Hundreds of unionized healthcare workers rallied on Church Street in Burlington yesterday, protesting layoffs at UVM Health and demanding fair contracts and safe staffing levels. The demonstration came after UVM Health announced in June it was eliminating 142 positions as part of an effort to address a projected $300 million financial gap over the next three years.
Of the 142 positions impacted, 76 have been permanently eliminated while 66 will be reposted with restructured job descriptions. Union leaders dispute the hospital’s assertion that the cuts are largely administrative and won’t impact patient care. Nicole DiVita, president of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, said the network has not been fully transparent about the scope of the reductions. “They have cut administrative positions but what they are not being transparent about is that they have been rehiring back those positions as well,” DiVita said.
Primary care nurse Sophia Simkins said she witnessed clinical cuts firsthand. She said a six-person nurse team at an adult primary care clinic in Burlington was reduced to three. “You got almost 10,000 people and only three nurses now to respond to their concerns,” Simkins said. The uncertainty has weighed on workers across the network, with many fearing additional rounds of layoffs ahead.
UVM Health said it has been losing approximately $460,000 per day since January. Officials characterized the cuts as part of a long-term effort to build a sustainable health care system. In a statement, a spokesperson for UVM Medical Center said the organization is “committed to working in good faith with our employees and union partners” and that staffing changes “have been and will continue to be based on data and focused on maintaining clinical quality and patient safety.”
The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals and Support Staff United have been bargaining their respective contracts for several months. Both unions are scheduled to enter formal contract negotiations with UVM Health in the coming weeks. Union officials said their primary goal is to be heard by their employer and the broader community. The hospital has held seven bargaining sessions so far, with three additional sessions scheduled for July.
Sources
- WCAX — Reporting on the July 12 rally, union claims, nursing staffing reductions, and hospital financial losses
- UVM Health official newsroom — Details on 142 positions eliminated, breakdown of permanent vs. restructured roles
- Vermont Public — Context on the $300 million financial gap and ongoing restructuring
