by Guy Page

Gov. Phil Scott on June 9 vetoed a collective bargaining bill, saying it would create division among court employees and would raise the voting threshold for decertifying a union.

Governor Scott returned without signature and vetoed S.125, collective bargaining. In the mandatory veto letter to the General Assembly, Scott wrote:

This bill would effectively unionize a group of Judiciary employees with a simple definitional change. I’m concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify.

The Judiciary has advised this change could have a negative impact on the effective management of courthouses and fear a workplace marked by divisiveness and angst were this bill to pass. At a time when our court system is managing a significant backlog, we should be focusing on improving efficiencies within the system.

Further, this bill seeks to bolster existing unions by significantly increasing the voting threshold for union decertification. This means it will be much more difficult for employees who do not feel well represented to consider their alternatives.  

I support collective bargaining, but I believe employees should have choices for which union they belong to. This bill seeks to make it harder for employees, if they choose, to seek union representation from other organizations. I believe the threshold to trigger a vote for certification should be the same as decertification.

Also on June 9, Scott signed:

• S.53, certification of community-based perinatal doulas and Medicaid coverage for doula services. In a letter, he asked lawmakers to ensure certification standards meet federal expectations for Medicaid reimbursement.
• S.59, amendments to Vermont’s Open Meeting Law

On June 5, Gov. Scott:

• Allowed H.1, accepting and referring complaints by the State Ethics Commission to become law without his signature | Letter
• Signed H.105, expanding the Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program
• Signed H.222, civil orders of protection
• Signed H.231, technical corrections to fish and wildlife statutes
• Signed H.458,  Agency of Digital Services
• Signed H.482, Green Mountain Care Board authority to adjust a hospital’s reimbursement rates and to appoint a hospital observer
• Signed H.504, approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Rutland