AFT Vermont urges changes to state labor process, seeks protections for part‑time faculty

Heather Reamer, executive director of AFT Vermont, told the House Committee on General & Housing on Jan. 29 that her union seeks changes to how the Vermont Labor Relations Board handles representation and dispute resolution and to unemployment rules that affect part‑time faculty.

Reamer said AFT Vermont represents about 10,000 members in the state, mostly in public higher education and health care, and that the union has grown in recent years. "My name is Heather Reamer. I'm executive director of AFT Vermont," she told the committee. Reamer said many of the union’s members are covered by the National Labor Relations Board, while substantial groups — notably faculty and many staff at the University of Vermont and Vermont State University — fall under the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB).

Reamer said the union will press the Legislature this session on several changes. "One is the right to strike," she said, arguing that faculty and other public higher‑education employees should have parity with municipal and K‑12 employees. She also asked lawmakers to address repeated denials of unemployment benefits for part‑time faculty who lose classes and then win on appeal, calling that an issue that could be fixed by changing how claims are reviewed.

Reamer raised concern about the VLRB’s backlog and the time it takes to resolve unfair‑labor‑practice and grievance arbitration cases. She said private arbitrators and organizations such as the American Arbitration Association can resolve cases more quickly and suggested making private arbitration a default or more available option to reduce long waits for decisions.

Reamer described employer opposition tactics in the private sector, noting that captive‑audience meetings and firings can chill organizing efforts, and said problems at the federal National Labor Relations Board could increase strike activity nationally. She recommended the committee invite the VLRB’s executive director to discuss the backlog and possible solutions.

Committee members did not take formal action on the proposals during the session; Reamer said she would be available for follow‑up. The AFT presentation is scheduled to be followed in the committee agenda by separate items, including testimony from landlord and human‑rights representatives later in the day.

The committee’s discussion was largely exploratory; members and Reamer indicated they expect to pursue testimony and technical detail in future hearings this session.