Vermont committee hears S.125 debate over decertification threshold and supervisor unionization

Montpelier — Members of the Vermont House General & Housing Committee on April 25 heard testimony on S.125, an omnibus bill on worker rights and collective bargaining that would raise the threshold of signatures needed to trigger a union decertification election from the current 30% to 50% plus one and would allow certain supervisors — including some judiciary employees — the opportunity to vote on whether to unionize.

Supporters including Steve Howard, executive director of the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA), said the decertification change would promote "labor peace" by ensuring that only a substantial showing of support can force an election. "VSEA strongly supports the the, s 1 25 as it was passed out of the senate," Howard told the committee. Tom Abelour, legislative coordinator for VSEA, said the change protects workers' First Amendment right of free association: "I think it's important that, a small minority of folks not be allowed to throw that important fundamental constitutional right into jeopardy."

The bill's decertification provision is the focus of much of the testimony. Under current…