie Sanders' flight home, but we had great music and a lot of fun.

Much thanks to everyone who came out in the rain to support the cause and special thanks to all the bands and Julie Winn and Brendan Hatch who organized the show! Stay tuned for some exciting Workers' Center news coming soon...

Friday Night at Metronome!

2007-10-15T13:08:00.000-04:00

Doors open at 9pm! Come to dance and support the VT Workers' Center and Iraq Vets Against The War. If you haven't heard Matt Howard yet, don't miss this opportunity. Bernie will be there also, schedule permitting. Email james [at] workerscenter.org if you have any questions.

Burlington Para-educators Reach Tentative Agreement!

2007-10-15T12:48:00.000-04:00

At 8:30pm on Friday, October 12th, the Burlington Education Association (BEA) and the Burlington School District reached a tentative contract agreement for Para-Educators. Details of the contract will be shared upon ratification.

“For the past three years, Burlington Para-Educators have been working to make livable wages a reality. On behalf of the BEA, I would like to thank the hundreds of community members who have attended school board meetings, contacted school board commissioners, attended rallies, marches, attended the Labor Day parade, signed petitions in support of livable wages, wrote letters to the newspapers, and in countless other ways, supported our campaign for livable wages for our Para-Educators,” says Rebecca Smith, BEA President. “We encourage the community to continue to support the other school employees still in negotiations. We’d like to especially thank the Vermont Workers’ Center, the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign, and the other participants in the Burlington Livable City Coalition. The BEA is committed to working in collaboration to make Burlington a truly livable city.”

Stay tuned for next steps to support the rest of the Burlington School support staff still in negotiations, which includes the food service and custodial and maintenance workers. Having livable wages for all Burlington School staff will be a huge step forward for our community.

Velan Valve Strike Over

2007-10-11T11:29:00.001-04:00

The Velan Valve workers reached an agreement last night and went back to work today. Mark Nadeau, IAM Local 2704 union president, he said they reached a compromise on health care insurance, still a hike but not as big as the company wanted. Thank you to everyone who stopped by their picket line to demonstrate support (and all those who were planning on heading down today!)

Mark thought that he and other IAM Local 2704 union members would definitely be interested in joining the VWC Healthcare Action Committee to make health care publicly financed and a basic right for every Vermonter.

If you would also be interested in getting invovled with a VWC Healthcare Action Committee let us know, email james [at]workerscenter.org.

Also, two VWC members were in Peter Freyne's column in Seven Days this week. Jen Henry, RN and President of the Fletcher Allen nurses union and UPV/AFT and Matt Howard from Iraq Vets Against The War. Check it out, there's a photo of Jen.

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/columns.html

Support Striking Velan Valve Workers in Williston!

2007-10-10T10:28:00.000-04:00

This week 113 workers Velan Valve in Williston, who members of International Aerospace Machinists Local 2704 went on strike. Their contract expired on October 7th and workers voted to strike the factory instead of letting the company almost triple their health insurance costs. Velan Valve is a worldwide manufacturer of valves and the largest sutomer of the Williston factory is the US Government.

PLEASE STOP BY THEIR PICKET LINE
Which is operating 24 hours a day until the strike settles.
Velan Valve Corp. is located at 94 Avenue C in Williston

See the story in the WCAX

Solidarity for Midwives and Burlington School Support Staff

2007-10-10T10:13:00.000-04:00

Dozens of nurses and community supporters celebrate outside Fletcher Allen Board of Trustees meeting after agreement to 24/7 Midwifery Program was restored.

Community members, members of the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), Vermont Livable Wage Campaign and Vermont Workers' Center attend Burlington School Board meeting to reiterate call for livable wages.

JOIN US TUESDAY For 2 Burlington Board Meetings

2007-10-04T13:51:00.000-04:00

Fletcher Allen Trustees Meeting: Come show your support of the midwives and make sure the agreement is in place to keep the 24/7 midwifery program. The efforts of the community and nurses union has resulted in a tentative agreement (see the Free Press story ) ), now we need to make sure they follow through with it.

Burlington School Board Meeting: Its coming down to the wire, join us for this final push to establish livable wages for all school support staff. The best way to start fighting poverty and stopping paying poverty wages. Also, join us in supporting the proposal to take closing any of the Old North End elementary schools off the table

Looking Ahead

2007-10-01T21:46:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, September 29th twenty members of the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC) spent the day discussing priorities and next steps. In 2006, VWC members decided that they would prioritize leadership development and laid the foundation to start the VWC Solidarity School and established the principle of: We believe that the most effective means of change is when people engage in collective action to place direct demands upon those who hold power.

