Ranked forty-seventh for pay in the nation. High turnover, stagnant wages, and chronic staffing shortages — sound familiar?

You’d be forgiven for thinking these figures refer to the working conditions of West Virginia teachers, or those in any of the red states that erupted in strikes during this spring’s teacher rebellion. But, in fact, these figures describe the daily realities confronting nurses in none other than the widely hailed progressive state of Vermont.

On Thursday, 1,800 nurses and three hundred health professionals at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) began a two-day strike to demand more for themselves and their patients. At the center of the strike are issues related to safe staffing, competitive pay, and calls for a hospital-wide $15 minimum wage.