Constitution

CVHU Constitution 2026

Central Vermont Healthcare United CONSTITUTION

Article I. Name

This organization shall be known as Central Vermont Healthcare United (CVHU), Local 5224, AFT-Vermont, AFL-CIO.

Article II. Objectives

The purpose of this organization shall be:

Section 1. To secure full trade union rights, including the rights to exclusive recognition and collective bargaining, for all employees who are eligible for membership.

Section 2. To advance the economic, social, and political well-being of the membership.

Section 3. To promote the improvement of employment standards and patient care at CVMC and fight for improved quality of and access to healthcare for all in the region.

Section 4. To encourage mutual understanding and cooperation among the membership through transparent and democratic processes.

Section 5. To promote the effectiveness and quality of the institutions in which our members work.

Section 6. To promote democracy, equality, universal healthcare, and trade unionism in the society at large.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. All employees of Central Vermont Medical Center who are RNs, LPNs,Technical Employees, and Support Staff who are not supervisors or managers are eligible for membership in this organization.

Section 2. No person shall be denied membership, nor shall this organization ever discriminate against individual members or applicants for membership on the basis of race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, social, political, or economic status, or national origin.

Section 3. Discipline of members

  1. A member may be disciplined by the organization for actions contrary to this Constitution or to the interests of the union or its membership. Such action may only be initiated by the bringing of written and signed charges to the Executive Board by two or more members of the local; these charges must include a specific and detailed accounting, including any documentation, of the allegations against the member.
  1.  Upon the receipt of such charges, the Executive Board shall cause a preliminary investigation to be conducted in order to determine whether the charges against the member have merit. In addition, at this time, the Executive Board shall give a copy of the charges to the accused member.
  1.  Following the preliminary investigation, the Executive Board shall vote on the question of whether a disciplinary hearing should be held. If a majority of the Executive Board votes to hold a hearing, the member shall be given at least ten (10) days written notice of the hearing.
  1.  At a disciplinary hearing, the accused member shall have the right to be represented by a person of his or her choice, and shall have the right to question the charges and present evidence and witnesses to support their defense. At the conclusion of the hearing, a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board shall be required for discipline. If a member of the Executive Board has brought the charges against the member, that Board member shall recuse him/herself from the vote.
  1.  A disciplined member may appeal the decision of the Executive Board to the membership by requesting a vote at the next regular meeting. A simple majority of the members voting shall be sufficient to overrule the decision of the Executive Board to discipline.

Section 4. A member in good standing is defined as a member who is currently in payment of dues to the organization. A member who is more than 30 days delinquent in dues payment shall be considered to be a member in bad standing, and shall be promptly notified of such status. A member shall be removed from membership in this organization, with notice, following three months of dues nonpayment, unless a plan to pay back dues is made and approved by both the Executive Board and the member.

Section 5. Associate members:

  1. shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Board;
  2. shall not be entitled to vote, hold office, or serve on committees;
  3. shall be persons not eligible for full membership in any other AFT local affiliate.

Section 6. The Executive Board shall establish guidelines for retiree membership, retiree dues, and participation in the local in the form of a retiree chapter, in accordance with AFT guidelines.

Article IV. Election of Officers

Section 1. Elections shall be conducted in accordance with the AFT Constitution and the standards set out by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).

Section 2. Officers and Chief Stewards for Nurses and Techs and Support Staff shall be nominated and elected in May of 2026 and every three years after that. 

The membership will elect the following officers:

  1. President (1)
  2. Vice President for Technical Employees  (1)
  3. Vice President for RNs (1)
  4. Vice President for Support Staff (1)
  5. Secretary (1)
  6. Treasurer (1)
  7. Grievance Chair (1)
  8. Grievance Chair (1)
  9. Chief Stewards (Number based on structure provided in Appendix A)

Section 3. Eligibility for Office

  1. To be eligible for office a person must be a member in good standing of the organization for a period of six months prior to the date of the election.
  2. To be eligible for office as a Chief Steward, a person must meet all other qualifications for office under this Article and must be employed in the constituency area for which they are seeking office as Chief Steward.
  3. One member cannot hold more than one elected officer and/or Chief Steward position concurrently.

Section 4. The Elections Committee shall conduct all general and special elections and referenda of the organization.

  1. The Elections Committee shall consist of three members in good standing.
  2. Any member of the Elections Committee seeking office must vacate their position on the Committee during the election in which they are running.

Section 5. Nominations 

  1. The Elections Committee shall notify all members of the opening of nominations for officers with reasonable notice prior to the date of the close of the nomination and any election (if required)
  2. The Elections Committee shall determine whether the nominations were timely and if the nominees are eligible for office.

