Local Livable Wage Coalitions
Local Livable Wage Coalitions have sprung up in several Vermont communities since the fall of 1996, including, Burlington, Central Vermont, Addison County, the Randolph area, Lamoille County, and Brattleboro. Each group has chosen to work on a variety of activities and have made much progress in a short period of time. Some groups remain active today while others have joined the statewide campaign.Burlington Livable City Coalition!
Fighting to unite Burlington-area worker struggles to earn livable wages!
Workers include:
-K-12 Burlington School Support Staff
-Burlington School Food Service Workers
-UVM Support Staff
-City Market Workers
-COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter) Workers
Campaign also includes push for responsible contractor policies and workers' rights.Workers' Rights Board Hearing a huge success in February. Dozens of workers testify on the "race to the bottom."
Learn more about the Burlington School Support Staff's three year struggle to earn a livable wage.
To learn more about joining or starting a local livable wage group in your community, please contact Colin at the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign at 802-863-2345 x8.
Past Coalitions
Central Vermonters for a Livable Wage
- door-to-door petition drive in 5 communities on livable wage issue (~5,000 households, 1997 & 1998);
- three town meeting resolutions passed requesting the state legislature to do more to create livable wage jobs (1997);
- mobilization of residents of Barre to support school janitors whose jobs were threatened with privatization - thwarted privatization efforts for 3 years (1997);
- organized three statewide public hearings on the state of working Vermonters (~250 people attended in total, 1997 & 1998);
- major mobilization of support for the UPS and Copley Nurses strikes (1997 & 1998);
- worked with the City Councils of Montpelier and Barre City to adopt a livable wage ordinance for city employees ($7.91 minimum wage set for all city employees) (November, 1998 and February, 1999);
Burlington Livable Wage Coalition
- door-to-door petition drive in Burlington on livable wage issue (~2,000 households, 1997);
- worked with City Council and Mayor of Burlington to adopt an ordinance to pay all permanent full- and part- time city workers at least $7.50 /hr (1998);
- worked to pass a city ordinance for city contractors requiring them to pay their employees at least $7.50 /hr (1998 & 1999);
- worked with the Burlington Education Association, AFSCME, and Educational Assistants to win $8.10 hr. minimum wage for all custodial and food service workers and educational assistants in the Burlington School System (1998 & 1999);
- organized efforts to pressure Fletcher Allen Health Care (largest hospital in VT) and the University of Vermont to establish an $8.10 /hr. minimum wage for all their employees.
- expanded livable wage city ordinance for workers under contracts with the City of Burlington (2001).
Randolph Living Wage Group
- educating and networking within the faith community in Randolph on the issue of livable wages and economic justice;
- examining ways to improve access to affordable healthcare, childcare, and transportation for low income workers in their community;
- has secured the creation of a free dental clinic in their area (previously no dentist would take a Medicaid recipients due to low reimbursement rates);
- working to get local business owners to voluntarily raise wages of their workers to a livable wage;
- and working with local public school support staff workers to achieve livable wages within schools for all workers.
Addison County Livable Wage Coalition
- worked with the Peace & Justice Center to develop the Training for Trainers economic literacy workshops;
- and pressured the Agency of Human Services to allow Reach-Up case workers to use livable wage standards when Workfare recipients are developing their work plan and looking for jobs.
Brattleboro Livable Wage Coalition
- passed town meeting resolutions calling for livable wages in Brattleboro and Putney.
Contact Information:
Brattleboro Livable Wage Coalition
c/o AFL-CIO
Kevin McAvoy
104 Forest St.
Brattleboro, VT 05301
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Vermont Livable Wage Campaign
60 Lake Street, Burlington, VT 05401
802.863.2345 x8 livablewage@pjcvt.org
© 2007 Vermont Livable Wage Campaign