2 UVM Medical Center unions vote to authorize strike

Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Nicole DiVita, right, and Jacob Berkowitz, president of UVMMC Support Staff United, pictured on Oct. 2. Photo by Olivia Gieger/VTDigger

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/IMG_0558-1200x900.jpg?crop=1" /> Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Nicole DiVita, right, and Jacob Berkowitz, president of UVMMC Support Staff United, pictured on Oct. 2. Photo by Olivia Gieger/VTDigger

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BURLINGTON — Two UVM Medical Center unions said Friday they have voted to authorize a strike.

The vote gives the union leadership the authority to call for a strike and begin the legal notification process before staff officially take to the picket line. Union representatives said that 82% of voting members cast ballots in favor of authorizing the strike.

The support staff and technical staff unions, which represent 3,300 members and have been jointly bargaining over their two separate contracts, are asking the medical center for more say over staffing levels as the hospital network undergoes layoffs and restructuring to meet tight financial pressures.

Last week, the hospital’s bargaining team gave the union its “last, best and final” offer, which in turn initiated the weeklong vote surrounding strike approval. The two groups have been in negotiations since April.

The hospital network did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story will be updated.

Read the story on VTDigger here: 2 UVM Medical Center unions vote to authorize strike.