BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Support staff and technical professionals at the UVM Medical Center picketed in front of the hospital Friday after contracts with the health network expired.
After months of bargaining between UVM Health administration officials and support staff and technical professionals, union leaders said they hit a stalemate– calling Friday’s picket a major escalation, not a strike.
“They have not really been meeting us in the middle on virtually anything,” said Jacob Berkowitz, UVMMC Support Staff United president.
In a written statement, a UVM Health spokesperson said more work on contract negotiations remains, and the UVM Medical Center is “committed to staying at the table.”
Union leaders said their top priorities are staffing, wages and healthcare benefits. For Berkowitz, an expired contract means more bargaining power.
“I think what we gain in not having a contract at this time, as far as pressure we can put on the hospitals, is a lot more than we’re losing by not having a contract,” Berkowitz said.
UVMMC said it is committed to providing a wage increase for all eligible employees, despite significant financial pressures facing the health network.
Last week, UVMMC submitted its fiscal year 2027 budget proposal to the Green Mountain Care Board, projecting a $43 million budget deficit. It comes as the health network aims to curb a $300 million financial gap over the next three years.
Green Mountain Care Board Chair Owen Foster said UVM Health’s financial troubles are part of a national trend.
“We’re seeing hospitals close across the country. We’re seeing hospitals with really dire financial situations everywhere cutting services, cutting staffing across the country, and Vermont is not immune to that reality. So yeah, we’re very concerned about UVM’s financial situation,” Foster said.
Foster said the board is always pushing UVM Health to ensure a sufficient pipeline of staffing resources, particularly in patient-facing care.
“That is their job– to manage their staffing to a safe and sufficient level,” he said.
For now, the door is open for union members to strike.
“Nobody in that building wants to strike, but folks will do what they have to do,” Berkowitz said.
Union leaders said if a new contract isn’t reached, Friday’s picket won’t be the last. Further bargaining sessions have not been scheduled, but UVM Health said it is working with the union and a federal moderator to return to the table.
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