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This week and next week the House will not be in session, due to school winter vacations, though the Senate is holding sessions and many committee hearings continue to be held.  So, business continues to be done, though we are in a bit of a pause in the House, before the deluge of bills hits the floor on March 8 & 9.  Due to the pause, and  trying to closely monitor committee actions, this bulletin is intended to provide a snapshot of where we are and what lies ahead the next few weeks. 

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Roll Call Vote on SB 11 (Defeat of Right to Work)

Please take a moment to review the roll call of the state state representatives' vote on defeat of so-called Right to Work.  A "yea" vote was for defeat of RTW. If you click on the name, you can find the contact information for your representative. Please send a thank you note or give them a call and let them know their vote in support of working families is appreciated.

ROLL CALL VOTE ON DEFEAT OF RTW

Yesterday was a good day, a very good day for us in the NH House.  As you most likely know by now, a coalition of Democrats and courageous Republican representatives thwarted out-of-state corporate interests and defeated so-called ‘right to work’ legislation (SB 11) on a 200-177 vote.  Defying Governor Sununu and his anti-worker agenda, Representatives also blocked Republican plans to bring forward another so-called ‘right to work’ bill in March, thereby effectively killing the issue for the next two years.  This was a hard-fought victory, produced by the hard work of a broad coalition of labor unions, faith-based and community action organizations working together, designing an effective strategy, and carrying it out through the work of thousands of individuals writing and calling their State Representatives.  The parliamentary maneuvers on the floor of the House were carried out with nary a hitch, but it all would be for naught without the work of so many of you.  Thank you!

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Statement by AFT-NH President Douglas Ley on Defeat of Right to Work

BOW, NH      FEBRUARY 16, 2017


AFT-NH President Douglas Ley released the following statement on the defeat of so-called Right to Work by the New Hampshire House.


“We are extremely pleased that the NH House defeated Right to Work by a 200-177 vote today. The defeat of this bill was the result of cooperation across party lines and hard work by our members, fellow union brothers and sisters in the labor movement and community allies. The actions by the NH House today puts to bed this divisive legislation for at least another 2 years. We thank legislators who stood with working families.”

AFT-NH represents approximately 4,000 teachers, school support staff, city and town employees, police officers, library employees, and higher education faculty. AFT-NH is a member of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO and is the state affiliate for the American Federation of Teachers with more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, 43 state affiliates, and more than 1.3 million members.


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                                                AFT-NH Statement on Confirmation of Frank Edelblut for Commissioner of Education

Bow, NH     FEBRUARY 15, 2017

AFT-NH President Douglas Ley released the following statement on the confirmation of  Frank Edelblut as Commissioner of Education.

“We are disappointed that a majority of the Executive Council did not listen to voices of thousands of parents and educators across the state or to the concerns expressed by the NH Board of Education about the appointment of Frank Edelblut as our next Commissioner of Education. We remain gravely concerned

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Bow, NH - February 10, 2017 


Besides the snowstorms this week, the big news out of Concord is the current status of ‘right to work’ legislation, legislative action on the NH Retirement System, and the continuing saga of Frank Edelblut as NH’s own version of Betsy DeVos.

‘Right to Work’:  The House Labor Committee held its mandatory hearing on so-called ‘right to work’ legislation this past Wednesday, a marathon hearing stretching from 10am until past 5 pm.  Hundreds packed Reps Hall in the State House, and most of those who testified did so in opposition to so-called ‘right to work.’ There were

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