Section 6. Elections

  1. Candidates for the office of Chief Steward shall be elected by the membership from the constituency area in which they serve, as defined by Appendix A. No member may cast a vote for a Chief Steward from another constituency area. Members holding multiple positions in the bargaining unit may vote in elections for the Chief Steward of each area in which they are currently employed.
  1. If there are more candidates than seats for any position, then the Elections Committee will hold an election and tabulate the ballots. A majority of the ballots cast shall determine the outcome of the election. In the absence of a majority, the Elections Committee shall conduct a run-off election between the two candidates who have received the most votes for the office in question.
  2. Challenges and objections to the election must be submitted in writing, with a statement of supporting reasons that includes specific facts as well as any documentation, to the Elections Committee within five (5) days of the count. The Elections Committee shall issue its written opinion regarding the objections no later than ten (10) days after receipt of such objections.
  1. The election results will be published and communicated to the membership within seven (7) days of the election. All election materials, including the ballots, will be kept in a secure location for one (1) year.
  1. Successful candidates shall assume office immediately.

Section 7. In case of a vacancy, the Elections Committee shall put out a special call for nominees. 

  1. Potential candidates shall have two (2) weeks to submit nominations according to the requirements outlined in this Article.
  2. If there is only one nominee deemed eligible that candidate shall assume the office immediately.
  3. Any contested elections will be held by the Elections Committee
  4. If there are no nominees during the initial call by the Elections Committee, the Executive Board may appoint a member in good standing to fill the vacancy.

Section 8. A petition signed by forty percent (40%) of the membership and alleging constitutional violations, fiduciary breaches or acts clearly detrimental to the union, shall be sufficient to require the Executive Board to vote on whether to conduct a recall election of the officer identified in the petition. The officer subject to recall and any Executive Board member signing the petition shall not vote on the question of a recall election. If a majority of the Executive Board approves a recall election, the Elections Committee shall supervise the recall election.

A petition signed by a simple majority of Executive Board members alleging the violations outlined above shall also be sufficient to require the Elections Committee to oversee a recall election of an officer, with or without an initial petition from forty percent (40%) of the membership.

Article V. Duties of Officers

Section 1. The President shall:

  1.  be the presiding officer at all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board 
  2.  shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees except the Elections Committee;
  3. shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Board, the chairs of all standing and special committees except the Elections Committee;
  4. shall be the principal executive officer of the organization;
  5.  shall receive report and respond to correspondence of the organization;
  6. shall supervise all employees of the organization;
  7. shall be one of the responsible financial officers of the organization and shall be authorized to co-sign financial instruments and make regular and usual disbursements of funds;
  8. shall represent the organization before bodies of the employer, executive and legislative officials;
  9. shall represent the organization before the public, community organizations, and the news media;
  10. shall be, by office, a delegate to the Central Labor Council, and the state AFL-CIO body;
  11. shall be, by office, a delegate to the convention of the American Federation of Teachers and meetings or conventions of its affiliated bodies;
  12. shall make an annual report to the organization’s membership; and
  13.  shall be able to delegate the responsibilities of the office except where otherwise specified by the Constitution.

Section 2. Each Vice President serve the general interest of the organization and their own stated area of responsibility as follows:

  1. The Vice President for RNs will be the point person for RN specific work.
  2. The Vice President for Technical Employees will be the point person for Technical Employee and LPN specific work.
  3. The Vice President for Support Staff will be the point person for Support Staff specific work.
  4. Perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board.

Section 3. The Treasurer shall:

  1. Receive record and deposit all dues monies and other income in the name of the organization;
  2. Maintain accurate membership records;
  3. Issue membership cards and notices of delinquency;
  4. Be one of the responsible financial officers of the organization and be authorized to co-sign financial instruments and make regular and usual disbursements of funds;
  5. Maintain all financial records of the organization;
  6. Arrange for an independent audit of the finances of the organization annually and make same available to the Executive Board, Representative Assembly and membership;
  7. Transmit per-capita payments on a regular basis to the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers and similar officers of all other bodies with which the organization is affiliated;
  8. Perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board;

Section 4. The Secretary shall:

  1. Shall record and keep accurate minutes of meetings of the membership and the Executive Board;
  2. Facilitate new employee union orientation
  3. Maintain and update the union website
  4. Write and send member communications
  5. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board;

Section 5. The Grievance Chairs shall

  1. Oversee the processing of Step III grievances and serve as a resource to the Chief Stewards, Lead and Unit Stewards for Step II and Step III grievances, 
  2. Ensure all group grievances are coordinated, 
  3. Serve on the Labor Management Committee, 
  4. Recommend to the Executive Board the grievances that should be considered for arbitration with the final decision made by a majority vote of the Executive Board, 
  5. Ensure proper training and mentorship for Stewards and Chief Stewards,
  6. Present a report to the Executive Board at each regular/special meeting, and 
  7. Present a report to the Local membership at each regular and special meeting. 