Now entering its 10th year, priorities for 2008 and beyond include:
- Building off VWC Solidarity School 2007 to expand popular education and organizing training opportunities for VWC members.
- Creating a Healthcare Action Committee to fight to make quality health care publicly financed and a basic right for every Vermont resident
- Expanding an building the Burlington Livable City Campaign to include workers who work in more industries
- Exploring getting a building in Burlington to open up a real Workers Center!
- Starting a VWC Art Committee to make puppets and other creative props for actions and events
- Building the Student Labor Action Project statewide
- Continuing to mobilize solidarity for any group of workers who organize for more rights, building Vermont Labor Against The War, operating the Vermont Workers' Rights Hotline and supporting the Justice For Healthcare Workers Campaign.

Email james [at] workerscenter.org if you are interested in learning more about getting involved in the above areas and/or let us know other issues you would like to work on.

Community Meeting Held To Support FAHC Midwives

2007-09-28T19:49:00.000-04:00

Dozens of parents, community members and kids joined Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC) midwives and the president of FAHC nurses union UPV/AFT Local 5221, Jennifer Henry, RN. They came to ask questions and plan how to stop FAHC's attempt attempt to eliminate the 24/7 birthing midwifery program and cut 4 midwive. Newspaper and television reporters covered the discussion, which was the result of a huge outpouring of community support that immediately followed reports of ending the midwifery program. In less that 24 hours alone, the Vermont Workers' Center received over a dozen emails from concerned community members about wanting to do something. The nurses union is in negotiations to keep the program and the midwives. Stay tuned for upcoming activities such as wearing buttons to support the midwives and a big turnout for the 2pm, October 9th FAHC Board of Trustees meeting in the McClure lobby conference room. Email james@workerscenter.org to sign up to a newly created listserve for Supporters of FAHC Midwives.

Burlington Community Demands Livable Wages

2007-09-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

Dozens of Burlington workers and residents attended Burlington School Board meeting to demand livable wages. Broad community delegation reads Board their statement: BURLINGTON LIVABLE CITY DELEGATION STATEMENT: “THE TIME FOR LIVABLE WAGES FOR BURLINGTON SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF IS NOW”

September 11, 2007

Good evening. We would like to thank all of you as elected School Board representatives of the residents of Burlington. We are here tonight, also as representatives of the residents of Burlington to deliver a statement to our School Board regarding the longstanding efforts to establish livable wages for all school support staff in our schools. Our delegation represents the major stakeholders in this community.

[Read by Martha Ahmed, RN from Fletcher Allen Health Care, UPV/AFT Local 5221]

We include school support staff, paraeducators, food service workers, service and maintenance workers, teachers, parents, taxpayers, Fletcher Allen Nurses, UVM students, City Councilors, State Representatives, and leaders of the faith community.

[Read by State Representative Joey Donovon]

We are here tonight to deliver a message you have heard before. You have heard it in many different ways. Hundreds of others have come before many previous School Board meetings over the last 3 years to say the same thing. We have been coming before some of you were even elected to this Board. Thousands of Burlington residents and school staff have signed petitions, wrote letters to you and to the newspaper, we have called you and sent you emails, we have worn buttons and rallied with signs. We know you know what our message is, but we are not sure you have really heard us. The time for livable wages for all school staff is now.

[Read by Donna Iverson, Burlington school paraeducator, BEA member]

On a June 25, 2007 you received a Report on Livable Wages in Burlington Schools: How to Address Poverty in Our Community & Reverse Gender Wage Inequity”. It was produced by the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign and Vermont Workers’ Center and supported by dozens of current and former elected officials, UVM faculty, parents, faith and other community leaders. Unfortunately, then July came and all of the school support staff contracts expired. Then July past, then August and there was still no contract and no livable wages for our school support staff. Now the next school year is underway, and still nothing. So we would like to ask you all to read the report again, but as a reminder we will read a couple of parts:

[Read by Angela Diguilio, UVM Student, SLAP and VT Workers’ Center member]

“Paying livable wages will help reduce poverty. Economic inequality erodes our communities and contributes to the race to the bottom for all workers. In order for Burlington to be a livable city for all residents, employers must pay wages sufficient to meet a person’s basic needs.

