Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based Howard Center, Inc and Local #1674 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 93, AFL-CIO jointly announced today that on Monday, December 31, 2018, their respective negotiating teams reached a tentative agreement on a three-year renewal to their collective bargaining agreement which expired June 30, 2018. Details of the tentative agreement will not be released pending ratification by the Union’s membership and Howard Center Board of Trustees.
Bargaining for this new agreement commenced in May of 2018. Negotiations continued through the summer, fall and early winter, assisted at the end by Federal Mediator Annie Rutsky of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Howard Center Executive Director Bob Bick said, “While the negotiations were prolonged and difficult, I am pleased that neither team stopped working to find a mutually acceptable way for the Agency’s most essential services to continue without interruption.” He further stated, “I am most hopeful that there will be an expeditious and successful ratification result.”
Union President Daniel Peyser stated, “I am very proud of the hard work performed by our bargaining team on behalf of our membership across several months of negotiations that were quite difficult at times.”
Howard Center employs over 1500 staff who provide a range of services to those served by the Agency. Approximately 740 employees are represented by the Union.
Howard Center is Vermont’s largest designated agency for community based services and helps 16,000 people in over 60 locations and four counties each year with mental health, substance use, and developmental services. Howard Center’s 24/7/365 mobile crisis service, First Call for Chittenden County is available to meet the needs of Chittenden County children, adults, and families in crisis at 802-488-7777. Howard Center is a funded agency of the United Way of Northwest Vermont. www.howardenter.org. Help is here.
BURLINGTON, VT— Howard Center, Inc 1.8.2019