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Right to Work (for Less) is WRONG for New Hampshire

Governor Lynch has vetoed the so-called "Right to Work" bill. 

Overturning a veto requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Legislature. The House could have voted on the veto back in May.  However, House Speaker William O'Brien has postponed taking the vote, time and time again -- apparently because he did not believe he had the votes necessary to overturn the veto.

The House will be in session starting at 9:00 am on Wednesday, November 30th -- and Speaker O'Brien could take up the veto then.



Where is New Hampshire headed?

Do we want our state government telling private businesses how to deal with their employees? HB 474 would prohibit employers from including “agency fee” provisions in their union contracts – no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the employer wants. HB 474 takes this choice away from the employer; it tells private businesses that “The Legislature knows better than you do.”

Does our Legislature care more about a national special interest group than our own day-to-day reality? The National Right to Work Campaign is pushing this legislation – not just here, but also in Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, West Virginia, Missouri and Maine. Why is it suddenly a priority for our Legislature? New Hampshire’s Labor Commissioner George Copadis testified that he has spoken with 2,000 Granite State business owners in the past six years – and not a single one of them has asked for this type of legislation to be passed.

What type of jobs do we want in New Hampshire?

  • Do we want jobs with low wages? The average worker in states with “right to work” (for less) laws makes $5,538 a year less than workers in other states ($39,169, compared with $44,707). HB 474 would leave workers with less money to spend in local stores – which will hurt the economic recovery.
     
  • Do we want jobs without health insurance? Families in “right to work” (for less) states are about 25% more likely to be uninsured. HB 474 would force many families to turn to state assistance programs and municipal welfare offices for help.
     
  • Do we want unsafe workplaces? The rate of workplace deaths is 52.9% higher in states with “right to work” (for less) laws. Is this what we want for New Hampshire?

 

Want to know more?

Read the SEA press release here.
Read an op-ed by former Rep. Mark Hounsell, who once sponsored Right-to-Work legislation here.
Read testimony by University of Oregon Professor Gordon Lafer here.
Read testimony by Northeastern Law School Professor Karl E. Klare here.
Read "Right to Work - Wrong for New Hampshire" from the Economic Policy Institute here.


Please tell your Representatives and your Senator that this is not the direction New Hampshire should be headed in.

  If you want to call or write your Legislators, contact information is available here. (Please remember to use your home or personal cell phone only, when calling legislators.)

  If you want to send your Legislators an email through our on-line system, click here. (Please remember to use your home computer and personal email address only.)