[Read by Tim Ashe, Burlington City Councilor]

“Some students have parents who are Burlington School District employees and are forced to work two or even three additional jobs to make ends meet. Parents working two or three jobs do not have adequate time to spend with their children in support of their education at home. Now is the time for the Burlington School Board to do its part in solving the underlying problem by paying livable wages to all school support staff.

[Read by Kaarin Goncz, Burlington high school teacher, BEA]

For Burlington to be a truly livable city, all residents must earn a livable wage. Paying livable wages to our school employees would actually stimulate the economy because low-income families typically spend most of their money on local goods and services, keeping the money in the community. More livable wage jobs mean a stronger local economy, healthier families, and more equitable education opportunities.”

[Read by Rev. Gary Kowalski, Unitarian Universalist Church of Burlington]

The report also points out that of all of the school and city employees now not earning a livable wage, the vast majority are women. Many of these school support staff positions have been historically undervalued jobs, and have historically been done by women. Every single food service worker is a women and every single one does not earn a livable wage. Everyone deserves livable wages and we must end this gender inequity.

[Read by Sandy McAuliffe, Burlington school food service worker, AFSCME Local 1343]

As we just passed Labor Day we are reminded that this struggle is not a new one. In 1912, 30,000 women and young girls working in Massachusetts textile sweatshops including many Vermont farm girls, went on strike. It was called a “Bread & Roses” Strike. They were fighting to increase their meager wages that left them in poverty. But they called it Bread & Roses, because they not only needed to eat, but they deserved to live with a basic level of dignity as human beings and to enjoy life. At this very moment there are school support staff that are working their second or their third job just to try to squeak by each month. In 95 years since this strike, we have come a long way, but employers are still paying poverty wages. Burlington school support staff workers deserve bread and sustenance, and they deserve roses and dignity, too. We ask you to take responsibility as representatives of this community by making livable wages not just a priority but a reality in Burlington Schools now. Thank you.

[Read by Karl LaBounty, Burlington school service & maintenance worker, President AFSCME Local 1343]

Sept 21st -Workplace Action to End the War

2007-09-10T20:19:00.001-04:00

Let’s Engage Our Members to Bring Our Troops Home . . .
and Take Care of Them When They Return

70% of Americans are against the war in Iraq. Yet our political leaders have failed to end it. We must find new ways to force an end to U.S. military involvement in Iraq. It is up to US to provide the 70% Solution! That’s what this letter is about.

President Bush wants another $190 billion to continue the occupation and war. He now seems intent on attacking Iran as he sends more forces to Iraq. Doing so will not only kill numerous innocent Iranians, but will also expose our troops in Iraq to a horrific backlash by pro-Iranian Iraqis. Such a reckless attack will only further isolate the U.S. in the world.

It’s time to show the politicians that we’re not as apathetic as they apparently think. We elected them to get us out of this mess, not to drag it on. We don’t want more of their empty promises, phony compromises, contrived goals and meaningless benchmarks. We want this war ended now. We won’t accept anything else.

Since President Bush refuses to end it, we must tell Congress to exercise its authority to stop funding the war and instead to fund an immediate rapid withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq. It is the only way to truly support our troops, and end this nightmare. Let’s use our resources to fully fund services to vets, provide universal health care, rebuild the Gulf, and meet numerous other human needs.

We need to draw more of our members who have yet to take action to actively oppose the war. Let’s press our demands for an immediate end to the bloodshed, shattered lives, wasted resources, abuses of power, and inadequate funding that has deprived the VA system the resources needed to provide world-class care our vets deserve.

Let’s ask our members to join the Nationwide Iraq Moratorium

The Iraq Moratorium is a simple, powerful organizing idea. On the 3rd Friday of the month, starting September 21st – and again on October 19th and November 16th – all those who oppose the occupation of Iraq are asked to take an action to call for bringing our troops home now from Iraq, and taking care of them when they return.

We want to encourage locals to explore what you can do with workplaces actions. We favor actions that can be built in an organized way. Here are some ideas:

· Wear stickers
· Distribute a handout on the cost of the war to Vermont
· Organize a call-in, write-in or petition signing to Congress during breaks
· Ask people to do Congressional district office visits
· Show “Meeting Face to Face,” a documentary about the U.S. tour of Iraqi labor leaders
· Vigil near the VA hospital with signs saying, “Fund Vets’ Services, Not the War.”

