Tag Archives: Laura Hainey

4-22-13 AFT-NH Legislative Update From President Laura Hainey

  By New Hampshire Labor News | April 22, 2013 - 9:52 am | , , ,
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IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Given the week we just had, take a moment to thank all our first responders who keep us safe and help those in need.  Please stay safe!  And please, keep in your thoughts and prayers those who lost their lives or were injured in the tragic events of this past week.

EVENTS LIKE THIS CAN BE TRAUMATIC TO CHILDREN.

Here are free resources from Share My Lesson to help children cope with traumatic events. Schools are the most important places in a community for an educator or student to receive support when a crisis occurs. Schools provide a familiar environment where the many needs of grieving students and faculty can be met in one place. Administrators and educators need to be prepared to deal with any crisis that might arise; such preparation will better equip them to respond to students’ emotional needs in the wake of a crisis.

FULL SENATE VOTES TAKEN ON APRIL 18TH

The Senate tabled HB 370,  the repeal of the education tax credits, on Thursday. We might have lost this one but the fight is not over. Within the budget there is no funding for the education tax credit program.  Both HB 1 and HB 2: the state budget bills, are still being worked on in the Senate and we will need to monitor the progress to see if the voucher money is put back into the budget.

2014-2015 STATE BUDGET

The Senate is working its way through putting together their version of the State budget for the next two years. Much of their time has been spent hearing from Department Commissioners on the needs of their departments. From this they will start putting together final proposals for the full Senate to vote on. The Senate has till June 6th to take this vote. We do know that just like in other years, the budget bills (HB 1 and HB 2) will be sent to a Committee Of Conference. This is where members for the House and Senate will hash out a deal. They will have till June 20th to sign  off on the final deal and both chambers will have till June 26th to vote on the Committee’s report. AFT-NH will continue to monitor this as it works its way through the Senate and Committee of Conference.

UPCOMING FULL HOUSE VOTES ON APRIL 24TH

The House will be voting on SB 132, establishing a committee to study police special details. The House Executive Departments and Administration committee made the recommendation of inexpedient to legislate by a vote of 14 to 3. AFT-NH is in support of this recommendation and asks that all House member vote in support of this recommendation.

Rep. Dianne E Schuett said it best: “This bill proposed to study the efficacy of police special details, particularly at traffic construction sites. The committee was presented with a recent department of transportation study delineating use of police details versus flag persons at state construction sites. The committee also believed that decisions on whether to employ police or flag persons on municipal construction sites should be left to local control. Therefore, the committee could see no need for this study.”

HEARING HELD THIS PAST WEEK

The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs held a hearing on SB 166: relative to critical incident stress management and crisis intervention services. This bill establishes that information divulged during critical incident stress management and crisis intervention services is confidential, with limited exceptions specified in the bill. AFT-NH supports the passage of this bill. We feel it is important that we do something for our first responders to support and help them thought difficulty times.

If you have any questions or concerns please email me at lhainey@aft-nh.org or call 603-661-7293.

In Solidarity,
Laura Hainey
AFT-NH President

UPCOMING HEARINGS FOR NEXT WEEK
Note the ones in red are priority bills for AFT-NH

MONDAY, APRIL 22

FINANCE, Room 103, SH
AGENCY PRESENTATIONS ON THE BUDGET AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE
9:00 a.m. Public Employee Labor Relations Board

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 206, LOB
10:00 a.m. Subcommittee work session on SB 129-FN, relative to court-ordered placements in shelter care facilities and at the Sununu Youth Services Center, relative to the children in need of services (CHINS) program, and establishing a committee to study programs for children in need.

EDUCATION, Room 207, LOB
10:30 a.m. SB 18, conferring degree-granting authority to the American University of Madaba.
11:00 a.m. SB 27-FN, relative to monitoring by the Department of Education of programs for children with disabilities.
1:15 p.m. SB 82, establishing a commission to identify strategies needed for developing and implementing a competency-based public education system.
2:00 p.m. SB 48, relative to school performance and accountability.
2:30 p.m. SB 97, relative to high school equivalency and relative to illiteracy.

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 205, LOB
10:00 a.m. Executive session on SB 166, relative to critical incident stress management and crisis intervention services,

LABOR, INDUSTRIAL AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, Room 307, LOB
11:00 a.m. SB 100, authorizing electronic payment of payroll.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

PUBLIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, Room 102, LOB
9:30 a.m. HB 178-FN-L, relative to public employer collective bargaining agreements.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 206, LOB
1:00 p.m. Or one hour after the House session ends, executive session on SB 129-FN, relative to court ordered placements in shelter care facilities and at the Sununu Youth Services Center, relative to the children in need of services (CHINS) program, and establishing a committee to study programs for children in need.

