This bill establishes salary increases for Vermont state employees across the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches for fiscal years 2027 and 2028. It fully funds collective bargaining agreements for most classified employees, providing a 5.9 percent raise in 2027 and a 4.9 percent raise in 2028 through step increases and across-the-board adjustments. The legislation also allows branch leaders to extend these raises to exempt employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements, sets specific salary amounts for top state officials, and defines how annual salary adjustments for exempt employees will be calculated based on the classified employee increases.
H.919 would classify incarcerated individuals working under the Vermont Department of Corrections as temporary state employees for labor-related rights. This applies to anyone performing work "for, at the direction of, or under the supervision of" the Department. The bill grants these individuals access to wage and hour protections, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and collective bargaining rights during their labor. It directly affects incarcerated people working in Vermont correctional facilities, changing their legal status for employment benefits without altering prison operations.
H.858 creates a new statewide collective bargaining unit for sworn law enforcement officers and full-time state firefighters in Vermont. It specifically covers officers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Liquor and Lottery, and Department of Motor Vehicles (all certified under 20 V.S.A. chapter 151), plus all full-time state firefighters, and any other certified law enforcement officers not already covered by existing contracts. The bill excludes managers/supervisors and employees already represented by three existing bargaining units (State Police, Supervisory, and State Deputy Sheriffs). This new unit, called the "State Law Enforcement and Firefighters Bargaining Unit," will apply to negotiations starting July 1, 2026.
H.714 requires Vermont state agencies to publicly disclose any automated tools (like AI or algorithms) used for employment decisions affecting wages, hiring, promotion, or discipline. Agencies must post details about these tools on their websites, including their purpose and when they began using them. The bill explicitly protects unionized state employees by ensuring these tools cannot reduce job security, benefits, or collective bargaining rights. It also creates a study committee to examine the impact on state employees and explore extending these requirements to municipal workers, teachers, and public college staff.
This bill amends Vermont's State Labor Relations Act to ensure the state can step in if the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) loses jurisdiction over labor disputes. It directly affects Vermont employers and unions by allowing the state Labor Relations Board to take over cases where the NLRB can no longer act due to federal law changes or inaction. Key provisions require the state Board to verify and maintain existing union contracts within 60 days of a petition, keeping all current employment terms in effect during this process. The bill creates a clear mechanism to prevent disruption in labor relations if federal oversight ends.
This bill (S.264) amends Vermont's State Employees Labor Relations Act to allow Assistant Attorneys General (AAGs) to form unions and engage in collective bargaining with the state. Currently excluded from the definition of "State employee," AAGs would now be explicitly included under the law, granting them the right to negotiate terms like pay, benefits, and working conditions. The bill removes their prior exclusion from bargaining rights by revising the legal definition of "State employee" in Section 902 of the statute. This change directly affects AAGs employed in Vermont’s Office of the Attorney General, enabling them to collectively address workplace concerns through formal negotiations.
H 548 creates a State Mediator position within Vermont's Labor Relations Board to provide free mediation services when public or private sector collective bargaining reaches a deadlock. This bill directly affects public and private sector workers, unions, and employers who face impasses during contract negotiations. The key provision requires the mediator to help resolve these deadlocks without cost to the parties involved, aiming to prevent work stoppages. The bill does not change existing labor laws but adds a new resource for resolving bargaining disputes.
Vermont's S.307 establishes a 42-hour average weekly overtime threshold for career firefighters employed by state, municipal, or county fire departments. It requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked beyond 42 in an average eight-week period, calculated by dividing total hours by eight. The bill directly affects public fire departments and their full-time firefighters, as defined under Vermont law, by mandating this compensation standard for excessive hours. It requires departments to implement changes by January 1, 2027, and allows local agreements to adopt stricter standards through collective bargaining.
This bill requires Vermont's Executive Branch to negotiate remote, in-person, and hybrid work arrangements for State employees through collective bargaining. It amends the State Employees Labor Relations Act to explicitly add "terms and conditions of remote, in-person, and hybrid work standards" as a mandatory subject for bargaining. The change directly affects all permanent and limited-status State employees, ensuring their input on work location policies. The law takes effect immediately upon passage, making work arrangement decisions subject to negotiation rather than unilateral state policy.
This bill (S.292) would amend Vermont law to grant public higher education employees statewide the right to strike, which they currently do not have under state labor law. It directly affects employees at all public colleges and universities in Vermont (including Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont, which are currently exempt from the strike ban). The key mechanism is amending two sections of law: removing the prohibition on strikes for these employees in §903 and revising §962 to clarify that striking is not an unfair labor practice for them. The change would take effect on July 1, 2026.
