Vermont H 858: An act relating to the creation of the State Law Enforcement and Firefighters Bargaining Unit

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.858
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VT LEG #386218 v.1
H.858 1
Introduced by Representative Galfetti of Barre Town 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Executive; State Employees Labor Relations Act; unit designation 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to amend the 6
State Employees Labor Relations Act to create a new bargaining unit that 7
includes the sworn law enforcement officers of the Department of Fish and 8
Wildlife, the Department of Liquor and Lottery, the Department of Motor 9
Vehicles, the full-time firefighters employed by the State, and any sworn law 10
enforcement officers employed by the State of Vermont and not covered by an 11
existing collective bargaining agreement. 12
An act relating to the creation of the State Law Enforcement and 13
Firefighters Bargaining Unit 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
Sec. 1. 3 V.S.A. § 912 is added to read: 16
§ 912. DESIGNATION OF SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS 17
AND STATE FIREFIGHTERS; STATEWIDE BARGAINING 18
RIGHTS 19

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.858
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VT LEG #386218 v.1
(a) Notwithstanding section 927 of this chapter, the following employees 1
shall be members of a single, separate statewide collective bargaining unit, as 2
determined to be appropriate by the Board pursuant to section 941 of this 3
chapter, for the purpose of bargaining collectively pursuant to this chapter: 4
(1) employees of the following departments who are law enforcement 5
officers certified pursuant to 20 V.S.A. chapter 151: 6
(A) Department of Fish and Wildlife; 7
(B) Department of Liquor and Lottery; and 8
(C) Department of Motor Vehicles; 9
(2) full-time firefighters employed by the State; and 10
(3) any law enforcement officer certified pursuant to 20 V.S.A. chapter 11
151 who is employed by the State of Vermont and is not excluded pursuant to 12
subsection (b) of this section. 13
(b) The following employees are excluded from the bargaining unit created 14
pursuant to this section: 15
(1) any managerial, confidential, or supervisory employees who would 16
otherwise qualify for inclusion in the bargaining unit pursuant to subsection (a) 17
of this section; 18
(2) any employee covered by current collective bargaining agreements 19
between: 20

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VT LEG #386218 v.1
(A) the State of Vermont and the Vermont Troopers’ Association, 1
Inc.—State Police Bargaining Unit; 2
(B) the State of Vermont and the Vermont State Employees’ 3
Association, Inc.—Supervisory Bargaining Unit; and 4
(C) the Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs and 5
the Vermont State Employees’ Association, Inc.—State Deputy Sheriffs 6
Bargaining Unit. 7
(c) The bargaining unit created pursuant to this section shall be referred to 8
as the State Law Enforcement and Firefighters Bargaining Unit. 9
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 10
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026, and shall apply to collective 11
bargaining agreements and collective bargaining negotiations commencing on 12
or after that date. 13