SB 216

The following piece appeared in the Union Leader. The approval of SB 216 would be pandering to the unions on the part of the legislators. State employees unionized for the first time under Commrade Lynch's tenure. Unions artificially hike salaries and increase the costs of government services. This bill must be defeated if we are to control statewide spending and keep New Hampshire's taxes low. Unions have destroyed the American textile industry and steel industry and they are on the verge of destroying the airlines and automobile industry.

The Democrats in charge clearly think their job is to pander to special interests groups rather than serving the best interest on New Hampshire residents/taxpayers/children and their live free and die spirit.


No bargain: Keep elections for public unions

23 hours, 57 minutes ago

THE STATE Employees Association already has the power to dock the pay of non-members and use their money for its own purposes. Now legislators are considering granting the association and other public employee unions the power to organize a collective bargaining unit by obtaining employee signatures. It is a serious transfer of power away from employees and to the unions.

Under current law, public employees must vote to unionize. Senate Bill 216 would revoke the employees' right to determine their representation by secret ballot. With a secret-ballot election, the fear of retaliation from either union bosses or managers is greatly mitigated. That is not the case with pledge cards or petitions.

Union bosses can intimidate employees into signing petitions or cards, which by their nature are not secret. Managers can intimidate employees into not signing them.

The current law, which calls for an election if 30 percent of a bargaining unit's employees petition for one, is far superior to the system presented in SB 216, which would take power from employees and give it to the unions. That is a bad deal for employees. Legislators need to kill the bill.