Category Archives: “Right To Work”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SO-CALLED “RIGHT-TO-WORK” DEFEATED

Posted on by

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: February 16, 2017

Contact: Alan Raff, (603) 714-0258

New Hampshire AFL-CIO Reacts to House Vote on “Right to Work”

Concord – Following the House vote on so-called “Right to Work” today, Glenn Brackett, President of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO made the following statement: 

“Today a bi-partisan majority confirmed that ‘Right to Work’ is still wrong for New Hampshire, and this vote should be the final nail in the coffin.  Across the Granite State, working people stood together against this corporate-backed legislation that would cripple our ability to speak up on job. We thank the legislators who let workers’ voices rise above special interests’.”

###

 

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post

ICYMI: Right to Work Supporter Admits “Right to Work” is About Killing Unions

Posted on by
 

 
ICYMI: Right to Work Supporter Admits “Right to Work” is About Killing Unions
 
 

Jim Roche, President of the NH Business and Industry Association admits that so-called “Right-to-Work” is really about destroying unions. Tell you legislator to oppose Right to Work! http://bit.ly/NHrtw

 

 

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post

New Hampshire Working Families Deal So-Called “Right-to-Work” Legislation Its First Blow

Posted on by

New Hampshire Working Families Deal So-Called “Right-to-Work” 
Legislation Its First Blow In House Labor Committee Vote
 
 
Today, New Hampshire working families from across the Granite State stood together to protect workers from legislation that would have lowered their wages and exposed them to more dangerous work environments. The New Hampshire AFL-CIO would like to thank the 14 (ITL: 14/OTP: 7) members of the Committee that voted to defeat both the House and Senate versions of this deceptive “Right-to-Work” Legislation. Your support is not only appreciated but essential to defending our state against this anti-worker legislation.
 
 

Following today’s public hearing in the New Hampshire House of Representatives’ Labor Committee, New Hampshire labor leaders spoke out on the ant-worker legislation.

Glenn Brackett, President of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO: “The New Hampshire AFL-CIO was proud to stand with hundreds of working people across the state who are fighting to protect their rights at work. This legislation is an attack on working families by out-of-state special interests seeking to lower wages for everyone and undermine worker protections. The proponents of this legislation are playing politics with the future of our workforce, and New Hampshire working families deserve better.”

Richard Gulla, President of SEA/SEIU Local Union 1984: “So-called right to work has no place in the Granite State, and I’m proud we were able to pack this hall today with those who agree. Both of these bills are tired, recycled legislation that does nothing for the real problems facing our state. We need the House to reject these bills so we can get down to working together on legislation that helps – not hurts – New Hampshire families.”

Sarah Hirsch, President of the University of New Hampshire Lecturers Union: “The families of New Hampshire want the college students to be solidly prepared and ready to enter good careers. To do this, the faculty who teach and mentor them need to be protected, have job stability and security, good benefits, and a say in their working conditions!  Weakening unions ultimately weakens higher education, undercutting the development of a skilled workforce for New Hampshire at a time when we need more competitive workers in the state.”  

Frank Moroney, Executive Director AFSCME Council 93: “It’s a powerful statement that a majority of legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, voted against so-called “Right to Work” today. They stood together because they know protecting our right to speak up together on the job shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Right to Work would hurt working families across the Granite State, and we’ll continue to fight against this legislation as it moves to the House floor.”

Dennis Caza, President of Teamsters Local Union 633: “Today, hundreds of our brothers and sisters stood in Solidarity to defend the rights of New Hampshire’s workers. We hope that we have sent a message to the legislature that so-called “Right-to-Work” is not the solution that New Hampshire working families need. In the coming days, we urge workers in every industry across the state to contact their legislators and let them know that this so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation is wrong for New Hampshire.”

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post

Senator Lou D’Allesandro Slams “Right-to-Work” Supporters For Not Listening To Concerned Citizens

Posted on by
Senator Lou D’Allesandro Slams “Right-to-Work” Supporters 
For Not Listening To Concerned Citizens
 
 
 

Senator Lou D’Allesandro has always stood with New Hampshire working families. His words on the Senate floor regarding the Senate Commerce Committee’s decision to immediately vote to pass SB11-FN (so-called “Right-to-Work”) out of committee before reading or researching any of the submitted testimony show that he understands the importance of unions to a prosperous middle class in the Granite State. Sadly a majority of his fellow Senators don’t care about good wages and benefits for the working class and passed the bill 12-11. 

The New Hampshire AFL-CIO would like to thank those Senators who voted to defeat the fraudulently-labeled “Right-to-Work” bill in the Senate.

We will need your assistance, voice, and leadership to defeat this in the House of Representatives.

 

For more information on the fraudulently labeled “Right-to-Work” legislation, CLICK HERE

 

Find your State Representative and contact them to let them know that

 

so-called “Right-to-Work” is STILL wrong for New Hampshire working families

 

 

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post

Joint Statement of the NH Labor Leaders Following the Senate Passage of So-called “Right-to-Work” Legislation

Posted on by

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:          Alan Raff
                        araff@nhaflcio.org
                        (603) 714-0258

 

January 19, 2017
 
Joint Statement of the leaders of New Hampshire AFL-CIO and its affiliates,
the National Education Association of New Hampshire, the State Employees Association,
the New Hampshire Carpenters, and the New Hampshire Teamsters 
following the Senate passage of so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation

