Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Collective Bargaining topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House passes S.102, adding a card-check option for unionization; roll-call 115–26
Summary
The House passed S.102 in concurrence with a proposal of amendment that includes a card-check option for union formation; members debated the effect on secret-ballot protections, and the final roll-call vote was 115 yes, 26 no.
The Vermont House passed Senate Bill 102, an act expanding employment protections and collective-bargaining rights that includes a majority-sign-up ("card-check") option for forming bargaining units.
Under the provision explained on the floor, a card-check certification becomes effective when "50% plus 1 of employees have signed the card stating the organization they want as their union representation," subject to verification by the Vermont Labor Relations Board, which checks signatures and schedules representation processes. A member explaining the change (speaker 17) said the card check removes the need for a second secret-ballot election and shortens the timeline for forming bargaining units.
Opponents warned that removing a required secret-ballot election risks inappropriate pressure or intimidation. One member said the provision was a "very, very dangerous precedent" and argued that forming a union should proceed by a sanctioned secret ballot. Supporters countered that card check is a more efficient reflection of majority will and that verification and Board challenge mechanisms exist.
Following debate the chamber took a roll-call vote at the request of a member; the clerk announced 115 voting yes and 26 voting no. The ayes prevailed and the House passed the bill in concurrence with the proposal of amendment.
