Reprinted from a Teamsters press release by its staff on June 4, 2021.
New Hampshire Teamsters are celebrating a state House vote Friday night that rejected so-called right-to-work (RTW) legislation that would have weakened workers and their unions in the Granite State, a long-time goal of corporations and their elected cronies.
In a 199-175 bipartisan vote, lawmakers turned back an effort backed by big business that would have drained union coffers by forcing them to represent bargaining unit members not paying fair-share fees. That, in turn, would leave less funds for other essential union duties like organizing and negotiating good contracts. As part of the vote, the Legislature cannot consider RTW again for another two years unless it gets two-thirds of lawmakers to agree to alter the rules.
Teamsters Local 633 Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Padellaro stated, “This was a total team effort. All hands on deck. In the mid-term elections there was a major shift in power that allowed the anti-worker governor to advance his agenda which included right to work (for less) among his top priorities. I am proud to say that our Teamsters Local 633 Political Action Committee headed up by President Kevin Foley was up to task. We brought the fight to those anti-union, anti-working family legislators who were funded by out of state corporate interests, and in the end good solid boots on the ground organizing and the unity and solidarity of the New Hampshire Labor movement will win every time.” …
