CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Members of a labor union representing most of New Hampshire's 11,000 state workers are being urged by their leaders to ratify a contract agreement reached with the governor's office last month.
The Collective Bargaining Senate of the State Employees' Association voted Monday night to recommend that workers approve the contract, which contains no cost of living raises but would give workers a greater say on health care issues. The contract is one of three tentative agreements Democratic Gov. John Lynch announced in July that together would save the state nearly $50 million and avert the need to lay off potentially 500 workers in September.
SEA President Diana Lacey said the agreement demonstrates the union's commitment to preserving jobs, quality health care and workers' rights.
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"Collective bargaining in this state does work. You can work on both sides and achieve great outcomes," she said. "These are tough times, and we are committed to saving jobs the Legislature is not committed to saving."
The state budget passed by the Legislature required Lynch to save $50 million in personnel costs, with $20 million coming from state-funded accounts, and to implement the savings by Sept. 1. Last month, before the agreements were reached, Lynch told state agency heads to develop plans to lay off hundreds of workers if negotiations failed. The layoffs would be in addition to an as yet unknown total of layoffs from budget cuts.
Lacey said ballots will be mailed to SEA members on Wednesday. Returning ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 24 to be counted Aug. 29.
The other two unions have different procedures for voting. The New Hampshire Troopers Association, which includes 277 state troopers and sergeants, is voting online on its agreement, which would achieve about $1.5 million in savings by having troopers pay a share of their health care premiums for the first time and through higher co-payments.
The third contract is for the New England Police Benevolent Association, which represents correction officers, fish and game superior officers, probation and parole chiefs and officers and liquor enforcement officers. The association's negotiators have said the union made generous concessions to meet the legislative mandate to save its share of about $1.8 million. The approximately 400 union members would pay more out of pocket for health care and not get an annual step increase in wages.
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