LABOR, INDUSTRIAL AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, Room 303, LOB (Please note room change.)
1:00 p.m. Or after the end of the House session, executive session on
SB 100, authorizing electronic payment of payroll.

TUESDAY, APRIL 30

JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
9:40 a.m. HB 433, relative to procedures for juvenile delinquency petitions filed by a school district or school official.

EDUCATION, Room 207, LOB
10:00 a.m. Executive session on
SB 134-FN, relative to the division of higher education and the higher education commission,
SB 162-FN, repealing the student tuition guaranty fund and making provisions for the disbursement of remaining funds, and relative to the membership of the higher education commission.

THURSDAY, MAY 2

EDUCATION, Room 207, LOB
10:00 a.m. Subcommittee work session on retained HB 435-FN, relative to funding for chartered public school pupils, HB 243, relative to the board of trustees of a chartered public school, HB 424- FN, relative to review of chartered public school applications by the state board of education.

An Update on Retirement System Legislation From AFT-NH Pres. Laura Hainey

  By New Hampshire Labor News | March 8, 2013 - 3:42 pm | ,
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This year we are not facing the attacks we did last year on our retirement system but there are eight bills we are tracking. The NHRSC (NH Retirement Security Coalition) is the driving force in introducing and advocating for the passage of three of these 8 bills. When these three bills were introduced, we did so keeping in mind that we support efforts to maintain a defined benefit pension provided by the New Hampshire Retirement System for retired public employees and to ensure the long-term viability of the plan for current and future public employees.  These benefits are essential tools for recruiting and retaining a skilled and qualified workforce—educators, police, fire fighters, and other essential public servants—to provide vital services in the citizens of New Hampshire.
These three bills are:

HB 341: relative to the cost of fiscal analysis of legislation relating to the retirement system.

  • This bill requires that the administrative and professional cost of the fiscal analysis of proposed legislation done by the retirement system not be paid from retirement system assets or charged as an expense of administration.
  • In the last two sessions it cost the New Hampshire Retirement System over $100,000 to fund the costing of bills put in. This is money coming out of our system that could fund close to three pensions.
  • If a legislator puts in a bill then the funds to cost this should come out of their budget not ours.
  • This bill was retained in committee and will be worked on and brought back next session.

HB 342: relative to part-time employment of retired members of the retirement system.

  • This bill has been amended in its entirety into a reporting requirement,
  • It will provide valuable information regarding NHRS retirees. Employers will report the number of hours worked and the compensation earned to the NHRS on a quarterly basis, so NHRS can collect and maintain data that is unavailable now.
  • The bill does not take effect until 120 days after passage to allow time to prepare, and includes a sunset provision in 2018, which allows time for sufficient data to be developed.
  • The New Hampshire Retirement Security Coalition (NHRSC) hired, Thomas Lowman from Bolton Partners and he provided us his actuarial opinion stating that the practice of “double-dipping” is setting the state up for greater costs down the road. He included numerous reasons why employers who either hire more part-time positions than full-time, or encourage full-time employees to retire and then hire them back part-time, are negatively impacting the overall state retirement system and the Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability. To read the full letter click here.
  • The House Executive Departments and Administration Committee recommended passage as amended. AFT-NH supports this recommendation.

HB 364: relative to notice required concerning employment of a retired member of the New Hampshire retirement system of the limitations on part-time employment.

  • This bill was amended its in entirety.
  • This bill requires New Hampshire retirement system employers to notify existing and prospective part-time employees, who are retired members in the retirement system, of the annual limitations on hours for part-time employment. The bill also requires the retirement system to provide similar notice to all retired members.
  • An employer shall provide written notice of the hourly limitations on part-time employment and the potential effect that exceeding such hourly limitations could have on the retired member’s retirement benefits.
  • The retirement system shall annually provide written notice to all retired members of the retirement system of the hourly limitations on part-time employment and the potential effect that exceeding such hourly limitations could have on the retired member’s retirement benefits.
  • The House Executive Departments and Administration Committee recommended passage as amended. AFT-NH supports this recommendation.

OTHER RETIREMENT BILLS

HB 124: relative to the determination of gainful occupation for a group II member receiving an accidental disability retirement allowance from the retirement system.

  • This bill reinserts a provision which removes the application of the gainful occupation reductions to retirement allowances of group II accidental disability beneficiaries who have years of service plus years of accidental disability retirement which total at least 20 and who have attained the age of 45.
  • The House Executive Departments and Administration Committee is still working on this bill. AFT-NH supports the recommendation of passage.

