Vermont Business Magazine Beginning this morning through Friday over 2000 support staff and technical employees will be deciding by secret ballot election whether they want to officially form a union and begin collectively bargaining with the UVM Medical Center administration to make improvements for staff and patients.
Votes will be counted this Friday and will take much of the day.
The Union expects the count will be complete around 3-4pm.
Members of the Support Staff and Tech units will hold a press conference for any available press once all of the votes are tallied and the tentative outcome is known.
Background
By any measure, this is an historic election. Likely the largest private sector election in Vermont ever. Nationally, private sector elections of more than 2000 workers at a time are infrequent..
Should a majority of the employees who vote, vote yes, these elections would represent nearly a 1% increase in total union membership and roughly a 17% increase in private sector union membership in Vermont.
AFT Vermont represents more than 6000 healthcare and higher education professionals at the University of Vermont, the Vermont State University, CCV, UVM Medical Center, Porter Medical Center, Community Health Centers, Planned Parenthood of NNE and Brattleboro Medical Center.
Source: AFT. Burlington 1.25.2023. aftvermont.org.
