A state lawmaker who is also on the board of the state employees association has a question for fellow union leaders about a document leaked to VTDigger.
“Anyone feeling guilty??” Rep. Robert Hooper, D-Burlington, wrote in an email Wednesday night to other members of the Vermont State Employees’ Association’s board of trustees.
Hooper sent the email at 11:39 p.m. Wednesday, characterizing it as “Just some late night ramblings” to his fellow union board members regarding a story appearing in VTDigger earlier that day.
The story dealt with a resolution adopted by the union’s board Monday condemning harassment and exploitation of “all people living and working in Vermont.”
Draft meeting minutes obtained by VTDigger revealed the board voted to remove references in that resolution to a prison scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse of inmates and drug use by corrections staff.
“Wondering who on the board thinks doing our business in the press is a viable recourse to working together with the members,” Hooper wrote in his Wednesday night email obtained Thursday by VTDigger.
“Is anyone questioning that draft minutes are indeed draft and not subject to publication until reviewed and voted on by the board??” he added.
Hooper also wrote that he had “NO” problem defending his vote to amend the initial resolution that “cast a dark light” on all corrections employees, rather than “just the rotten apples.”
He added that those corrections workers convicted of abuse “deserve to hear the locking of the door, from inside the cell.”
Hooper urged his fellow board members to reflect on the oath they took as board members and they should be “one team sitting at that table,” with “no games” or private agendas.
“Anyone feeling guilty?? Anyone feeling self righteous? Just some late night ramblings,” he wrote.
Hooper said Thursday he stands behind his vote to amend the initial resolution presented to the board, removing any reference to the corrections system.
“I thought as written it was sort of an indictment of everybody who worked in corrections,” Hooper said. “Clearly there’s a problem in corrections, but the problem is not limited to corrections.”
Speaking about his late night email, Hooper said, “I have a specific problem with people who think that airing dirty laundry in public is a way to rectify a problem they are having.”
The initial resolution stated that several reports had “come to light in December 2019 detailing a pervasive culture of sexual harassment and exploitation in Vermont’s prison system.”
The resolution added the VSEA board of trustees “condemns the sexual harassment and exploitation of all people living and working in Vermont’s prison system.”
Hooper, a past president of the VSEA, proposed an amendment that was ultimately approved by the board on a 9-6 vote to delete the words “pervasive culture of.”
Trustee Joseph Silvestri made his own move to amend the resolution, calling for the deletion of all references to Vermont’s prison system. The proposal changed the wording to “Vermont’s workforce” or “Vermont,” according to the draft minutes. The vote on that amendment was closer, narrowly passing by one vote.
Steve Howard, VSEA executive director, said Thursday he had not seen the email sent Wednesday night by Hooper, but had heard about it. Hooper sent the email to board members and wrote in it that he specifically did not send it to VSEA staff.
Howard said he agreed that the release of the draft minutes was “inappropriate,” since other board members had not yet had a chance to review them and adopt them, which typically takes place at the board’s next meeting.
The union posted a final approved resolution to its website Thursday, reflecting the changes made during the Monday meeting.
Attempts this week to reach other union board members, including board President David Bellini, were not successful.
Howard said he expected that the issue of the disclosure of the draft meeting minutes to VTDigger would be brought up the board’s next meeting.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Lawmaker blasts whoever leaked union document.