HB 455: establishing a committee to study the use of a cash balance retirement plan for new state employees.

 

  • This bill establishes a committee to study the use of a cash balance retirement plan for new state employees and other groups electing to participate.
  • The House Executive Departments and Administration committee recommended defeating this bill. AFT-NH supports this recommendation.

HB 620: relative to the adjustment of member and employer contribution rates in the retirement system.

  • This bill provides that contribution rates for members in the retirement system and employers shall be calculated by assigning one half of the biennial change to the liabilities of the system to each.
  • The House Executive Departments and Administration committee recommended defeating this bill with a vote of 18 to 0. It will go to the full house on March 13th for a full vote. AFT-NH supports this recommendation.


HB 627: requiring unused vacation and sick leave to be converted to service time for purposes of calculating retirement system benefits.

  • This bill provides that at retirement the accrued but unused sick and vacation time of a retirement system member shall be converted to hours and applied as additional creditable service.
  • This bill changes current over 10 years of services and it’s not counted into your earnable comp when you retire.
  • This bill was retained in committee and will be worked on and brought back next session.

SB 132: relative to part-time employment in the retirement system and establishing a committee to study police special details.

  • This bill was amended by the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee to establish a committee to study police special details and will move to the full Senate with the recommendation of passage.
  • The committee is tasked with studying the use and efficacy of police special details, and alternatives which may be available to towns, cities, and the state.

As always, if you have any questions, please email me at lhainey@aft-nh.org.

In Solidarity
Laura Hainey
AFT-NH President

UPCOMING HEARINGS FOR NEXT WEEK
Note the ones in red are priority bills for AFT-NH

MONDAY, MARCH 11

FINANCE
White Mountains Regional High School, 127 Regional Road, Whitefield.
5:00 p.m. Public hearing on HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments ofthe state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015 and
HB 2-FN-A-LOCAL, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.

Nashua Community College, 505 Amherst Street, Nashua.
5:00 p.m. Public hearing on HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015 and
HB 2-FN-A-LOCAL, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.

TUESDAY, MARCH 12

PLEASE SUPPORT FELLOW AFT-NH MEMBERS
Town Election Day is Tuesday, March 12th

We have AFT-NH locals that have contracts coming before the voters on Tuesday March 12th. Your colleagues need your support! We also support our other Union colleagues who have contracts on the ballots in these towns and ask you to support them. For example, in Hudson many of the town employees have been without contracts for several years.  Please review the voting information below and vote on Election Day!
As fellow union members, we know we can make a difference in local elections! We are asking that if you live in one of the towns listed below that you support your fellow union members.
Please pass the word along and encourage others to get out and vote. Our members have negotiated extremely reasonable contracts. Any support you can provide would be great!

Ellis School Support Staff, AFT Local #6223  (Fremont)
Fremont Safety Complex  7am-8pm
Yes on Articles #5 and #6 (Please support the Fremont Teachers as well!)

Hudson Federation of Teachers , AFT Local #2263 and Hudson Federation of Paraprofessionals and School Related Personnel, AFT Local #6245
Lions Hall (Community Center) 7am-8pm
Yes on Articles #2 and #3  (Please also support the town employee contracts!)

Raymond Educational Support Staff  AFT Local #4863
Iber Holmes Gove Middle School Gymnasium 7am-7pm
Yes on Articles #3 and #4

Timberlane Teachers’ Association, AFT Local #4796
(Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow and Sandown)
Atkinson: 7am-8pm: Atkinson Community Center
Danville: 8am-7pm: Danville Fire Association
Plaistow: 7am-8pm: Pollard School
Sandown:  8am-8pm: Sandown Town Hall
Vote Yes on Articles #4 and #5

HEALTH, EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES, Room 103, LOB
9:00 a.m. SB 113-L, relative to a school district’s transportation responsibility for pupils of divorced parents with joint decision making responsibility.

9:15 a.m. HB 160, relative to a school district’s transportation responsibility for pupils of divorced parents with joint decision making responsibility.

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 204, LOB
10:00 a.m. HB 246, relative to falsity by employer.
10:30 a.m. Or immediately following the hearing, executive session on HB 246, relative to falsity by employer.

FINANCE – (DIVISION I), Room 212, LOB
Budget Work Sessions:
9:30 a.m. Work session on HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015,
HB 2-FN A-L, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

FINANCE – (DIVISION I), Room 212, LOB
Budget Presentations:
11:00 a.m. Work session on HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015,
HB 2-FN-A-L, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.

WAYS AND MEANS, Room 202, LOB
1:00 p.m. Full committee work session on revenue items contained in HB 2 -FN-A-LOCAL, relative to state fees, funds revenues, and expenditures (currently in Finance).

