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H 173

An act relating to granting public higher education employees the right to strike

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Conor Casey and 1 co-sponsor

H.173 would grant public higher education employees in Vermont the right to strike, establishing a framework for exercising and regulating that right.

Read first time and referred to the Committee on General and Housing
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Bill Summary · H 173

Bill overview

H.173 (2025-2026) from Vermont would grant public higher education employees the right to strike. The bill has been introduced and assigned to the Committee on General and Housing, with two co-sponsors: Troy Headrick and Conor Casey. It was read for the first time on February 11, 2025.

Main purpose and intent

  • Establishes the right of public higher education employees to engage in strike activity.
  • Aims to provide a mechanism for workforce bargaining leverage in public colleges and universities by allowing employees to withhold labor under a protected right to strike, subject to applicable conditions and restrictions outlined in the bill.

Key provisions and changes

  • Recognizes a right to strike for public higher education employees (e.g., faculty, staff) employed by public institutions of higher education in Vermont.
  • Likely outlines procedures to exercise the right (notice requirements, duration, and permissible types of strike actions), although specific procedural details are not provided in the available summary.
  • May address related labor rights protections, including employer obligations, collective bargaining processes, and potential anti-strike retaliation protections.
  • Possible incorporation of limits to strikes during certain critical periods or essential services, consistent with common labor law practices, but exact language is not provided in the summary.

Note: The provided information does not include the full text, so exact thresholds (e.g., notice periods, safe harbors, penalties, or exemptions) are not specified here. Reading the bill text will clarify specific operational provisions and any exemptions or statutory safeguards.

Who would be affected

  • Public higher education employees in Vermont (including faculty and staff) who are represented by labor organizations or unions.
  • Public colleges and universities in Vermont, including their human resources, administration, and bargaining units.
  • Potentially the state or public higher education system as an employer subject to new bargaining and labor actions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Current status: Read first time and referred to the Committee on General and Housing (as of February 11, 2025).
  • Next steps likely include committee hearings, potential amendments, and floor debate before any final passage or veto actions.
  • If enacted, the bill would establish a new statutory framework within Vermont labor and employment law governing strikes by public higher education employees.

Potential impacts to monitor

  • Negotiation dynamics: How collective bargaining processes adapt to the right to strike, including strike authorization and settlement timelines.
  • Student impact: Effects on class schedules, campus services, and operations during strikes at public higher education institutions.
  • Fiscal considerations: Potential costs related to contract settlements, back pay, and operational disruptions.
  • Essential services: Any carve-outs or protections that designate certain campus operations as essential and exempt from strikes.

Summary

H.173 proposes to grant Vermont’s public higher education employees the right to strike, signaling a shift in labor relations within the state’s public colleges and universities. The bill outlines the framework for how this right would be exercised and regulated, with details to be provided in the full text and subsequent committee actions. Stakeholders include public higher education employees and their bargaining representatives, the institutions they work for, and the broader higher education community in Vermont.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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