Dear Governor Shumlin,
When you signed equal pay legislation into law last year, you said: "This law continues Vermont's proud history of demanding equal treatment and basic fairness for all working Vermonters and their families." We are proud of our government when it supports women's rights and gender equity - and we expect it to do so. We therefore ask your administration to publicly support Vermont establishing earned sick days for all workers this year.
Women are the majority of workers in the industries and jobs that tend to lack paid sick days. While making up nearly half of the country's workforce and doing two-thirds of caregiving nationally, about half of women are denied crucial rights at work - rights that would support our dignity, livelihoods, and families. By supporting paid sick days, we support equity and work with dignity for all. All people have the right to care for ourselves or our family members, or deal with the effects of domestic and sexual violence, without risking our livelihoods.
We officially invite you to pledge your support at the Women's March for Dignity on March 8, 2014 - International Women's Day - in Montpelier.
Sincerely,
[click the jump to see long list of signers]
Organizations:
350 Vermont
Peace & Justice Center
Rising Tide Vermont
UE Local 255-Unionized Workers of Hunger Mountain Coop
United Academics
Vermont Anti-Racism Action Team
Vermont AFL-CIO
Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
Vermont Homecare United-AFSCME
Vermont-NEA: The Union of Vermont Educators
Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
Vermont Progressive Party
Vermont Woman Newspaper
Vermont Workers' Center
Vermont Works for Women
Voices for Vermont's Children
Women's International League for Peace & Freedom-Central VT
Individuals*
Martha Allen, President, VT-NEA
Tiffany Bluemle, Executive Director of VT Works for Women
Regina Christianson, Rector at Calvary Episcopal Church
Mari Cordes, President, Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals
Representative Johannah Donovan
Eliza Cain, Co-Owner of Red Hen Baking Co.
Representative Michelle Fay
Carlen Finn, Executive Director of Voices for Vermont's Children
Natalia Fajardo, Immigrant Rights Organizer
Rickey Gard Diamond, Editor of Vermont Woman
Mary Gerisch, President of Vermont Workers' Center
Stephanie Hainley, President of Burlington Business & Professional Women
Representative Susan Hatch Davis
Representative Helen Head
Carin Hoffman, former Commissioner for VT Commission on Women
Lucy Ijams, Bennington Pastor
Elizabeth Jesdale, President of UE Local 255
Trinka Kerr, Chief Healthcare Advocate at VT Legal Aid
Peter Knowlton, President UE Northeast Region
Representative Jill Krowinski
Karen Lafayette, VT Low Income Advocacy Council
Sarah Launderville, Executive Director of Vermont Center for Independent Living
George Lovell, President of VT AFL-CIO
Eliza Lucozzi, Pastor of North Congregational Church of St. Johnsbury
Donna Macomber, Executive Director of Women's Freedom Center of Brattleboro
Elaine McCrate, UVM Professor of Economics & Gender Studies
Jean McDonald, Rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Representative John Moran
Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Chair of Vermont Progressive Party
Susan Ohlidal, Episcopal Church of Vermont
Marjorie Power, Older Women's League
Representative Barbara Rachelson
Representative Kesha Ram
Janice Santiago, Employment Advocate at Women Helping Battered Woman
Heather Riemer, AFT Vermont
Stephanie Seguino, Professor of Economics at UVM
Amanda Sheppard, VT Homecare United-AFSCME
Rachel Siegel, Executive Director of Peace & Justice Center & Burlington City Councilor
Naomi Smith, Executive Director, WomenSafe
Representative Tom Stevens
Reverend Auburn Watersong
Representative Suzi Wizowaty
Representative Michael Yantachka
Denise Youngblood, President of United Academics
Senator David Zuckerman
*Organizations listed for identification purposes only
Individuals Who Signed on from Across the State:
Valerie Abrahamsen
Kit Andrews
Laura Austan
Cathy Austrian, UE Local 23
Arlene Averill
Carolyn Baker, CIRCLE
Sheyanne Baker, NALC Branch 521
Beth Barndt
Adam Barnett
Alex Barnett
Colleen Beal
Carol Beatty
Elizabeth Beatty-Owens
George Bennis, Sr.
