Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan released guidance today aimed at assisting employers in navigating Vermont’s new recreational marijuana law. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2018. The guidance, entitled Guide to Vermont’s Laws on Marijuana in the Workplace, provides employers with an overview of the changes to Vermont’s marijuana laws, and summarizes existing employment laws relating to drugs in the workplace.

Vermont Business Magazine Dairy price protection, water quality efforts and food security are among the local highlights of the new Farm Bill making its way through Congress. Senator Leahy (D-Vermont), senior member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, Wednesday announced that the 2018 Farm Bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act, approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee includes important victories for Vermont farmers, businesses and families.

by Julie Moore Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources If you are anything like me, you might not necessarily be able to pick an ash out of a tree line-up. However, after spending some time in the woods earlier this spring with one of our state foresters to learn about the unique traits of ash trees, including a very noticeable diamond pattern in the tree’s bark, I’ve started to notice them everywhere.

by Jeff Wakefield UVM Like most sugarmakers, Brian Stowe was used to working without a break from the start of the maple sugaring season in early spring to its bitter end in mid- to late April. “If you had dental or medical issues, taxes, anything – all that had to be done before or after; during the season, you’re committed, 24/7,” says Stowe, sugarhouse operations manager at the University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center. But after 28 sugaring seasons at the Proctor, Stowe encountered something new this year: weekends off.

Vermont Business Magazine Christine Hallquist's campaign for Governor has announced that Virginia Delegate Danica Roem will visit to Vermont tonight, June 14, and will make a public appearance at Switchback Brewing in Burlington, from 5:30-8 pm. Roem became the first openly transgender woman elected to any state house in the country. Her opponent was a man who called himself the “chief homophobe” and sponsored Virginia’s bill to end same sex marriage. When he tried to use her gender identity against her, she declared that her identity shouldn’t be a big deal. "This is just who I am.”

She focused on the issues impacting her district and won her race. In January Time Magazine included Delegate Roem on the cover and called her an “Avenger.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Retail & Grocers Association (VRGA) is proud to announce their 2018 scholarship recipients. Over thirty applicants applied for ten scholarships, seven of which are based on financial need and merit and three of which are based on merit alone. Applicants must be affiliated with a VRGA member in Vermont and be a graduating high school senior planning to attend an accredited two or four year postsecondary school.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The 2018 sugaring season was a long and productive season for Vermont’s sugar makers. Once again Vermont led the nation in making maple syrup, producing nearly 2 million gallons of the sweet product. It means about half of the maple syrup produced in the United States (46.6 percent) is made in the Green Mountains. The 2018 total was 1.94 million gallons, down 2 percent from 2017 (1.98 million gallons), which fell just below 2016's record level (1.99 million gallons).

Vermont Business Magazine In a continuing commitment to investing in the growth and success of its employees and the Vermont community, FoodScience Corporation today announced that it will increase the company’s minimum wage across the business to $15 per hour. The change will impact all hourly employees, and represents a second wage increase this year for these employees.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Works and Cambrian Rise announce today a collaboration which will position the North End of Burlington as an innovation district for the City of Burlington. Cambrian Rise is a newly planned inclusive community with residential and commercial uses situated on the site of the former Roman Catholic Archdiocese between the New North End and Old North End, making it an ideal setting for the Vermont Innovation Commons. Construction and development of the property is currently under way.

Vermont Business Magazine Following Supreme Court decision in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute on June 11, 2018, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos issued the following statement. In a 5-4 decision, the court sided with the state of Ohio in allowing for removal of names from voter rolls.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today a $6.5 million settlement with Volkswagen and related entities Porsche and Audi. The settlement resolves alleged violations of Vermont’s consumer protection laws involving VW’s false advertising claims about so-called “Clean Diesel” cars and the diesel engine emissions scandal. Under the settlement, VW has agreed to pay Vermont consumers up to $1,000 for every qualifying vehicle. Vermont is one of two states in which consumers will receive restitution payments as a result of a state enforcement action. Vermonters will receive a total of $2.9 million in direct consumer restitution. Vermonters are eligible to receive payments regardless of whether they have received money from other VW-related settlements. VW will also pay $3.6 million into the State's general fund.

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Medical Center nurses voted to authorize a strike at the region's largest hospital, with 94 percent voting “yes" in polls held over the past three days. The results were revealed Wednesday morning. Seventy-two percent of nurses in the bargaining unit participated in the vote, which enables the union to call a strike when the contract expires on July 9 if negotiations fail to make progress.

At issue, the union said in a statement, is the chronic understaffing of the hospital and clinics.

The nurses, represented by Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (VFNHP), have proposed updated staffing grids and compensation policies - including immediate outpatient equity and at least $15/hr for all UVM Medical Center employees - that will incentivize the recruitment and retention of nurses and support staff.