Collective bargaining changes pass NH House

By TOM FAHEY
State House Bureau Chief
Thursday, Mar. 31, 2011

CONCORD – The House approved a key piece of its budget package that would make deep cuts to social and health programs, and includes a controversial change to collective bargaining laws.
Republicans rejected a series of attempts by Democrats to lessen the dramatic changes in House Bill 2 (click to see bill text and roll call votes) and passed it, 222-119. The bill would make public workers at-will employees if their contracts end before a new one is in place. The change to collective bargaining, actively opposed by labor, was a late addition to the bill.
The budget, which the House has cut to a nearly $10.2 billion spending package, will be voted on today. The total spending level is $743 million less than the current two-year budget. HB 2 makes the changes in law needed to put the new budget in effect.
HB 2 would eliminate a $7 million program meant to help troubled children in need of services, cut services for the elderly and disabled, cut $115 million in funding to cover hospital charity care, limit the role of the Attorney General's Office, reinforce public pension system changes, freeze school building aid for two years, lock in education aid at this year's level, lock in reduced aid to local government, close the Department of Cultural Resources and require a managed-care system for Medicaid, among other things.
The full bill has 465 sections and covers 136 pages.
Ranks of state workers, firefighters and police listened for nearly an hour late Wednesday as the House debated the change in bargaining laws. The House defeated a move to kill the change, 201-155.

Kensington police Chief Wayne Sheehan, left, was among the municipal employees who were at the State House in protest of anti-union provisions in the House's budget proposal. (THOMAS ROY)

The Senate must approve the provision for it to become law.
Gov. John Lynch opposes the measure. His press secretary, Colin Manning, said it "completely eliminates collective bargaining for public employees, and that's why he opposes it."

More than 400 union members showed up last week when the at-will provision went into the budget. A State House rally today is expected to draw thousands of union members, social service clients, church members and others protesting the budget .
Republicans differed on why the provision was introduced. House Deputy Whip Rep. Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson, said it is needed to make it easier for local government to reach deals with workers. He denied labor's claims that the bill will mean the end of collective bargaining.
Rep. Neal Kurk, R-Weare, who sponsored the change, said it was to make the state budget balance, because the state needs to save $50 million in health benefits for state workers.
"We need to put pressure on state employees' unions for concessions," he said.
Rep. Ben Baroody, D-Manchester, said Republicans short-circuited the legislative process by including a major change to state law in the budget bill at the last minute.
"This is a policy change that shouldn't come in after hours during the budget process when nobody is around. This is wrong. It's not the way we do business," Baroody said.
Union officials said they'll fight the change when it gets to the Senate.
"It's a sad day for workers. It's a sad day for the public sector, but we're certainly not done by any stretch of the imagination," AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie said.
David Lang, president of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire, said Republicans who spoke on the bill misled listeners on the impact the bill would have on every public worker.
"They should be ashamed of themselves," he said. "This bill will end collective bargaining, and it destroys the public sector."
Democrats tried unsuccessfully to restore $115 million the budget takes from hospitals to provide charity care; to restore the CHINS program for children in need of services; and to protect funding for the 10-year highway plan. The GOP majority rejected them all.
The House easily passed an $89 million capital budget that pays for repairs and upgrades to state buildings and properties, including community colleges and courthouses.
The total is 9 percent below what Gov. Lynch requested, and will leverage up to $78 million in federal funds.
Capital spending will include money that will pay for the E-Court initiative, which would bring electronic filing and access to court documents. It also includes $2 million to purchase 34 or more homes flooded and still threatened by the Suncook River.