WILLISTON, Vt.–A nurses’ union here says it will be pulling all business with a local credit union due to ties to the University of Vermont Medical Center, with which the union is at odds. The union and the Medical Center are currently in contract negotiations.
The issue for the nurses’ union is that John Dwyer, CEO of New England FCU, as well as one of the CU’s board members, also serve on the board of the Medical Center.
Deb Snell, president of AFT Vermont, of which the nurses’ union is a part, told the Burlington Free Press the divestment from the credit union is in response to what the nurses’ union sees as a lack of support from the Medical Center board members.
The University of Vermont Medical Center has issued a statement saying its goal is to address the concerns nurses have raised "while also balancing our commitment to providing high quality, affordable health care in our community."
The nurses’ union is also asking nurses themselves to move their personal business from New England FCU, although it told the Free Press the move was not intended to be an "attack" on the credit union, its employees or members.
"We do not support those who do not support us," a spokesperson for the union said.
CEO’s Response
NEFCU CEO Dwyer told the Free Press his role as a board member of the UVM Medical Center is to advise the hospital's leadership team, not to be involved in the actual management of the hospital.
"So in a situation like this, where there's a union negotiation going on, the board is not in the negotiation because the role of (the hospital's) senior management is to negotiate an effective contract," Dwyer was quoted as saying.
The UVM Medical Center nurses and the hospital have been negotiating since March without coming to an agreement.