For stickers, flyers, or the video, contact Vermont Labor Against the War - a coalition of the Vermont AFL-CIO, Champlain Valley and Washington-Orange-Lamoille Labor Councils, and Vermont Workers Center – at: traven_L@earthlink.net or 55 E. Bear Swamp Rd., Middlesex, VT 05602; tel. 802-522-3484

Working together, we in organized labor can provide a big part of the “70% Solution.” We do it for our troops. We do it for our families. We do it for our country. We do it to defend our democracy. We do it for peace. If we don’t do it, who will?

Labor Day 2007

2007-09-05T11:43:00.000-04:00

Remembering Our Past For Our Children's Sake
By James Haslam
Burlington Free Press My Turn, Labor Day, Sept 3rd, 2007
(A longer version which ran August 30th in Bennington Banner can be viewed by clicking here)

Labor Day has lost much of its original meaning. A day once set aside to pay tribute to the achievements of working people now has more to do with shopping at big box stores than with honoring the “Labor Movement: The Folks That Brought You The Weekend.” Realizing that existing Labor Day events had little to do with historic Labor Day, Vermont labor activists started the Burlington Labor Day Parade & Free Community Cookout to celebrate labor’s role as a force for progressive economic change and justice..

While ideals of democratic freedoms were celebrated in our Constitution, we should also recognize the realities of exploitation, racism, and extermination of the Native Americans. Slavery was written into the Constitution. Laws limited suffrage to men of property. The advancement of democracy and freedom has more to do with the struggles of working people than with the triumph over the British Crown.

We have been denied our history. In 1882, when the first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City, workers were fighting for the eight hour day because they believed people should have time to spend time with their families. Vermont farm girls who had gone to work in the textile sweatshops in Massachusetts were amongst 30,000 women and girls, many immigrants, who rebelled in the 1912 “Bread & Roses” strike. Workers’ action ended child labor. Free speech, the right to vote, the right to organize, and public education for all were won through struggle. While we have been pitted against each other by race, creed or immigrant status, our gains were made when we united for the benefit of all.

Barre granite workers’ history shows us we had to fight for safe, dignified work lives. Winning improved conditions in workplaces and in our communities didn’t come easy. In the face of deportations, physical and economic violence, we overcame temporary defeats through solidarity, including sit-down strikes, and mobilizing the community to win economic justice. This is our history, which we do a great disservice to ourselves to ignore.

Today, unions are on the decline due to corporate assault, and as a result the nation suffers from unconstrained corporate greed. The past gains achieved by workers banding together are being whittled away; the middle-class is being squeezed and we have the most economic inequality in our history.

But our movement is reorganizing to reestablish labor’s role as a force for justice. When Michael Moore’s film Sicko exposed the harmful impact of the insurance industry on healthcare, it sparked thousands of nurses across the country to join others to begin organizing for universal, single-payer healthcare. Verizon workers are fighting against the anti-worker and anti-customer sale of their company to Fairpoint to protect good jobs and lead a movement for universal fiber optic high-speed internet access. Workers, students, and community members in Burlington are organizing for livable wage policies in the Burlington Schools and the University of Vermont, which would help raise wages for low-income workers region-wide.

The multinational corporations, and the politicians in their service, are pushing a “free trade” agenda, resulting in incredible wealth for the few, and growing inequality, jobs losses and insecurity for millions. Their quest for political and economic domination has mired us in a disastrous war and occupation with human and economic costs that will plague us for generations. But the future is unwritten: worldwide, people are organizing for justice in their workplaces and communities - “Another World Is Possible”.

Join us in Burlington this Labor Day to honor labor’s achievements, but also to connect with other Vermonters interested in building a broad movement for social justice. Let’s transcend differences to build alliances across borders, to build a better world for our children.

James Haslam is the Director/Lead Organizer for the Vermont Workers' Center - Jobs With Justice. He can be reached at james@workerscenter.org

CCTV and Workers' Center to Show "Salt of the Earth" September 5

2007-09-04T10:29:00.000-04:00

Salt of the Earth is the first and only film ever blacklisted in the U.S. Telling the story of a zinc mine strike in 1950-51, and produced using few professional actors (most of the actors are actual miners, many of them involved in the strike), the film shows workers and their families taking on and wrestling with issues of health and safety, racism, and feminism — well before the civil rights and women's movements of the 1950s and 60s brought these issues into the mainstream. Read more about Salt of the Earth at Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia

Wednesday, September 5, 6:30pm
CCTV Studios (294 North Winooski, Burlington)

USSF Report: Project South's workshop, "Critical Classroom: Education for Liberation and Movement Building"

2007-08-18T18:54:00.000-04:00

Rebecca Smith, BEA President and VWC USSF delegate

This was easily the highlight of my first day. First off, I have never seen a room occupancy fire code violated so badly – there were so many people in the room we were literally knee to knee on the floor with no more than a few square inches of carpet to be seen!

