Can my current employer block my entry into working for others by telling them not to hire

Facts:
I am currently employed by a large corporation in Vermont and I have applied for jobs with another newly formed (competitor & partner) corporation locating in New York. Last week I received phone calls from the NY corporation inquiring of my interest and availability for interviews pertaining to 2 different jobs only to have a follow up phone call citing my current employer as one who had issued a moratorium for hiring their current employees. It seems that the leverage here is in effect from other areas of the business where partnerships may exist, but not directly linked to the area that I work in. There has been no “No compete” clause restriction for my area of business, but now it seems that it has magically appeared. I asked if I could still interview for the jobs that they said I was qualified for, but they said “No” due to the constraints put against them by high level administrators in my company and theirs.

I am clearly being denied the opportunity for “at will work” by the Vermont corporation and would like advice on how to quickly remedy this situation before the job opportunities and betterment of life quality are lost.