MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Gov. Peter Shumlin’s administration says it is willing to consider offering permanent jobs to some long-time temporary workers but officials don’t back a bill being pushed by the Vermont State Employees Association.
The union claims the state relies too heavily on temporary workers and many should become full-time state employees.
The proposed legislation would require that temps who work more than 1,040 hours per year be offered full-time government employment.
In 2013, the state spent more than $15 million on temporary workers, Vermont Public Radio (https://bit.ly/NMyNil) reported.
Temps don’t get paid sick days or other benefits, and union officials argue that the increasing reliance on them has undercut workers’ rights and deteriorated the quality of services delivered by government agencies.
“This is horribly unfair and inconsistent with Vermont’s values,” Michelle Salvador, a VSEA vice president told lawmakers last month. “It is disrespectful of the hard-earned collective bargaining agreements of state employees, and it leads to disruption and sometimes chaos in state government.”
Jeb Spaulding, secretary of the Agency of Administration, says reliance on temps has not increased in recent years, and that in most cases, hiring them makes sense. He said the administration is working on a compromise with the union and lawmakers.
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Information from: WVPS-FM, https://www.vpr.net
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