Vermont Workers' Center

The People’s Budget Campaign

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control." Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

The City of Burlington is considering whether to implement a fair trade “Project Labor Agreement” (PLA) for the Moran Plant reconstruction. A PLA is essentially a one-job collective bargaining agreement between the owner and all the contractors that outlines terms and conditions of employment (family-supporting wages, benefits, disciplinary procedures, work schedules, safety expectations, etc.). Most importantly, a PLA would give Burlingtonians access to state-certified apprenticeships and quality health insurance and retirement benefits through the local building trades union halls.

We would like to thank everyone who helped make 15 People's Forums on Healthcare, Kids, and the Economy a huge success. Over 130 candidates and about 1,000 community members from every county in the state participated in this series of forums organized by the Vermont Workers' Center, Vermont Early Educators United and Vermont Center for Independent Living. These three organizations came together because our issues are interconnected and because our voices our stronger when we work together, and it was a huge success.

by James Haslam, VWC Director