Vermont’s state employees union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Vermont State Colleges, alleging that the university system bargained in bad faith and targeted union officials in layoffs.
The allegations stem from a recent meeting between members of the Vermont State Employees Association and administrators at the Vermont State Colleges about upcoming changes to campus libraries.
At that meeting, administrators “reassured the VSEA team that it did not anticipate having to lay anyone off,” Monique Prive, a union secretary and treasurer, said in a press release Monday.
But an hour after that meeting, the union alleged, administrators announced that seven union members would be laid off — four of whom were union activists and members of the bargaining team, the union said.
“We continue to hold out hope that this action and other outside pressures will convince College administrators to reconsider their very bad decision,” Prive said in the press release.
Katherine Levasseur, a spokesperson for the Vermont State Colleges, said the university system denies the charges and is working on a response.
“We disagree with the factual and legal assertions in the complaint and deny the charge of an unfair labor practice levied against us,” Levasseur said in an email. “We will continue moving forward in partnership with our employees to ensure the success of the Vermont State Colleges System now and in the future.”
Over the past few weeks, the Vermont State Colleges system has been at the center of a storm of controversy.
Three institutions in the Vermont State Colleges — Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College — are in the process of merging to become Vermont State University.
Earlier this month, officials announced significant changes to the schools’ libraries and sports programs as part of that merger.
The administration plans to downgrade sports programs on the campuses in Johnson, Vt., and Randolph. Northern Vermont University’s Johnson campus will leave the National Collegiate Athletic Association to join the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The Randolph campus, currently part of Vermont Technical College, will leave the USCAA and host only club sports.
Meanwhile, libraries on the Vermont State University campuses are slated to become “all-digital.” Academic materials will mostly be available digitally, while most physical books will be given away. The physical spaces will be transformed, but administrators have promised that students will still be able to work and read there.
As part of the changes to the libraries, the universities will eliminate seven full-time positions and three part-time ones.
Those announcements sparked immediate backlash, including protests on campus and in the Vermont Statehouse. Amid the anger, Vermont State University officials have apologized for how the decisions were communicated, but have not backed down from their decisions.