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Vt. (WCAX) – Hundreds of unionized nurses and support staff took to Church Street Sunday, calling for a fair contract and an end to layoffs at UVM Health
The demonstration came after UVM Health announced in June it was eliminating 142 positions as part of an effort to address a projected $300 million financial gap over the next three years. The network said the cuts were largely targeted at administrative positions and would not impact patient care
Union leaders disputed that characterization. Nicole DiVita, president of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, said the network has not been fully transparent about the scope of the reductions
“They have cut administrative positions but what they are not being transparent about is that they have been rehiring back those positions as well,” DiVita said
In their initial announcement about the cuts, UVM Health said nearly half of the positions cut would be posted as new roles with restructured job descriptions
Primary care nurse Sophia Simkins said she witnessed non-administrative cuts firsthand. She said a six-person nurse team at an adult primary care clinic in Burlington was reduced to three
“You got almost 10,000 people and only three nurses now to respond to their concerns,” Simkins said
Simkins said the uncertainty has weighed on workers across the network
“Everyday wondering like if your workplace is going to get hit by another round of layoffs, because they made it very clear that more people are going to be laid off,” Simkins said
Safe staffing was among the demands raised at Sunday’s march. The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals and Support Staff United have been bargaining their respective contracts for the past several months
DiVita said the unions are pushing for the re
“We need the re, I mean, people expect and should expect that UVMMC is providing that care,” DiVita said
UVM Health said it has been losing approximately $460,000 per day since January. Officials said the cuts are part of a long-term effort to build a sustainable health care system
Both unions are scheduled to enter contract negotiations with UVM Health in the coming weeks. Union officials said their primary goal is to be heard by their employer and the broader community
In a statement to WCAX, a spokesperson for UVM Medical Center said “University of Vermont Medical Center is committed to working in good faith with our employees and union partners to build upon our 2023 contract agreement with a new agreement supporting the more than 3,100 employees who care for patients, support clinical colleagues and fill a wide variety of critical roles. This means working together to address the challenges facing health care today – including the need, as determined by an independent consultant, for UVM Medical Center to remove $350 million in expenses from its budget over the next three years. That work, including staffing changes across UVM Health, has been and will continue to be based on data and focused on maintaining clinical quality and patient safety. We are willing to work with our union partners to ensure this effort, while difficult, continues to support our ability to efficiently deliver high-quality, accessible care close to home.”
The hospital says they’ve held seven bargaining sessions so far, with three upcoming sessions scheduled in the month of July
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