The bargaining unit is the approximately 1,500 clerical, technical, specialized and professional staff at UVM, consisting of exempt (salaried) and nonexempt (hourly) workers. By law, staff with confidential and administrative supervisory duties are not eligible for membership.

Bargaining unit members are eligible for union membership and are protected by the contract (our collective bargaining agreement).

Although everyone in the bargaining unit is covered by the contract and eligible for representation by our union, only dues-paying members may directly participate in shaping the direction of our campaigns, contract bargaining, structure, and makeup of the leadership team and board.

UVMSU members who pay dues can help shape their union by voting in elections, serving as committee members, stewards, or officers, and can receive regular updates about and participate in union activities. The dues support contract negotiations, union education, organizing, publicity, contract enforcement and job protection efforts.

Read or distribute UVMSU leaflets. Management may not remove or discard union leaflets.

• Wear UVMSU buttons, stickers, and t-shirts. Employers cannot impose any restriction on the display of union insignia, including buttons, shirts, and stickers.

• Decorate your office/workspace with UVMSU posters. If you are allowed to decorate your work space with non-work items, you are allowed to display union materials.

• Attend UVMSU meetings and events or listen to bargaining sessions. If you can flex your time to attend non-work events, you can do so for UVMSU events. If you can listen to non-work audio in your workspace, then you can listen in on bargaining sessions.

You can talk about our union any place where you can discuss other non-work related issues. If you can talk about sports, the weather, your family, etc., you can discuss union issues and it is illegal for management to interfere.

• Email to the general mailbox info@uvmstaffunited.org

• Talk to your local stewards to discuss your questions and comments

• Local stewards will take your feedback and pass it along to the appropriate board members or staff person.

• In the case of potential grievance, you can contact your area steward.

• Go to the current contract and see if you can find the answer

  • Article 31 Parental Leave

  • Article 39 Education and Professional development leave

  • Article 29 Sick leave and medical leaves

• If you have more questions or need more information, please contact your local stewards.

• Weingarten rights guarantee an employee the right to Union representation during an investigatory interview.

• You can invoke your Weingarten right during an investigative interview.

• Read this word-for-word to your supervisor: “If this discussion could in any way lead to my being discplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative, officer, or steward be presented at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion.”

• In accordance with the State Employees Labor Relations Act, a “grievance” shall be defined as an employee’s, a group of employees’, or the Union’s expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of employment or working conditions under this collective bargaining agreement or the discriminatory application of a rule or regulation which has not been resolved to a satisfactory result through informal discussion with immediate supervisors.

• To learn about filing a grievance, go to the current contract and see Article 13 Grievance Procedure.

• Time limit: You should file a grievance as soon as you become aware of it.

• Connect with your area steward for guidance. Work together with them on your approach to the grievance.

• Become a member and receive regular email communications from exec@uvmstaffunited.org

• Email to our general mailbox: info@uvmstaffunited.org

• Talk to a local stewards and colleagues who are engaged with our union

• Official website at uvmstaffunited.org

• Social media (Instagram & Facebook: @uvmstaffunited)

• Attend member meetings! Attend open bargaining sessions! Attend union social events! Attend Lunch & Learns!

• Get more involved. Volunteer for a task or a committee. Become a local steward or an area steward. Bring your talents.

Local Stewards

• Local stewards are the first point of contact with our union for many of our colleagues. They’re volunteers who are willing to help with ongoing organizing efforts and with frontline contract enforcement in their specific workplaces. Local stewards can help their colleagues assess problems and communicate issues to their area steward and/or the lead steward. They can also serve as a representative for their colleagues in the event of an unexpected disciplinary meeting.

• Local stewards are a key part of continuing to build our union’s strength on campus. A deep and rich network of local stewards across all UVM workplaces helps connect members with information about our rights, provisions of our contract, and union activities. They’re a great source of information about everything in our union.

Area Stewards

• Area Stewards are member volunteers who can help with:

• Disciplinary cases

• Contract enforcement

• Grievances

• How do I find out who my area stewards are?

Membership Committee

• Welcomes new staff to our union at the weekly New Employee Orientation, and aids the Membership Lead in other opportunities for membership development

• Work with the Membership Lead to support membership development at UVMSU. They greet new employees and keep in touch with new members. They build membership in our union by connecting with non-members and inviting them to join us by signing cards.

Professional Development Fund Committee

• Consists of three representatives from the university and three representatives from the union who disperse professional development funds to eligible applicants.

• Works with representatives of the administration to establish a process to request professional development funds and the criteria used to approve or deny requests, and to oversee distribution of the funds.

• Email the committee: profdevfund@uvmstaffunited.org

Sick Leave Bank Committee

A committee of members tasked with reviewing requests and granting sick leave bank time, donated by our members, to staff who may be facing health or other emergencies but have depleted their sick leave and PTO. Contact the committee at sickbank@uvmstaffunited.org or find forms and information on the website: https://www.uvmstaffunited.org/sick-leave-bank

Social/Educational Committee

• A committee working with the Social/Education lead to create, plan and execute events that build the knowledge of members and bring members together socially to build a stronger and more united union.

• Provides trainings for local stewards, area stewards, and other engaged members