In this week’s dead-tree edition of Seven Days we brought you a story about the tumultuous tenure of Vermont State Employees Association executive director Mark Mitchell.
In the past five weeks, six of the union’s 19 staffers have left — and several told Seven Days that Mitchell’s the reason. Meanwhile, the new boss’ defenders say Mitchell is doing exactly what he was hired to do: strengthen the 5200-member union and fight hard for state workers.
We first heard about the brouhaha when we got our mitts on this letter to the union’s board of trustees. It was penned by former VSEA senior field representative Lucinda Kirk, who recently left the union to work for the state. Check it out for yourself:
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VVH was slated to lose it’s funding before anyone went public with the issues. For over three years employees were forced to work mandatory overtime to fill the shift holes from being understaffed. The citations that were recurring and unresolved were the reason for near closure. Those citations were management knowingly breaking industry regulations which they would not have done had they had proper staffing. The alleged punching incident was isolated and had nothing to do with the funding freeze we were already under. You shouldn’t speak to things which you clearly don’t know. Throughout all of it, there was never anything but support from the vets, family members of residents and the community for the excellent care that the vets receive. Had Mitchell not fought for us, we would have lost funding because management has been allowed to get away with incompetencies for years. Now we have legislative support and agency nurses so we can go home when we are supposed to. Lucinda Had nothing to do with that. I am very concerned that someone so bitter and unprofessional who clearly doesn’t respect the representation that VSEA members have chosen is going to be in human resources. I think that will be really destructive to our bargaining process. This whole production is just another temper tantrum from a privileged administration who are used to being allowed to bully state workers
Propaganda spread by the state management in order to continue understaffing the vets home. We were on the track slated to lose our funding before anyone went public. The reason we went to the community is because no one in the state management would listen to us. We were being mandated to do double shifts (something that was suggested by a rep like Lucinda) for over three years. And even with that we were short staffed. Our near closing came from a serious of citations stemming from incidents where management knowingly violated industry regulations Which they would not have done had they had appropriate staff. Who doesn’t care about the Vets? It’s not the caregivers! we had community support from all over the state. It’s the administration who is more concerned with money. Now, they realize we need more funding and legislators are backing us. Lucinda didn’t do that, Director Mitchell did. Now we have agency caregivers so at the end of a long day we are allowed to leave and go home to our families. Lucinda never saved my butt! Nobody at VSEA was saying anything when VVH spent almost $900000 in overtime (mostly forced and having nothing to do with Irene) or when 20% of work force were being put out on admin leave for minuscule accusations that members of the management team regularly do themselves and much worse. Nobody stood up for the members when the asst administrator was threatening us. Director Mitchell was the only one who stood up up for us and now the same persons in state management who are used to getting their way when our rights get trampled are the ones who are making a misinformation campaign to make director mitchell look bad. It’s a freaking temper tantrum! Too bad!
I’ve been a VSEA member for over 10 years and I am disgusted by the mess that Director Mitchell has caused the union. His lack of leadership and recklessness is an unwelcome departure from the VSEA I know. most of our work force operates just fine, it’s the smalls few that cause problems. Now we all look like the problem! I am looking to find a way to leave VSEA. I am not paying more of my hard earned money to support “organizers” who will do nothing for the membership. This is just more of the same but out of the mouth of a giant loud mouth cocky blow hard. Hate to tell ya, but ya’ll are being taken for ride.
Oh look at this! Mitchell’s little wack-pack from down south….if it weren’t for field reps like Lucinda saving your butts for YEARS you wouldn’t be there to organize. Do you realize you almost lost your own jobs and the homes for our vets, who should be our most respected citizens. One of your co-workers PUNCHED a resident in the face and you have the nerve to question Lucinda Kirk’s integrity?? Here’s an idea- maybe she was disgraced by the piss poor care this home has provided for YEARS! I hope the door hits all of you on the way out- when your fearless leader is run out of VT and your all either RIF’d or fired. Karma has a way of coming back to you.
As a Vermont State Employee who works at the Veteran’s Home in bennington, I find Lucinda Kirk’ letter Maddening! Mark Mitchell should be praised for his hard work and accomplishments with VSEA and VVH. Gone are the days of having one tool in dealing with unfair treatment of workers. Lucinda was unable AND unwilling to adapt to the new duties required. Mark has great experience in dealing with issues and that includes organizing. In fact, recently the entire VSEA union voted to increase our dues to hire new organizers to do just that!! Mark has done more in the short time to support and defend us at the VVH than Lucinda EVER did when she was suppose to represent us. Has Lucinda visited us and asked us how we feel?? I’ll answer that and tell you no!! Now she has joined the State in Human Resources. If she ever truly believed the principles of her job at VSEA time will tell. To me, this is nothing more than a disgruntled employee who’s time had passed. I know at VVH we are glad that we have Mark’s leadership and experience. It has long been time for a new approach at VSEA. Our union had become stagnant and weak. By organizing members and bringing out mistreatment by the state to the public eyes we are able to finally have strength in numbers!! Lucinda don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord spit ya!
The staff in the VSEA has their own union and no grievances were filed…so
A couple of eyebrow-raisers here. One — my gut reaction to this letter is definitely tempered by the fact that this employee left the union to go and work for the HR office. That such an option wouldn’t be repellant to a union staffer is stunning.
Two — These union staffers felt intimidated and that is understandable, but did they pursue any form of collective action? Did they consider a joint letter to the board before resigning? What about forming their own union?
The process of forming a staff union can lead to deep understanding between union members and the staff that work for them. It is possible to have conversations about the power of collective action, the importance of fighting for one’s rights while simultaneously not demonizing the boss, and the aspects of solidarity that can unite workers across multiple industries.
One wonders how a union can motivate its members to engage in collective action to fight for their rights when the staff are unwilling or unable to similarly organize themselves.
I’ve been a VSEA member for over seven years and I have never been more satisfied with it than now with it’s Executive Director Mark Mitchell. VSEA needs the change Director Mitchell is bringing. Ms. Kirk and others have left because they aren’t capable of seeing the member’s perspective while they are too busy vying for jobs in state management. It’s really quite arrogant that ‘they’ think ‘they’ know what’s best for the union and that the members don’t! The point is that the members have spoken and we want Director Mitchell to lead. I think Ms. Kirks refusal to listen to state employees will suit her well in State Management . No loss here.
I vote for Mark! He has done more for the members at the VVH than anyone else has in the 14 yrs that I have been a state employee. I don’t want a union that has coffee with management or friendships with administration….you’re representing the members. If you had did your job you would have the members support and I have not caught any such conversations in any union meetings I’ve attended. It was the choice of each person to leave and leave at that. People quit jobs all the time and don’t go on a rampage against their former boss. If all the staff put even an ounce of the effort that they are using to attack Mark into representing the members we wouldn’t had a problem in the first place.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out Lucinda.