Vermont Business Magazine The Community Health Centers (CHC) and the members of Community Health United (CHU), AFT Vermont have ratified a new union contract. This new agreement builds upon the existing contract with professional staff, and now includes168 support staff. It will:
- Raise the minimum start rate to $20/hour in August of 2023
- Increase paid time off (including 15 days of paid parental leave)
- Increase staff input to improve orientation, training, health and safety
CHC’s CEO, Jeff McKee, was particularly proud of the collaborative bargaining process, whereas both teams were “one hundred percent committed to the patients and mission of the organization, giving as much as possible to the staff who are the heart of CHC, and ensuring the long-term viability of our non-profit organization.”
According to CHU President, Andrea Solomon, a CHC Physician Assistant, “We provide quality medical, dental, mental health, case management, and addiction recovery support for anyone who needs it. The improvements in wages, paid time off and working conditions that we have agreed to in this contract will go a long way to recruiting and retaining the staff we need to better serve our patients.”
The parties were assisted by mediator, FMCS Commissioner Annie Rutsky. The newly-ratified contract goes into effect February 4, 2023.
Since 1971, the Community Health Centers have provided quality health care for Vermonters regardless of financial or insurance status. One of 12 Federally Qualified Health Centers in the state, CHC has nine locations and is one of the largest nonprofit family health and dental practices in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information on their services and programs, visit www.chcb.org.
AFT Vermont is the state’s fastest growing union and represents more than 6,000 higher education and healthcare professionals at Community Health Centers, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Porter Medical Center, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, UVM Medical Center, the University of Vermont, Community College of Vermont and the Vermont State University. For more information: https://aftvermont.org/
This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $3,489,641 with approximately 90% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
2.2.2023. BURLINGTON, VT – The Community Health Centers
