This randomized phase III trial studies sargramostim or vaccine therapy alone to see how well they work compared to sargramostim and vaccine therapy together in preventing disease recurrence in patients with melanoma that has been removed by surgery. Sargramostim may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Vaccines made from peptides may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known whether yeast derived sargramostim and vaccine therapy are more effective alone or together in preventing recurrence of melanoma.