MONDAY, MARCH 18

FINANCE
Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center, 111 South Street Claremont.
5:00 p.m. Public hearing on HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015 and HB 2-FN-A-LOCAL, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.

Rochester Community Center, 150 Wakefield Street, Rochester.
5:00 p.m. Public hearing on HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015 and HB 2 FN-A-LOCAL, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.

 

“Fighting For Our Future”
www.aft-nh.org

Have you visited the AFT-NH Facebook page and clicked “Like Us”? Please do so today!
Late breaking news appears on Facebook!

AFT-NH Puts Out Call For NH Retiree’s To Take Action To Restore COLA’s For NH Retirees

  By New Hampshire Labor News | February 27, 2013 - 4:06 pm | , , ,
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CALLING ALL RETIREES OR SOON TO BE RETIREES
IT’S TIME FOR ACTION!

The New Hampshire House is hosting public meetings on Governor Hassan’s proposed budget, and we must take this opportunity to make our case publicly and vocally for the restoration of Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) for New Hampshire retirees.

As it stands today, no retiree will ever receive a Cost of Living Adjustment unless the NH Legislature decides to put one into their biannual budget. Prior to 2011, COLAs were paid through the Special Account. This account held excess earnings in order to pay for COLAs from 1-5%.  Since 2008, all of the money in the special account has been taken out to help employers keep their costs down.

Because the legislature has taken away the funding mechanism and funding for your Cost of Living Adjustments, it is now your time to demand they give you what you earned each and every day you were on the job.

We are requesting that every one of you turn out on Thursday, March 7, at Representatives Hall in the State House in Concord. The budget hearing runs from 4pm to 7pm.

Turnout is key. Our goal is to have as many members – both active and retired – as possible to project a unified voice that COLAs are necessary, deserved, and overdue. This event will not succeed without everyone’s support.

While there is a Court case making its way through the system to bring back your COLA, we do not have an answer at this time. Retirees have gone years without a COLA. It needs to stop today!

Please plan to arrive with plenty of advanced time. Other community members will be turning out, and we want to guarantee there are seats for you.

We will be providing brief talking points for you to use for your public testimony, and encourage you to tell your personal stories about how the lack of a COLA has personally affected you and your family.

Once again, this event cannot succeed without your help. This is a critical opportunity for your voice to be heard.

If you have any questions please email me at lhainey@aft-nh.org.

In Solidarity
Laura Hainey
AFT-NH President

Legislative Update For Feb 22nd From Laura Hainey, President of AFT-NH

  By New Hampshire Labor News | February 24, 2013 - 11:33 am | , ,
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This week the full House took up HB 370, the repeal of the education tax credit. With a vote of 188 to 151 HB 370 passed, putting the House on record for repealing the “voucher plan.” Through our Red Alert system, we sent over 200 emails to state representatives asking that they support the passage of HB 370. However, we know that we have a long way to go to get the NH Senate to support this bill and will need many more letters sent to Senators at the appropriate moment.

AFT-NH would especially like to thanks Rep. Marjorie Porter for her floor testimony in support of HB 370. To read her full testimony click here.

The subcommittee on HB 178 will be meeting again on February 26th and 28th. This is the bill regarding binding arbitration in labor relations disputes. Keep in mind that at the first subcommittee meeting the sponsor clarified that this is not binding but more of a modified binding arbitration. It cannot be binding if either side can vote not to accept it which this bill as written permits. AFT-NH continues to support the following recommendations to amend this bill:

  • Extend the time line to 180 days as to when negotiations can start. Currently it is 120 days before the submission of the town’s budget.
  • Put into law that if a contract is not approved that a special meeting will take place without having to go to court.
  • Set up a system for reporting to the NHPLRB on how negotiations are progressing.

This week the House Education committee recommended the passage of HB 142 as amended. As I read this bill, any teacher evaluation and support system will be developed with teacher involvement and is to be adopted by both the local school board and the teachers. The State teacher evaluation model may serve as a guide and reference only, meaning that it is not mandated that you adopt this State model at the local level. To protect current negotiated provisions in contracts, language was added to the bill, reading “Nothing in this paragraph shall supersede collective bargaining rights under RSA 273-A.” This bill has come a long way from when it was introduced, and AFT-NH will continue to monitor this as it works its way over to the Senate.

As we have said many times the best teacher evaluation systems are those wherein each district works with all stakeholders as they develop, implement and modify an evaluation system meeting the needs of the children of the community and which is fair to our teachers. When something is imposed it is usually not well-received.

OTHER HAPPENINGS AT THE STATE HOUSE AND WHAT WE KNOW!

