Put People First! Radio
26 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 9 years ago -Put People First! Radio tells the untold stories of everyday Vermonters, and reports on their struggles to organize for a government that puts people and the planet first. Put People First! Radio is a project of the Vermont Workers' Center. For more info, go to www.workerscenter.org/media/radio
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Episodes
Healthcare Is a Human Right! The Fight for Universal Healthcare in VT
August 29, 2014 00:00 - 11 minutes - 15.7 MBUnder the current health insurance system, many people are struggling because they do not have access to the health care that they need. The goal of health insurance providers is to maximize profits by charging a lot of money and limiting which services will be covered. With the high costs of health insurance, access to health care is available only to those who can afford it. Insurance also limits the treatments and services that the insurer will pay for, regardless of what type of ...
PSA: May 1st March and Day of Action for Health and Dignity in Vermont
April 07, 2014 00:00 - 1 minute - 1.38 MBMany people in Vermont are struggling to meet their fundamental needs and fulfill their human rights; such as housing, healthcare, education, livable wages, and paid sick days. Over the past year, we have seen these needs and rights come under attack. Decisions are being made that will affect our lives for years to come, and we aren’t given a seat at the table. This May 1st, come out to Montpelier to take part in a “health and dignity” march and day of action. On this day, we will c...
CCTA Drivers Strike for Fair Contract and Work with Dignity
March 27, 2014 00:00 - 5 minutes - 7.53 MBOn Monday, March 17th, CCTA bus drivers began their strike against unsafe working conditions and predatory management practices, like surveillance and unfair discipline, and the threat of part-time status. Drivers were joined by community members, union members, and many other supporters in an informational picket that demonstrated the strong support for the drivers from members of the community. Jim Foutz, a CCTA driver, spoke about the unsafe and unjust working conditions faced by ...
International Women's Day March PSA
February 19, 2014 00:00 - 1 minute - 944 KBWomen hold the majority of low wage, part-time, and temporary jobs, and make up nearly half of the nation’s workforce, yet about half of women continue to be denied crucial rights at work, including essential paid sick days. When women are denied these rights, our communities suffer. The proposed Earned Sick Days Bill would ensure that all workers in VT are able to take time off when they or a loved one are sick. To support paid sick days is to support women’s rights, work with dign...
Health and Dignity Day of Action
February 17, 2014 00:00 - 10 minutes - 9.98 MBOn Thursday, January 30th, over one hundred people gathered at the statehouse in Montpelier to support passing PSD legislation this year. With this proposed legislation, all workers would get one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked; up to seven sick days per year, which would allow them to take time off without having to lose wages. Many people testified before the House General Committee to share how they’ve struggled without paid sick days and to show legislators why paid ...
Migrant Justice - "Together for Dignity" Day of Action
January 27, 2014 00:00 - 7 minutes - 6.66 MBOn Friday January 17th, many people gathered at the DMV in Burlington and Montpelier to stand in solidarity with their immigrant neighbors in getting a driver’s privilege card. Last year, as a result of grassroots organizing across the state, migrant farm workers and allies came together and won the right to drivers licenses for all, regardless of immigration status. In order to make sure the driver’s privilege cards are not an indication of immigration status, allies came together t...
Day 1 - Legislative Kickoff
January 10, 2014 00:00 - 9 minutes - 8.64 MBOn Tuesday, January 7th, more than 100 people from across VT packed the statehouse in Montpelier to kick off the 2014 legislative session. The day began with a rally and press conference, lead by leaders of organizations such as Green Mountain Self Advocates, AFSCME, AFT, and the Vermont Workers’ Center, who spoke about winning our human right to dignified work by passing PSD legislation this year. To kick off the press conference, members delivered over 2,000 PSD petitions to leg...
Paid Sick Days Campaign
September 23, 2013 20:15 - 15 minutes - 14 MBHello and welcome to Put People First Radio! Put People First Radio tells the untold stories of everyday people in Vermont, and reports on their struggles to organize for a government that puts people and the planet first. In this episode, we’ll hear about the campaign for Paid Sick Days for all workers in Vermont. Stay tuned! Many people are working to make sure that everyone in Vermont gets paid sick days at work. More than 100,000 workers in Vermont do not receive paid sick d...
