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Bill would add state mediator and staff attorney to Vermont Labor Relations Board; $250,000 appropriation sought
Summary
Legislative Council staff described a proposal to fund a permanent mediator and a staff attorney at the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB), citing gaps left by Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service reductions and seeking $250,000 in appropriations to hire both positions and protect confidential mediation processes.
Sophie Zdatny of the Office of Legislative Council told the Senate committee that the bill would create a permanent classified mediator position at the Vermont Labor Relations Board and add a staff attorney, funded by an appropriation the House set at $250,000.
The proposal responds to recent reductions at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which Zdatny said reduced its mediator corps and whose local mediator had taken another job last April, eroding institutional knowledge used in state contract negotiations. "The value of having a neutral third‑party mediator is it's a…
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