Jen Berger
Marissa Bieg
Stauch Blaise
Theodore Blodgett
Karrie Bowen
Tina Bradley
Amy Brady
Carolyn Bronz
Tonda Bryant, AWARE
Geraldine Burke
Kimball Butler
Mary Cain
Bill Capasso
Nick Carter, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
Jonathan Chapin
Jill Charbonneau, VT State Labor Council AFL-CIO
Peter Chase, Episcopal Priest
Ana Cimino
Mary Claire Carroll
Betty Clark
Cim Clark
Meghann Cline, Parents for Change
Wendy Coe
Selene Colburn, Vice Chair, Vermont Progressive Party
Josie Colt
David Connor
Kristen Connors
Kathleen Cooper
Judy Copa
Donavee Copenhaver
Liza Cowan
Linda Cramer
Karen Cribari, Youth Services of Windham County
John Crowley, VPIRG
Kelly Cummings
Joanne Davidman
Sarah Davis
Melissa Davis-Bourque
Mary Deaett
Corey Decker
Briee Della Rocca
Partice DeMarco
Lindsay DesLauriers
Karol Diamond
Liane Duda
Joan Eckley
Marie Eddy
Cassandra Edson
Dawn Ellis
Laurie Essig
Sylvia Fagin
Marigo Farr
Gus Feldman
Kieran Ficken
Rachael Fields, Vermont Veterans Home
Lois Flanders
Anna Fleishman
Colin Flood
Greg Forcier
Emily Fredette
Naomi Freedner-Maguire
Jessica Fuller
Sandra Gaffney
Joseph Gainza, Vermont Action for Peace
Jamie Garvey
Tara Gauding
Anna Gebhardt
Connie Godin
Pauline Gosselin
Steve Gould
Anna Grady
Rachel Grandon
Dawn Hancy
James Haslam, VT Workers' Center
Rebecca Haslam
Jeffrey Haslett
Mark Heald
Kathy Heikel
Robert Henderson
Devin Henry
Jennifer Henry
Steve Hingtgen, Small Business Owner
Matthew Hogan
Steven Howard, Legislative Director for VSEA
Tonya Howard
Phyllis Humez, state employee and VSEA member
Daniel Jantos, North Chapel Universalist Society
Rachel Jolly
Annie Jordan
Margaret Joyal
Mary Lou Judas
Kate Kanelstein
Taylor Katz, Free Verse Farm
Renee Kelly, Umbrella
Jon Kennedy
Mary Kirkpatrick, RN of Local 5221
Meg Kuhner
Karen Lafayette, VT Low Income Advocacy Council
Damon Lane
Jennifer Larsen
Amy Leavitt
Amy Lester
Rebecca Lendvay
Alice Leo
Deborah LePore
Lodiza Lepore
Arleen Levinson, Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals
John Lewis
Kiera Lewis
Laura Limoges
Shela Linton
Marcia Liotard
Traven Leyshon, VT AFL-CIO
Brenda Lindemann, VT Alliance of Retired Americans
Vicki Litzinger
Jean Lowell
Majka Luksza
Kris Lukens, Voices Against Violence
John MacLean, IWW
Alicia Maddox
Trevor Madore
Corey Mallon
Darya Marchenkova
David Martin
Autumn Martinez, Chief Steward UE Local 255
Jeri Martinez
Elaine McCrate, UVM Professor of Economics & Gender Studies
Ned McEleney
Matt McGrath
Jordan May
Karoline May
James McGurn
William McMaster
Gina Mangiafico
Stephen McArthur, CIRCLE VT
Wendi McNaughton
Kerby Miller
Mark Montalban
Ryan McDonald
Andrea Mills
Phillip Mixon
Ann Moore
Ashley Moore
Denise & Michael Moore
Representative John Moran
Donald Morrison
Jessica Morrison
FaRied Munarsyah
Major Munson
Rilla Murray
Jennifer Nachbur
Sam Nelis
Joyce Niksic
Adam Norton
Lee Oberg
Erika Osorio
Jean O'Sullivan
Romni Palmer
Krista Panosian
Emma Paradis
Charles Parent
Amanda Payne
Deborah Peaslee, Resource Specialist at Mary Johnson Child Care Services
Kristin Pepoon
Cindy Perron
Sarah Petrokonis
Gloria-lee Phelan
Heather Pipino
Anna Pirie, AWARE
Avery Pittman
Bethany Pombar
Jo Poquette
Karen Porter
Kate Post
Nancy Potak
Anisa Potvin
David Przepioski
Kelli Prescott
Sharon Racusin
Diane Ravenscroft
John Reese Jr.
Virginia Renfrew
Sheila Reed
Jane Reese
Dottye Ricks
Susan Ritz
Denise Rixie
Michelle Robbins
Jami Robertson
Marianne Robotham
Sharon Rotax, Women Helping Battered Women
Amy Ruddy
Susan Rump
Lee Russ
Gina Ruth, Women Helping Battered Women
Amanda Sanderson
Greg Sands
Sandra Schlosser
Don Schramm
Paula Schramm
David Shiman
Ellen Schwartz
Natalie Seelig
Megan Sheehan
Sophia Shems
Rebecca Sheppard
Patricia Shine, Lyndon State College Professor
Griffin Shumway
Kyle Silliman-Smith
Lindsay Simpson, Vermont Public Health Association
Susan Skolnick
Ivan Smith
Jennifer Smith
Ikey Spear, Women Helping Battered Women
Moise St. Louis, Educator
Carmyn Stanko, UE Local 267
Kevin Stewart
Representative Tom Stevens
Brandon Stroup
Sarah Suscinski
Alison Sylvester
Linda Tarr-Whelan
Mason Taylor
Kimberly Thevenet, Women Helping Battered Women
Catherine Thomas
Nina Thompson
Christina Tran
Karen Tronsgard-Scott
Julie Theoret
Dwight Tuinstra
Judith Unger Murphy
Edwin Wageman
Jessica Walker
Goldie Watson
Reed Webster
Marlene Wein
Joyce Werntgen
K.C. Whiteley
Sue Prent
Paij Wadley-Bailey
Marian Wagner
Michael Walker, Teamsters Local 597 CCTA Bus Driver
Nancy Welch
Susan Werntgen
Willow Wheelock
Bill White
Chris Wilusz
Kellyann Wolfe
Dana Woodruff
Lynn Wurzburg, Umbrella
Barbara Wynroth
Representative Michael Yantachka
Judith Yarnall
Dinah Yessne