The facilitators used the popular education model to engage us all as active participants. This was really cool to turn to the people whose knees were touching mine and hear their reasons they chose to teach for social justice. The goals of this workshop were to “examine and reframe assumptions found in traditional scholarship and teaching, to discuss popular education as a pedagogical strategy for creating a climate of social justice, and to explore action steps in classroom and curriculum transformation.”

I learned a new, scary term: Professional Industrial Complex. The facilitators are all university professors, and consider themselves “scholar activists”. They specify these two aspects of their jobs because one cannot exist without the other. In order to teach independently of the corporate, industrial model of education, they need to act as scholar activists, encouraging their students to unlearn misconceptions and rethink what it means to be educated.

Why does popular education work? Here’s what the group shared:

* Popular education is directly connected to community organizing – it’s learning in action.
* is egalitarian, human, and fosters cooperative relationship building through the sharing of personal experiences
* allows us to temporarily live the microcosmic society we envision
* requires support, time, resources, integration of teachers and community
* integrates culture, theater, arts, music
* brings grassroots action to institutions
* teaches us to unlearn misconceptions

I’m now a proud member, and looking forward to participating in the planning sessions for the next World Education Forum.

Two Labor Day Weekend Events

2007-08-14T15:56:00.000-04:00

Sept 3rd: 6th Annual Burlington Labor Day Parade & Celebration - Starting 10am at Burlington College, 95 North Ave, ending at Battery Park for free hotdogs, hamburgers, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, face painting & fun activities. Speakers include Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, Jen Henry, RN and president of United Professions Vermont - AFT, Adrienne Kinne of Iraq Vets Against The War & member of her union at the VA Hospital in White River Junction. Sponsors include the Vermont Workers' Center, Student Labor Action Project, Peace & Justice Center - VT Livable Wage Campaign, VSEA, Vermont NEA, Vermont AFL-CIO and many other Vermont unions and community organizations. Music will be performed by Sweet Justice & Wildcat Strikers, the official band of the Vermont Workers' Center. Call James at 802-272-0882 for details.

Sept 2nd: Old Labor Hall Benefit Event - 5pm., 46 Granite Street, Barre Another Is World Possible: Changing around a cycle of endless war, poverty and enviromental destruction. A recent flood caused thousands of dollars in damage to the Barre Labor Hall, a national historic landmark. Join in for good food, good music and discussion w/Bernie Sanders, representatives from the Vermont Workers’ Center and our US Social Forum delegation, Grassroots Global Justice, Iraq Vets Against War Peace & Justice Center, & others to put the “move” in the movement.

Stop The Sale

2007-08-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

Workers' Center members Kit Andrews and Tina Scanlon table at the Addison County Fair to Stop The Sale of Verizon. Verizon is trying to sell off its landlines in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine because they do not want to invest in the needed new fiber optic technology. We need your help getting postcards signed to Stop The Sale. Email james@workerscenter.org if you can help us outreach around Vermont. TO learn more go to www.stop-the-sale.org

Vermont Labor Against the War work plan for discussion

2007-07-30T17:04:00.000-04:00

Draft for discussion

1. a. Work more closely with Iraq Veterans Against the War & Military Families Speak Out. Including Workers Center/Iraq Vets Against the War Fundraiser October 19th.

b.Identifying union members who are Iraq war vets, or family members, for one on one discussions.

c. Organize IVAW & MFSO talks at union meetings, e.g. September VSEA and AFl-CIO and October NEA conventions – other union meetings as possible.

d. Dawn go on Bert Thompson's (Green Mtn Vets) TV show in Burlington, on 8/5.

2. Build a strong VTLAW contingent in the Burlington Labor Day parade with Adrienne (IVAW, AFGE & VWC) speaking. Also tabling there, and have info about all the events available at Labor Day event.