Section 6. The Chief Stewards shall serve their own constituency area as defined in Appendix A. and shall:

  1. Maintain regular contact with stewards within their areas on all shifts; 
  2. Oversee and maintain the steward structure for their area 
  3. Work with Stewards to ensure that each unit and/or division has regular meetings and facilitates such meetings 
  4. Facilitate the interpretation and enforcement of the contract which shall include, as necessary, the filing of grievances;
  5. Report to the Grievance Chair;
  6. Work with the Vice Presidents of the Local to maintain the membership list (updated membership and contact information) of each unit in their areas.

Section 8. In the event of the President’s absence, the presiding officer for Executive Board and membership meetings shall follow this order of succession: VPs (on a rotating basis), Secretary, Treasurer; Grievance Chair. 

Article VI. Executive Board

, 

Section 1. The Executive Board shall be defined as all elected officers (President, VP for RNs, VP for Technical Employees, VP for Support Staff, Secretary, Treasurer and Grievance Chairs) and all Chief Stewards.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall meet monthly or no less than twelve (12) times per year, or at the call of the President, or at the call of two (2) or more of its members, for the purpose of initiating, overseeing or revising the program of the organization and to conduct other business of the organization that is within its authority. Board members are expected to be at every meeting when possible, or at a minimum of ten (10) meetings per year of their term. 

Section 3. A quorum for the Executive Board shall be one-half of its standing members (if there are vacant positions, those seats shall not be counted towards quorum calculation).

Section 4. The Executive Board shall prepare and present to the membership an annual budget in the month prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, which shall be established by the Executive Board.

Section 5. If the organization employs any professional, technical, clerical, or support staff, the Executive Board shall supervise those positions.

Section 6. The Executive Board shall establish the salary, benefits and expense guidelines of any general officer who is employed by the organization, as set forth in the annual budget. 

Section 7. The Executive Board shall be empowered to make contracts and incur liabilities including the purchase of services, equipment and real property, to borrow money, to secure such obligations by mortgage or other instrument, and to otherwise engage in financial transactions to the extent permitted by applicable law or statute. The Executive Board shall have the power to sue, complain and defend on behalf of the membership.

Section 8.The Executive Board shall approve the chairperson and membership of all standing and special committees of the organization, except the Elections Committee, and receive regular reports from such committees.

Section 9. The Executive Board may alter the Chief Steward structure defined in Appendix A by a majority vote as membership numbers and bargaining unit structure changes.

Section 10. Pursuant to Article IV, Section 13, the Executive Board shall have the authority to appoint a member to take the seat of an Executive Board member who was suspended or replaced, subject to the procedures and limitations set forth in that Article. 

Article VII. Committees

Section 1. The Executive Board shall have the power to create committees as they see fit, based on the needs of the membership.

Article VIII. Membership Meetings

Section 1. The Executive Board shall determine the time and place and give notice of any general membership meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings of the membership may be called by a petition signed by twenty-five percent (25%) of the membership.

Article IX. Revenues

Section 1. The dues of this organization shall be set by membership vote. The dues of this organization are currently set at 1.1% of each members’ gross earnings. 

Article X. Affiliations 

This organization shall maintain affiliation with the following organizations:

  1. The American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. Whenever possible, Central Vermont Healthcare Unites will send delegates to the AFT’s convention. The delegates will be elected by procedures consistent with Article IV of this Constitution.
  2. AFT – Vermont, AFL-CIO. Whenever possible, the union will send delegates to the state federation’s convention. Delegates will be elected by procedures consistent with Article IV of this Constitution.
  3. The state American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Article XI. Rules of Order

Section 1. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this organization and all of

its subordinate bodies in all matters not expressly covered by this Constitution.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall provide training to new officers on Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.

Article XII. Amendment

Section 1. Thirty percent (30%) of the membership may present, by petition, a proposed amendment to this Constitution to the Secretary, who shall notify the Executive Board of the proposed amendment within seven (7) days. 

