HOW TO REQUEST AID

What does Mutual Aid and Assistance do?

Mutual Aid / Assistance committee’s main charge is to facilitate members of our union coming together to support our own. This committee is designed to provide aid to SU members in response to need events: 

Financial Assistance* 
Emergency funds designed to bridge immediate need 
*Financial aid is restricted to UVMSU members only 

UVMSU Outreach
- Outreach from stewards
- Referral to other committees 

Organizing / Coordinating Logistics
- Group work projects 
- Food drives
- Fundraising

AND others
If there is a need event that is not addressed please contact us.

How does this process work?

Here is the process for requesting mutual aid and assistance. 

  1. Fill out our form. The form asks for a specific description of the need event and suggestions for how the committee could help. It has an option for emergency/urgent requests.

  2. The committee meets every 2 weeks to review non-urgent requests. 

  3. A member of the committee will check in with you within 2 business days of receiving the form. 

  4. The committee meets, discusses your application and potential actions, and votes. (The committee will always try to offer something even if it was not what was originally requested.)

  5. The committee expects to return decisions and actions within 4 weeks. (Some requests require a board vote which can take significantly longer.)

  6. Committee members will follow up to talk about specifics of the committee’s actions. 

Why did our union establish this committee?

Our union recognizes the importance of our community and we recognize that we have the responsibility to play an active role in protecting and supporting our community. 

We were inspired by recent events to ensure that our union has the structure and the capacity to support and protect our own during times of need. 

It is important to us as a union to be present for our member community all the time, not just during bargaining and activism.

What does involvement look like?

If you are interested in contributing to this work please contact us to sign up. 

The committee commitment looks like: 

  • Attend two hour-long meetings per month.

  • Reviewing requests from members and voting. 

  • Serving as point contact person for 1 week of the month, sending communications and monitoring submissions

Given the nature of this committee we ask that volunteers commit to at least 1 semester at a time.