CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire House Labor Committee held a public hearing on HB 1377, the latest attempt to push so-called “right-to-work” legislation in a state that has rejected similar attempts multiple times.
At the time of the public hearing, 887 individuals had signed in to oppose “Right-to-Work”; 29 individuals had signed in to support HB 1377.
In response to HB 1377, labor groups issued the following statements:
“While out-of-state billionaires and DC lobbyists continue to enlist legislators to introduce identical bills, year in and year out, our elected representatives of both political parties have voted to defeat “Right-to-Work.” That is because it’s clear that New Hampshire’s government should not meddle in how private businesses in this state work together for their mutual benefit. Contracts between private employers and labor unions are business-to-business agreements that this legislature should leave to the Free Market,” said Glenn Brackett, New Hampshire AFL-CIO President.
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, stated: “Time and time again this legislation has been rejected under Republican and Democrat controlled legislatures and governors. NEA-New Hampshire continues to oppose this bill because we know what right-to-work legislation is. It is not about worker freedom; it is simply an attempt by certain monied interests to weaken unions and it is a slippery slope. The proponents who continue to push this bill have one mission – to dismantle unions and limit the rights of workers in our country, both union and non-union.”
“Right-to-Work continues to be, and always will be, wrong for New Hampshire! HB 1377-FN interferes with the freedom to negotiate and engage in collective bargaining and resolves a problem which simply does not exist. Statute already prohibits requiring union membership as a condition of employment, and every potential employee already has the right to decide to accept a job, with all the conditions and requirements laid out by the employer, which in this case, could include support for maintaining the mutually-agreed-upon collective bargaining agreement,” said Deb Howes, AFT-NH President. “Simply put, Right to Work is government interference in the workplace by putting the state in the middle of the relationship between the employer and the employees.”
Rich Gulla, SEA/SEIU Local 1984 President, commented, “In essence, Right-to-Work undermines the democratic freedoms and constitutional rights of employees, a stance that every legislator in New Hampshire should reject. These laws strip away workers’ freedoms and flexibility, sacrificing both job security and benefits. Implementing Right-to-Work intensifies the challenges faced by struggling working-class families rather than alleviating them. Our responsibility is to champion the interests of working individuals and their families throughout New Hampshire, aiming to simplify, not complicate, their lives in both residence and employment.”
David Spechulli, New Hampshire Building and Constructions Trades Council President added: “‘Right-to-Work’ will strip workers of the protections afforded to them by agreements made between two private business entities, and as we have seen in other states that have passed similar laws, it will also lower wages and endanger worker safety and health by destroying the mechanisms we have built for training and employing these highly skilled workers.”
“These “Right-to-Work” bills are nothing more than out-of-state, corporate interests looking to take advantage of our lawmakers, our businesses, and our workers,” stated David Pelletier, United Association Business Manager. “They deprive workers of their freedom to join together and form strong unions if they choose to. And they have no business being a part of how we do things here in New Hampshire.”
“This year’s version of “Right-to-Work” is no different than those that a bipartisan coalition of our elected leaders have fought against and defeated in the past. It is an effort to diminish the rights and protections of New Hampshire working families, and would require that unions provide services to individuals that are not members, at no cost, which no legitimate business would ever agree to do,” said Richard Laughton, Teamsters Local 633 Business Agent.
Caron Reese, Ironworkers Local 7 (New Hampshire & Northern Vermont) Business Agent said: “This “Right-to-Work” bill, and the identical Senate version (Senate Bill 516-FN), allows the government to dictate how workers and employers should conduct business together. Workers in New Hampshire deserve the right to sit at the table and bargain for a fair contract without governmental interference. This intrusion in the workplace from the state legislature goes against the values of the Granite State by infringing on the freedoms of our hard-working families.”
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