  1. The Executive Board shall convene within thirty (30) days to discuss the proposed amendment. A copy of the proposed amendment, along with an explanation of said amendment, shall be distributed to all officers  a reasonable time prior to the meeting at which the amendment will be introduced and discussed.
  2. The Executive Board shall move the amendment to a membership vote with the approval of two-thirds (⅔) of the Executive Board.
  3. The amendment shall be brought into effect by a simple majority of the votes cast by the membership. 
  4. Alternatively, should sixty percent (60%) of the membership present, by petition, a proposed amendment to this Constitution to the Secretary, they shall bypass the need for an Executive Board vote (bypassing Section a. and Section b. above) and bring the proposed amendment directly to a membership vote, as outlined in Section c. above.
  5. Membership votes shall be run by the Elections Committee.

Section 2. Alternatively, a two-thirds (⅔) majority of the Executive Board may propose an amendment to this Constitution to the Secretary, who shall notify the entire Executive Board of the proposed amendment within seven (7) days.

  1. The Executive Board shall convene within thirty (30) days to discuss the proposed amendment. A copy of the proposed amendment, along with an explanation of said amendment, shall be distributed to all officers  a reasonable time prior to the meeting at which the amendment will be introduced and discussed.
  2. The Executive Board shall move the amendment to a membership vote with the approval of ⅔ of the Executive Board.
  3. The amendment shall be brought into effect by a simple majority of membership voting in favor. 

Article XIII. Availability of the Constitution

Section 1. This Constitution shall be available to all on the organization’s public website, cvhunited.org.

Section 2. The Secretary shall make available upon request a paper copy to any member of the organization. 

This constitution was adopted by the membership on [7/8/2026].

Central Vermont Healthcare United Signed: [Amanda Mills-Brown]

AFT Local 5224 Attest: [Spencer Starr]

Appendix A. Chief Steward Structure – Nurse/Tech

Clinic Chief Steward
Adult Primary Care – Barre
Family Medicine – Berlin
Family Medicine – Mad River
Family Medicine – Montpelier
Family Medicine – Waterbury
Family Psychiatry
Green Mountain Family Practice
Green Mountain Family Practice – Norwich University Health Services
MGP Float Pool
Pediatrics Primary Care – Berlin
ED Chief Steward
Emergency Department
Med Surg Chief Steward
Medical Surgical
Peri-Op Chief Steward
Ambulatory Care
Endoscopy
Surgical Services
Tech Chief Steward
Central Sterile Reprocessing
Information Systems
Respiratory Therapy
Pharmacy
Radiology
Woodridge Chief Steward
Woodridge Evergreen
Woodridge Maple
Woodridge Rehabilitation Therapies
Woodridge Resource Pool
Woodridge Spruce
Inpatient Chief Steward
Critical Care
IV Therapy
Nurse Resources
Women & Child
Specialty Chief Steward
Adult Hematology/Oncology
Cardiology
Cardiology & Cardiac Rehab
Cardiology & Respiratory Therapy
Community Health Team
Endocrinology
Express Care
Neurology
Nurse Education
Radiation Oncology
Orthopedic, Spine & Podiatry
Urology
Women’s Health
Rheumatology, Pulmonology, Dermatology, & ID

Appendix B. Chief Steward Structure – Support Staff

Primary Care Chief Steward
Adult Primary Care – Barre
Family Medicine – Berlin
Primary Care Mental Health Integration
Family Medicine – Mad River
Family Medicine – Montpelier
Family Medicine – Waterbury
Green Mountain Family Practice
Rehab Administration
Pediatrics Primary Care
Occupational Medicine
MGP Float Pool
Occupational Medicine
Specialty Chief Steward
Express Care
Adult Hematology/Oncology
Cardiology
Dermatology, Pulmonology, & ID
Radiation Oncology
Rheumatology
Urology & Endocrinology
Women’s Health & Neurology
Orthopedic, Spine & Podiatry
Patient Access Chief Steward
Patient Access & Financial Clearance
Patient Access
Periop/Lab/Radiology Chief Steward
Ambulatory Care
Endoscopy
Surgical Services
Laboratory
Radiology
Hospital EVS/Transport/Materials Chief Steward
Patient Support / Transport
Materials Management
Environmental Services
Inpatient Chief Steward
ED Registration
Emergency Department
Nurse Resources
Critical Care
Women & Child
Medsurg Chief Steward
Medical Surgical
Inpatient Rehab
Respiratory Therapy
Nutrition & Food Services Chief Steward
Nutrition & Food Services
Woodridge Nutrition & Food Services
Woodridge Chief Steward
Woodridge Evergreen
Woodridge Maple
Woodridge Spruce
Woodridge EVS
Woodridge Life Enrichment
Woodridge Other (MDS, Nursing Leadership, Phlebotomy, Administration, Rehab Therapy, Resource Pool)
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