3. Participate in the Iraq Moratorium by planning actions that people can bring to their work places in hopes of turning people from passive to active (even if in a small way/small step) – like wearing stickers, calling politicians on cell phones during breaks, signing petitions at work, etc. Have well known union folks sign & send a letter to all union locals urging unions to organize their rank and file to participate in Iraq Moratorium days and letting them know these leaders will be participating on those action days.

4. Campaign, along with workers at the White River Junction VA Medical Center, to adequately fund the V.A. so we don't continue to have the disgraceful situation that we currently do, and to end to the war that is causing the casualties in the first place. Requires internal organizing with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

Could include working with Sen. Sanders, who’s on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, to increase resources to adequately support the veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, plus all of our older veterans,

Nationally, we are working with USLAW to explore a major campaign with AFGE, which represents roughly 150,000 employees in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as Iraq Veterans Against the War & Military Families Speak Out to demand that Congress fully fund and staff the VA, and end the war that is causing the casualties.

Such a campaign’s demands might include:
· meeting the demands of AFGE members at the VA hospitals - which include increased staffing, a better nurse- and staff-to-patient ratio, and extended bargaining rights to include doctors hours, nurses assignments and staffing.
· full funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs
· separating VA funding from war funding
· ending the war which is causing the casualties

5. Do more to educate people about how the war is costing jobs and public goods and benefits. This is particularly true for public sector workers. Would a workshop be a good way to get people educated to talk to their co-workers? Produce popular written materials by Labor Day, like those from the National Priorities Project, into peoples' hands.

6. Build VTLAW’s Organizing Committee – a requirement for carrying out this ambitious work plan – and seeking another union affiliation to USLAW.

VWC Summer Meeting Discusses USSF, Leadership Development, Campaigns

2007-07-30T09:13:00.000-04:00

Newly elected Workers' Center Vice-President David Kreindler leads a workshop on leadership development at the Workers' Center summer meeting.

The VWC's summer steering committee meeting brought new excitement, energy and leadership to the organization. In addition to many long-time steering committee members and representatives from VWC coalition members such as CWA, UE, SLAP and the Washington-Orange Central Labor Council, there were new steering committee members from Iraq Veterans Against the War, COTS workers, media organizers and health-and-safety activists. In addition, a number of members of the VWC Coordinating Committee (or "CoCo," the VWC's executive committee, made up of officers and at-large representatives) recently stepped down, and five new members, all women, were elected. "It's great to have so many new people, especially young people, excited about the Workers' Center," commented VWC Organzier James Haslam. "And it's always good to have a meeting where so many different people get to talk about their campaigns and experiences, and everyone gets to participate."

The meeting led off with a report from four members of the VWC delegation to the US Social Forum in June. Delegates Angela DiGiulio, Julie Winn, Jessica Morley, and Jonathan Kissam shared their excitement at being part of this historic gathering, and reported on workshops on topics ranging from international labor solidarity to the death penalty to the ongoing effects of Hurricane Katrina. The VWC/USSF delegation is continuing to meet to discuss how to bring the movement-building work of the USSF back to Vermont (anyone who wants to be part of these ongoing meetings should contact VWC Organizer James Haslam at 802 272 0882 or james at workerscenter dot org).

VWC CoCo member and 2007 Solidarity School graduate David Kreindler then led the meeting in a leadership-development exercise to give steering committee members a flavor of the Solidarity School held by the Workers' Center in the winter of 2007. "Instead of reporting on the solidarity school, we're going to demonstrate it," he said, using the kinds of popular education tools featured in the school. Steering committee members broke up into small groups and everyone got to share one instance in which they had been helped to step up as a leader. The small groups analyzed the commonalities and then reported back to the larger group, report-backs which repeatedly stressed the importance of mentoring, of being asked to take a leadership role, and of a personal commitment to justice. The VWC will likely be holding a one-day Solidarity School for community leaders in the fall, as well as another 3-day Solidarity School for emerging union leaders in the winter of 2008.

Reports on campaigns and Coordinating Committee elections filled up the rest of the meeting. VWC Organizer James Haslam reported on the efforts of the Burlington Livable City Coalition to support the livable-wage campaign by school support staff represented by AFSCME and the Burlington Education Association, VWC CoCo member Peg Franzen reported on successful petitioning for single-payer outside the showings of Michael Moore's new movie SICKo, and Traven Leyshon, president of the Washington-Orange Central Labor Council (and VWC CoCo member) reported on the efforts of Vermont Labor Against the War to build an antiwar presence at the Labor Day parade and to encourage union members to participate in the Iraq Moratorium. CWA member Darlene Stone stop the sale of Verizon's land-lines to Fairpoint, ending her report by singing "They Tried to sell us off to Fairpoint" to the tune of Amy Winehouse's "They Tried to Send Me to Rehab," for which she received a round of applause.

