UVM Staff Union Asks University to Reinstate Mental Health Positions

A labor union is asking the University of Vermont to reinstate six staff members whose jobs were abruptly terminated on June 17, saying the school is putting students at risk by reducing wellness services while mental health on campus is a major concern.

The six union members and two others who lost their jobs in the Center for Health & Wellbeing “were frontline staff,” said Kara Williams, co-lead steward of UVM Staff United. They worked in substance abuse recovery, health and sexuality education, and a mindfulness program.

Williams said on Monday that students have gotten in touch with some of those former staffers asking for continued help.

“They are devastated and confused and scared,” Williams said.

The union held a rally onMonday outside UVM’s Waterman Building, home to the office of vice provost for student affairs Erica Caloiero, who announced the job cuts on June 17. Union members said those terminated received no warning before they were told to leave their offices.

“I am disappointed, furious, disheartened, anxious and upset,” Isabella Dunn said. She’s a recent UVM graduate who worked as a sexuality educator intern in the center’s Living Well program. Dunn said Living Well provided sexual health products, positive sexuality guides, pregnancy tests, Narcan, fentanyl testing strips, motivational cards and stickers, and awareness events in areas such as sexual health, eating disorders and mindfulness.

“The staff worked hard to secure ties to community partners to connect students with valuable learning experiences and perspectives,” Dunn said. “What happens to those?”

She added that the center was also an important source of other assistance, such as support animals and free massages.

“Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during exams may seem small, but hundreds of students stop by every time to grab a sandwich and say hi,” Dunn said to the crowd.

When she announced the job cuts on June 20 in a letter to some staff members, Caloiero said they were part of a reorganization that would improve efficiency at the Center for Health & Wellbeing by integrating the education services into the counseling services. She added that UVM officials received feedback from students, faculty and staff about mental health wellness services before the reorganization.

“It also aligns well with best practices across higher education,” she wrote.

Susan Comerford, a faculty member in the social work department who is president of the faculty union, told the crowd on Monday that prospective students assess a school’s mental wellness offerings when they are deciding where to attend college and might be deterred by the latest move. UVM is anticipating lower-than-expected enrollment numbers in the coming academic year and is looking for ways to attract students.

Comerford said surveys show about 50 percent of college students report feeling chronic stress, a condition linked to mental and physical health problems.

“This administrative decision may well cost lives,” Comerford said. She added that UVM students already face unacceptably long wait times before seeing a counselor. “This is no way to balance the budget.”

A UVM spokesperson did not immediately return messages on Monday afternoon.

Williams, the staff union co-lead steward, said in an interview that the union considers the job cuts to be wrongful terminations and will ask the school to reinstate the six union positions. The union is holding a series of meetings with the administration. The next one was scheduled for Tuesday.

Not all of the staff members who lost their jobs want to return to them, Williams added. “There’s a lot of complexity,” she said. “We may find there are other positions that they could be placed into.”

If the two sides don’t resolve the matter, it could go to the six-member Vermont Labor Relations Board, a quasi-judicial panel that adjudicates labor disputes involving state employers.

“That’s a problem that the university will not want to encounter, because our case is so strong,” Williams said.

Correction, July 15, 2024: An earlier version of this story misstated Kara Williams’ position with UVM Staff United. She is the co-lead steward.

This article appears in The Cartoon Issue 2024.

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