VWC Policy Internship Available

Policy Legal Intern

Vermont Workers' Center 

Spring 2012

 

Issues/campaigns:

 

With its new campaign called Put People First, the Vermont Workers' Center is building off of the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign (HCHR) legislative victories for universal healthcare. There are exciting opportunities to work with a grassroots movement which is pushing for implementation of the new universal healthcare system and now broadening its scope for all human rights and real democracy.  The Policy Legal Intern works with the grassroots People's Team, volunteer leaders who go to the Statehouse each day to track legislation, monitor the committee meetings and participate in public hearings on related bills.     

Background: In 2010, the HCHR campaign, a grassroots movement of Vermonters who demanded a healthcare system that treats healthcare as a human right, was successful in getting Act 128 passed. Act 128 required the design of a healthcare system which complied with the human rights principles of universality, equity, transparency, accountability, and participation.  In 2011, successfully pushed for the adoption of a new universal healthcare law called Act 48 that is based on these human rights principles.

The campaign works through many committees, one of which is the Policy Committee. The policy committee is responsible for analysis of healthcare policy and creation of our policy positions, consistent with the human rights framework we use. The Organizers' Toolkit, the Legislative Directory, and the VWC Blog are examples of the policy committee work. The Policy committee provides policy analysis and tools for the grassroots statewide organizing committees and The People's Team.

A Policy Legal Intern would be engaged in some or all of these activities:

  • Attending legislative committee and other hearings
  • Tracking legislation
  • Writing analysis of bills and committee changes
  • Tracking legislator comments and expressed concerns
  • Reporting back to the Policy Committee & VWC staff each day the intern is in the statehouse, both in writing and by occasional attendance in conference call meetings
  • Writing blog updates on what's happening in the statehouse on health care legislation
  • Research on healthcare legislation in other states
  • Drafting proposed bill language, legislative testimony, and position statements
  • Drafting proposed language for weekly membership emails asking VWC members to take action by calling, emailing or meeting with their legislators.

Policy Interns will also be working directly with VWC's national partner, the National Economic & Social Rights Initiative (NESRI).  Supervision and feedback will be provided by staff, committee members, and co-chairs of the Policy Committee. We can look into the possibility of clerkship credit for interns. 

To Apply: Use intership application form at http://www.workerscenter.org/internship.

Questions can also be sent to james@workerscenter.org