The newly elected members of the Coordinating Committee are Kit Andrews (Secretary), Angela DiGiulio (Student Labor Action Project rep), Jen Henry (Justice for Healthcare Workers rep), Darlene Stone (at-large), and Emily Casey (at-large). In addition, several current CoCo members took on new officer positions: Dawn Stanger took over the position of President, David Kreindler was elected Vice-President, and Peg Franzen became Treasurer. At-large members Traven Leyshon and Jonathan Kissam will continue in their duties.

Upcoming USSF Report-backs from VWC delegates

2007-07-17T13:54:00.001-04:00

At the end of the month, VWC supporters will have two great opportunities to learn about Vermonters' experiences at this exciting and important event. Most of the VWC members who went to the US Social Forum will be presenting a report at the VWC's summer meeting on Saturday, July 28 (see calendar section for details), and catch delegates Julie Winn and Isaac Grimm on the Vermont Workers' Center's TV show, live at 5:25pm on Friday, July 27 on Burlington's Channel 17.

USSF report from VWC delegate Julie Winn

2007-07-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

I've recently been inclined to exert myself in every way possible to advocate for social justice and to continue to wage a fight for people who are oppressed in my own community, throughout the state of Vermont, throughout the lands of the United States and around the World. I often times am overwhelmed by the countless struggles and issues worldwide that often time seem unrealistic to overcome. However, I was recently humbled when I encountered thousands of like-minded individuals who gathered in Atlanta, Georgia to share their experiences of struggle, to provide testimonials and information, and to collaborate and ponder ways to achieve the issues at hand. In this light I would like to share with you my experience at the first ever US Social Forum.

I arrived off the plane in Atlanta not knowing what to expect, but knowing that at some level this conference would have an immense impact on my life. I traveled down there representing the Vermont Workers Center, which I recently got involved with after the organization greatly helped in the unionization efforts at my own workplace. I traveled down south with a group of 7 other people who I either never met or had not known very well. By the end of the trip I felt like I had seven new friends. This conference could not have been so enjoyable if I had not spent it with the company of such inspirational, intellectual and kind-hearted people.

One of the most memorable experiences of my trip was when I went I met with a group of advocates for people experiencing homelessness. In the group there were homeless individuals from Atlanta and Nashville. They talked about their experiences of being homeless and specifically the criminalization they face in their particular communities. Many cities have no day shelters for the homeless to utilize. It is illegal for a homeless person to spend more then fifteen minutes on a park bench (in various communities) which I witnessed first hand as police encountered a person resting in the park. They have no place to go and the resources needed to help them are scarce. The Section 8 waiting list in Atlanta and New York (which is a much desired housing subsidy voucher for people in poverty) averages ten to fifteen years. One woman in the group was put on the waiting list when her baby was first born. Her baby has just graduated high school and the woman is still on the waiting list for a voucher.

The most emotional part of this conference was when I attended a workshop on the broken criminal justice system, specifically on the death penalty and wrongful persecutions. I was fortunate enough to be part of a discussion where a Chicago based death row inmate, Victor Safforld (Cortez Brown) spoke to us on speaker phone from prison about his experience. He states that he was wrongly convicted of murder. With out a doubt, I personally believe there was absolutely not enough evidence to convict him. In fact the only evidence was a signed document that he was physically tortured into signing after he was picked up on a traffic violation. The corrupt Chicago detective, John Burge and his team who are accused of these brutal crimes are now being exposed not only by Victor Safforld, but many other inmates who have had similar experiences. Chicago journalists and lawyers are taking interest in all these cases that appear to be wrongful persecutions of human souls.

I had to leave the room in tears when Victor, a very well spoken and enlightened individual, read his poem titled "There is a fire in my soul." This was the moment where I knew I was in that room for a reason and I had to continue to fight the good fight for all the people out there who have to suffer at the cost of our nations numerous flaws and imperfections.