Stop Danilo's Deportation!
July 09, 2013 16:07 - 6 minutes - 5.95 MBOn Monday, June 24th, friends and supporters of Danilo Lopez gathered at the Charlotte Congregational Church to hear his story and to take action against his deportation. Many spoke about Danilo’s positive impact on the community and his diligence in fighting for human rights for all. Danilo was a leader in the passing of S.38, a bill that gives migrant workers the right to drivers licenses, and he has continued to be a human rights leader in the community. Although S.38 marks a tre...
F-35 Citizens' Hearing
June 17, 2013 21:36 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBOn Thursday May 30th, hundreds of Vermont residents participated in a citizens’ hearing surrounding the potential arrival of the F-35 aircraft in Burlington. Immediately after the Burlington airport was chosen as the base for the F-35 aircraft, Vermont residents came together to express their opposition. Many people expressed their concerns about the noise pollution that the jets would bring to their neighborhoods as well as the enormous costs and technical flaws of the aircraft. If...
2013 May 1st March & Day of Action
May 10, 2013 03:36 - 9 minutes - 8.45 MBThousands of people across Vermont marched to the statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday May 1st to participate in a day of action. The day was organized by the Put People First Campaign, which is building a movement for human rights and democracy in Vermont. Members from many different organizations and groups such as Migrant Justice, Vermont Early Educators United, environmental justice groups, homecare workers, students, children and families gathered to participate in the action...
May 1st March and Day of Action!
April 09, 2013 12:37 - 9 minutes - 939 KBMany people in Vermont are struggling to meet their fundamental needs, such as housing, healthcare, education, work with dignity, and healthy foodOver the past year, we have also seen many of the basic programs that our families and communities depend on come under attack. Major decisions are being made that will affect our lives for years to come, and we dont have a seat at the table. This May 1st, come out to Montpelier for a march and day of action to Put People First - as we ...
Driving Towards Human Rights- Testimony on S. 38
March 19, 2013 01:33 - 5 minutes - 5.04 MBOn Thursday March 14th, the Vermont Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on S. 38, legislation that would permit all Vermont residents to be able to obtain drivers licenses, including undocumented farmworkers. The room was packed with Migrant Justice members and supporters. Danilo Lopez, a leader in Migrant Justice, testified to the ways that a lack of freedom of movement affects farmworkers. Danilo also spoke about the ways that having a drivers license would be a step ...
"The Budget is a Moral Document" - 2014 Vermont Budget Hearings
February 19, 2013 05:02 - 5 minutes - 4.59 MBOn Monday February 11th, the Vermont House and Senate appropriations committee held hearings on the proposed 2014 state budget through Vermont Interactive Television. People from all across the state testified to how the current state budget is not putting people first. Many people also spoke out against the governor’s proposed cuts to Reach Up and the Earned Income Tax Credit. The governor is proposing cuts to both these vital programs instead of raising revenue on the wealthies...
People's Budget Address
January 31, 2013 13:41 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBOn Wednesday January 24th, the Put People First campaign read the People’s Budget Address at the Vermont Statehouse, prior to the Vermont Governor’s state budget address. The People’s Budget Address calls for a state budget that first determines the needs of the people of Vermont, and then proposes raising money equitably to meet those needs. In addition, the address talked about the importance of equity in healthcare financing, based on the idea that people must be able to get wha...
Day 1 Put People First Rally
January 15, 2013 04:48 - 6 minutes - 5.69 MBOn the first day of the legislative session this year, a unified, diverse, and growing movement of organizations called Put People First packed the Vermont Statehouse. Put People First believes Vermont can and must protect and fulfill the human rights of all its people, while ensuring a healthy and livable environment. The movement unveiled its Put People First Agenda and delivered thousands of postcards collected over the past year to legislators, showing the breadth of statewide su...
People's Budget Hearings
December 04, 2012 06:35 - 10 minutes - 9.6 MBIn the 2012 Vermont legislative session, the People’s Budget Campaign organized for an amendment to the state budget bill which established for the very first time the purpose of the state budget. The 2012 budget bill stated that the budget’s purpose is to “to address the needs of the people of Vermont in a way that advances human dignity and equity." and that "Spending and revenue policies will . . . recognize every person's need for health, housing, dignified work, education, food,...
