Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont) is calling on Vermont-founded Ben & Jerry’s to address reports that milk used in their products are processed using child labor. Balint, like many Vermonters, is proud of the state’s commitment to strong labor standards particularly within the dairy supply. These recent reports raise concerns for Balint, who is requesting a response from Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever to outline how to quickly put an end to these labor practices.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), on Wednesday, March 8, at 10:00 a.m. ET will lead the committee in a hearing titled, “Defending the Right of Workers to Organize Unions Free from Illegal Corporate Union-Busting.” The committee’s Executive Session, previously scheduled for immediately prior to the hearing, has been cancelled following Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz agreeing to testify before the committee at a separate hearing on Wednesday, March 29.

Vermont Business Magazine Power Equipment Direct has partnered with South Burlington-based DR Power Equipment, a manufacturer that first made its mark by inventing the walk-behind string trimmer and now offers a full suite of outdoor labor-saving technologies. The new partnership aims to reach rural and suburban markets with landscaping solutions tailored to their specific needs. Included in the initial DR product offering will be field and brush mowers, chippers and shredders, trimmers, leaf vacuums, stump grinders, log splitters, and power-steer wheelbarrows. "DR offers some of the most extensive and feature-rich product lineups within its core lawn care categories," says Dan Reinhart, senior product manager at DR Power.

by Mike Donoghue, VermontBiz Correspondent The Woodstock Foundation trustees say a law firm hired for an independent investigation was unable to substantiate complaints about systemic discrimination against females or LGBTQ persons working at the Woodstock Inn and Billings Farm & Museum. The trustees, through both a letter to employees and a separate legal filing last week, downplayed the employee allegations raised in a lawsuit filed against them in January and instead maintained there was misconduct by the three main players that sought to address the employee complaints.

Vermont Business Magazine As of Tuesday, March 7th, 100 Vermont municipalities have adopted a Declaration of Inclusion. The Declaration of Inclusion initiative has been underway since October 2020 and began with the adoption by the Town of Franklin. Adoption efforts are led by Bob Harnish, Al Wakefield, and Norman, all longtime residents of Rutland County. Supporting this initiative are the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, Vermont Interfaith Action, NAACP, and the legislative Social Equity Caucus.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) issued the following statement after Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz agreed to testify before the committee on Wednesday, March 29: “I’m happy to announce that Howard Schultz, the CEO and founder of Starbucks, has finally agreed to testify before the Senate HELP Committee. The HELP Committee was scheduled to vote tomorrow to subpoena him and I want to thank the members of the Committee who, in a bi-partisan way, were prepared to do just that."

by Aubrey Weaver, Community News Service House legislators passed a bill last Friday that would allow victims of “stealthing” — when someone secretly removes or tampers with a condom during sex — to bring a civil case against their assailant. Despite the resounding 121–12 passage in the full chamber, H.40’s final day in committee, February 28, devolved into a heated debate about whether the bill’s protections would favor one sex over another.

Vermont Business Magazine Members of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s (BMH) Board of Directors have unanimously voted to support efforts to fight climate change and strengthen hospital initiatives that promote the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Stemming from these votes, BMH recently signed on to the Health Care Climate Action Pledge—a leadership pledge being made by hospitals; health centers; health, professional and academic organizations; and health systems from around the globe. By signing the pledge, BMH agrees to take part in efforts to reduce its own climate footprint, prepare its infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events, respond effectively to potential changes in the spread of infectious diseases, and encourage policy, development, and investment strategies that move our society away from dependence on fossil fuels.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, Vermont Association of Hospitals & Health Systems Happy Town Meeting Week! You may see your local legislator out in the wild at the grocery store or the transfer station. If you do, feel free to share the VAHHS Advocacy Agenda. Next week will be crossover week, where non-money bills must be voted out of committees or else remain on the wall until next year. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee continues to work on S.36. VAHHS appreciates that the committee amended the bill to increase the criminal threatening penalty when the crime is committed against health care workers. The committee also took the Health Care Advocate’s recommendation of narrowing disorderly conduct to engaging in fighting, violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior.

Vermont Business Magazine Ratchanu “Rae” Everett, FNP, is a nurse practitioner at the Mi’kmaq Nation Family Health Service clinic in Presque Isle, Maine, in a community hit hard by substance use and a state experiencing a record number of opioid overdose deaths. The clinic provides acute, wellness, and prevention services to a primarily tribal population of around 500 patients. A new clinician in a very rural area, Everett has to navigate the often-challenging process of finding treatments for patients dealing with both a substance use disorder and a chronic condition, but has limited expertise. Now, for rural clinicians like Everett seeking consultation with addiction medicine specialists, the ‘doctor is in.’

Vermont Business Magazine There are many reasons why high school students should consider a career in health; greater job security, flexible work hours, continued education and growth, but most importantly, making a difference in the lives of others. Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is offering two sessions of their popular MedQuest Program this summer at Rutland Regional Medical Center, Springfield Hospital, and North Star Health. This exciting hands-on career exploration day camp will take place July 24-26, 2023, at Springfield Hospital & North Star Health, and August 2-4, 2023, at Rutland Regional Medical Center.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement ahead of Vermont’s Town Meeting Day: “Town Meeting Day is one of those traditions that makes Vermont a special place to live, demonstrating our sense of community."