Another incredible moment in Atlanta was when I had the opportunity to leave the downtown area of the city and eat the best Lebanese food I have ever had. Fifteen of us went out for great food and conversation(with interpreters-Adrienne and the owner of Cedars). We met up with two of the speakers of the US Social Forum plenary: US Imperialism, War, Militarism, and Prisons. One of the speakers was Faleh Abood Umara who is part of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Workers Union. The other speaker who we met was the first ever woman President of the Iraqi Electrical Utility Workers Union, Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein. They showed us pictures of their children, told us about their lives in Iraq, and they seemed heartened and encouraged by the fact that our group and many people throughout our country oppose the occupation of Iraq, as well as our efforts to make some change in this world.

During the six days in Atlanta we met so many organization and individuals from all over the world. It was truly a spectacular event. I met one woman on a subway who worked at Ground Zero doing search and rescue of possible survivors after the 9/11 tragedy. She had so many intense stories I could not even fathom experiencing myself. I didn't even catch the woman's name, although we talked for nearly thirty minutes about the suffering and pain she was dealt with on those days. The man who was blind on the same subway ride also chimed in with his own stories and knew the neighborhood that the woman from New York lived in. There happened to be a conferene for the blind in Atlanta at the same time. That was just one of many experiences I had.

I was surrounded by diversity and people from all walks of life, people who smiled when you passed them by and in depth it is discovered that they all have a story to tell. They all have experienced struggles, or simply have the compassion to help combat those struggles.

I actually got a miniscule taste of what hunger is like when I lost my debit card in Atlanta. I went two days without eating. My fellow crew was generous to help out but I was hopeful to fix my own problems myself. Our group was also so busy running around the city to various workshops that it made it difficult to meet up with anyone to eat…..so I didn't for two days. That plus the fact that US Airlines sucks and lost my baggage, made me wait and stand on a "mini" turbulent airplane while they served the customers soda and snacks, the fact they had no portable water on the airplane (yes- no washing hands, no coffee or tea, nothing) , and the fact that we sat in a hot plane idling in the runway for an hour and a half only to miss our connecting flight in Philly and having to spend the night in Camden, NJ and return home nearly 24 hours after we were suppose to and miss work…….well it wasn't that bad of a trip.

The last night we were in Atlanta we went to support our fellow VWC delegate Adrienne who is part of Iraqi Veterans Against the War. They had a party that we went to that raised nearly $4800. After the party we traveled in the IVAW bus that is pimped out in comfort and a peaceful easy setting. They are doing a national tour trying to gain awareness to the fact that there are many veterans who are opposed to our military operations in Iraq. "The voice of protest, of warning, of appeal is never more needed than when the clamor of fife and drum, echoed by the press and too often by the pulpit, is bidding all men fall in and keep step and obey in silence the tyrannous word of command. Then, more than ever, it is the duty of the good citizen not to be silent." – Charles Eliot Norton

My overall experience at the first US Social Forum was clearly mind changing. I learned so many things that I was oblivious to. I met so many people from different cultures and different parts of the world. I found issues that touched me so much that I will use my skills and abilities to try and make some change. I was assured of the numerous struggles and issues surrounding people of oppression. I learned that although it might appear to be unrealistic for one person to change the world that it is realistic for people to collectively do their part to change the larger picture. It starts in the community. It starts on the road in which you live on, the neighborhood that surrounds you, the faces of your community, the people all around who contribute to each others well being. If you can make positive change in your community it sets an example for other communities and the change becomes somewhat replicated. Change can effectively evolve at a local level and spread around the world.

I hope whoever reads this realizes the power a person can have in this life. Any individual can make a positive difference, but it takes time and energy in doing so. "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the creative light of altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's persistent and most urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?" -Martin Luther King, Jr.

That was just a quick blurb of my experience. I intend to write more about it later. I have yet to catch up on my sleep from that trip. Hope that wasn't too intense.

Peace,

Julie

[ See Julie's slideshow of USSF pictures ]

Reports, photos and video of US Social Forum

2007-07-11T11:17:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned for more reflections on the US Social Forum from the Vermont Workers' Center members who went, but for now, here's a collection of articles written by other people, as well as some videos and photos:

ARTICLES:
US Social Forum Forges Common Ground, by Matthew Cardinale (Common Dreams)
AFL-CIO blog posts about the USSF

VIDEO:
VWC USSF delegates Julie Winn and Isaac Grimm interviewed on Vermont Workers' Center TV
YouTube video in which the VWC delegation makes a brief appearance

PHOTOS:
Slide show put together by VWC delegate Julie Winn
USSF photos from VWC photo album
USSF photos from flickr