Concord – “Today the New Hampshire Senate passed the so-called “Right-to-Work” bill.  This bill is not about improving New Hampshire’s economy or increasing the freedoms of any worker in the Granite State. Instead it is an attack on all working families by special interests seeking to lower wages for everyone and undermine worker protections. This bill is designed to do one thing and one thing only:  limit employees’ ability to advocate on behalf of what’s best for their families and communities. 
This bill will silence the teachers who advocate on behalf of smaller class sizes for our children, the transportation employees who negotiate for the equipment they need to keep the roads clear after a blizzard and the police and firefighters who negotiate for the staffing levels they need to keep us safe. It would take away the voices of tradespeople like ironworkers, pipe-fitters and line workers who negotiate the safety standards that keep entire industries safe.
When working people aren’t able to have a voice in what’s best for our communities, we all lose.
New Hampshire deserves real solutions to real problems, not attempts to limit working people’s voice in their communities.  The legislature was elected to advocate for the best interests of all New Hampshire working families, and we urge them to remember that. As the bill moves to the House we’ll continue to do what we’ve always done: Stand with working families across the state to create a New Hampshire that works for everyone.”

###

 

 

 

 

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post

For NH Workers Facing Impending “Right to Work” Fight, Solidarity Has Never Been More Important

Posted on by

 

 

Brothers & Sisters,

 

As we begin the process of swearing in the winners of November’s election, I know that many of us feel discouraged and tired. Members across New England dedicated thousands of hours of their time to advocate for the election of leaders that would stand up for New Hampshire working families. In an election year where the entire country experienced a wave of GOP wins on the state and federal level, New Hampshire once again defied the norm and will be sending an all female Democratic delegation to Washington D.C.

Unfortunately, despite your tireless effort put into our Labor 2016 election campaign, we are faced with a New Hampshire Republican Party control of our legislature and the Governor’s Office. Although many of us are tired from a hard fought and seemingly endless campaign, we must stay active. We must stay engaged. And most of all, we must stay united. 

Governor-elect Sununu has already publicly stated (more than once) that Right to Work legislation is at the top of his agenda. Make no mistake, unless we come together and fight, New Hampshire will be a Right to Work state. Despite the misleading name, so-called “Right to Work” laws do not guarantee anyone a job and do not protect workers’ rights. Right to Work laws prohibit trade unions from collecting fees to cover the cost of contract administration from employees who benefit from the protections of a collective bargaining agreement, but do not join the union. There are different versions of Right to Work legislation, but all Right to Work laws are designed to limit the power of labor unions, and the workers they represent, to negotiate for better pay and working conditions. While supporters typically claim that Right to Work laws are necessary to attract new businesses and increase employment opportunities, rigorous economic studies have failed to validate such claims.

The labor community in the Granite State has an obligation to the rest of New Hampshire working families to fight Right to Work legislation using all of the resources and allies we can organize. And we cannot afford to wait until the new legislative session starts and the Governor-elect becomes Governor. We must start to lay the plans for our opposition today!

As Governor, Chris Sununu will not only have the help of a Republican controlled legislature, but also the help of dark money Super PACs such as those funded by the Koch Brothers and other conservative millionaires. Well-funded Right to Work proponents like the National Right to Work Committee, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Americans for Prosperity will be spending millions of dollars to push an anti-labor agenda.

We all have connections to different allies and a wide variety of resources. The only way that New Hampshire will not become a Right to Work state is if we use our numbers and our voices to stand together, and stand up for New Hampshire working families.

Start talking to your colleagues, fellow members, family members, and friends about what we can do to protect New Hampshire workers and their families from the attacks that are sure to come this legislative session.

The New Hampshire AFL-CIO will stand with its fellow brothers and sisters in the rain, sleet, and snow to protect New Hampshire workers and their future. Let’s get to work!

 

For more information on Right to Work click here.

 

For more information on upcoming events regarding organizing our opposition to anti-union attacks, please continue to check our website or email araff@nhaflcio.org

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post

NH AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett Testifies In Opposition To HB 1341, Another Version of “Right To Work” Legislation

Posted on by

 

Yesterday New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett stood with numerous members of the New Hampshire labor community in opposition to HB 1341, a bill relative to employee payments to unions. HB 1341 is another attempt by the anti-union wing of the New Hampshire legislature to undermine the existence of organized labor in the Granite State. Below is an excerpt from President Brackett’s testimony:

“House Bill 1341 would establish a statutory right for all public and private sector workers, who are not union members but are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, to divert payment for the total amount of their union agency fees to a charity, for any personal reason, regardless of the negotiated terms of the agreement.

All New Hampshire employees covered under a collective bargaining contract already have a full legal right to redirect their union fees to charity based on legitimate religious objections. We are forced to conclude, therefore, that the true intent of House Bill 1341 is to weaken the collective voice of New Hampshire workers who benefit from representation by a labor union.”

House Bill 1341 is not a legitimate mechanism for increasing aid to charitable causes. To paraphrase William Shakespeare, so-called “right-to work” legislation called by any other name still smells like “right-to-work.” This bill, if passed, would allow those individuals that choose to have their union fees diverted to charity, to still take full advantage of the protections given by the union and collective bargaining agreement. The members that pay into their labor organization so that they can both protect and be protected in the workplace would be forced to shoulder the cost of those who opt out of the payments. This is not a fair burden to place on working families that already struggle to make ends meet and provide for their loved ones. 

 As New Hampshire
AFL-CIO President Brackett put it:

“House Bill 1341 offers no meaningful benefits to New Hampshire’s economy, workers or businesses. I urge members of the committee to vote this legislation ‘Inexpedient to Legislate.’”

Share this New Hampshire AFL-CIO Labor News Post