Governors Conference and the People's Convention
August 09, 2012 17:54 - 8 minutes - 7.56 MBOn Sunday July 29th, hundreds of people turned out in Burlington VT to protest a closed door conference of governors and premiers from New England and Canada. Groups from across the region came together to tell elected officials loud and clear that governments must be accountable and transparent, and must both protect our human rights as well as the environment. Many groups were there to speak out against the tar sands pipeline proposed to be built across New England, and to draw con...
People's Convention for Human Rights
July 26, 2012 18:43 - 1 minute - 940 KBThis labor day weekend, come out to the People’s Convention for Human Rights in Burlington, VT. The People’s Convention will explore how we can work together to fight for our human rights, a healthy environment, dignity for everyone and real democracy. The People’s Convention will include workshops, kids activities, music, art, street theater, food and much much more. Saturday night of the Convention, be sure to come down to Battery Park for music and food to celebrate the 60th an...
May 1st- Put People First March and Rally
May 04, 2012 17:49 - 10 minutes - 9.16 MBThis May 1st, as part of a national day of action thousands of people in Vermont converged on the Statehouse in Montpelier to connect the struggles for universal healthcare, education, housing, childcare, workers' rights, women's rights, disability rights, migrant justice and a healthy environment and livable planet into one huge march and rally.
HUGE March and Rally--May 1st, 2012
April 03, 2012 13:09 - 2 minutes - 1.97 MBJoin us for the biggest weekday rally Montpelier has ever seen! This May 1st, come out to the Put People First March & Rally: One Movement for People & the Planet. As part of a national day of action thousands of Vermonters will converge on the Statehouse in Montpelier to connect our struggles for universal healthcare, education, housing, childcare, workers' rights, women's rights, disability rights, migrant justice and a healthy environment and livable planet into one huge march an...
Town Meeting Day
March 09, 2012 04:42 - 8 minutes - 7.9 MBThis town meeting day 2012, members of the Vermont Workers' Center organized at over fifty town meetings all across Vermont, talking with people about healthcare, the proposed post office closings, and the People's Budget Campaign. To find out more, check out our blog post about town meeting day: www.workerscenter.org/townmeeting2012
People's Budget Campaign
February 15, 2012 21:05 - 8 minutes - 7.96 MBOn February 13, 2012 over 150 people with the Put People First Campaign turned out to Vermont Interactive Television sites to speak at the state budget hearings for the Joint Legislative Appropriations Committees. People testified sharing their personal stories. Their message to legislators was that we're here together to do the hard work of transforming the way our state creates its budget to build a system that puts people first and meets all our human rights. In addition, VWC mem...
Put People First Community Meetings
February 02, 2012 05:42 - 8 minutes - 7.83 MBAs part of the Put People First Campaign, organizing committees of the Vermont Workers' Center are holding community meetings all across the state. At these meetings, everyday Vermonters are talking about the struggles they are facing with meeting their fundamental needs, such as housing, healthcare, education, jobs with dignity, childcare, and healthy food. Members of the Campaign talk about why so many of our communities' needs are not being met, and why we need to organize to st...
Save our Post Office! USPS White River Junction Processing & Distribution Center Hearing
January 06, 2012 18:27 - 8 minutes - 7.88 MBThe United States Postal Service is proposing to close down the Processing and Distribution Center in White River Junction, VT. The result will be the loss of 245 jobs from White River Junction, as well as a serious degradation of postal services in the area. On Wednesday January 4th, people from all across the state came to White River Junction to tell the USPS management that our postal service is a public good and must be protected. Listen to find out more! Also, go to htt...
Vermont Workers' Center & Put People First! Campaign Rally at Day 1 of Legislative Session
January 04, 2012 20:42 - 3 minutes - 2.81 MBThe Vermont Workers' Center and the Put People First! Campaign rallied at the first day of the Vermont 2012 legislative session to demand that human rights and needs are put first. Listen to the report to find out more!