The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs held the public hearing on HB 494 which permits other school personnel to administer a glucagon injection to a pupil. AFT-NH stands with our fellow organization New Hampshire School Nurses Association in opposition to this bill. President Nancy Wells said it best when she sent the following email regarding this bill:“Teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school staff should not have to add emergency medication administration onto their already full plates! We, as school nurses, always have the safety and appropriate medical/health care in mind for all of our students.”

AFT-NH is also supporting the efforts of the New Hampshire Child Alliance Network on HB 260. This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to provide voluntary services to a child who would otherwise be found to be a child in need of services under RSA 169-D. This bill passed the House Children and Family Law Committee 19-0. The next stop is a vote by the full House which is scheduled for February 27th. Following this, the bill would be sent to the House Finance Committee, where they will discuss the cost of the bill. Governor Hassan did put in her budget $7.5 M in total funds for CHINS over the next two years. For more background information on this click here.

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee held a hearing on HB 609: relative to possession of a firearm on school property. AFT-NH is in opposition to this bill, as there are far too many unanswered questions on this bill. Where and how are these guns to be stored? Who would have access to the guns? Would it really prevent a shooting at a school or increase the risk of one? Would there be any training for those who have guns at the schools? What about the liability if something goes wrong?

Lastly, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will be making a recommendation on HB 381: relative to citizen complaints against a police officer. AFT-NH is in opposition to this bill. AFT-NH believes this is an unnecessary interference with the management function of cities and towns. There is already a process in place for complaints, and this bill would just provide a tool to those who want retribution against police officers who have faithfully performed their duties.

Under no circumstances should delicate personnel matters be disclosed in the manner proposed in HB 381. There are either personnel rules, collective bargaining requirements or statutory procedures that outline how police personnel issues are handled. It is most essential that these issues are handled through the chain of command.

If you have questions or concerns please email me at lhainey@aft-nh.org.

In Solidarity,
Laura Hainey
AFT-NH President

AFT-NH Wants Your Help To Save Our Public Schools: A message from Laura Hainey (Pres. AFT-NH)

  By New Hampshire Labor News | February 9, 2013 - 7:51 pm | ,
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AFT-NH RED ISSUE ALERT
SAVE OUR NH PUBLIC SCHOOLS and support HB 370

Last year the legislature passed two bills diverting public money for education to religious and private schools as well as home schoolers. This session, HB 370 aims to repeal this education tax credit program.

The tax credit program initiated in 2012 is an ill-disguised attempt to begin dismantling and privatizing our public education in NH while weakening our good schools. We are justly proud of our schools in NH and these vouchers will only harm public education.

It’s time for you to contact members of the House Ways and Means Committee and ask that they vote to pass HB 370 and repeal the education tax credit program.

Please click here TODAY  and ask the House Ways And Means committee to support NH public schools and defend the NH constitution by voting to pass HB 370.

If you care about public education in NH, please take this action.

Thank you!

In Solidarity,
Laura Hainey

Have you visited the AFT-NH Facebook page and clicked “Like Us”? Please do so today


“Fighting For Our Future” www.aft-nh.org

 

Statement From Laura Hainey, President Of AFT-NH On Newtown Shootings

  By New Hampshire Labor News | December 14, 2012 - 2:30 pm | ,
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Laura Hainey on the Tragedy in Newtown, Ct.
President, American Federation of Teachers-NH

Bow, NH-  Statement on the tragedy in Newtown, Ct. by AFT-NH President Laura Hainey.

AFT-NH extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to all those affected by the unthinkable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and with our colleagues at Sandy Hook Elementary School who have experienced this senseless tragedy.

“AFT-NH is the State Affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. The AFT has over one million members with nearly 4,000 members here in New Hampshire.   These members are teachers, school support staff, police, higher education faculty and town employees. AFT-NH is a member of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO which represents over 45,000 working men and women.”

The United States Of ALEC and ALEC’s Hand in New Hampshire

  By New Hampshire Labor News | November 13, 2012 - 7:09 pm | , , , ,
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Do you know about ALEC?

No matter what you think you know, there is more!

Here is what we already know:

  • ALEC is a corporate lobbying group that is disguised as a education group.
  • ALEC is a non-profit organization, which in turns pays no taxes.
  • ALEC works to change the laws that “directly benefit the bottom line” of corporate sponsors. They work to open public sectors for privatization which allows corporations to profit from the law changes.
  • In ALEC, legislators come together with corporate members and vote, equally, on model legislation.
ALEC has been working for years to infiltrate our state legislatures to push their agenda. Why, because the legislatures have more real power than the President.

“The decisions made here in the legislature are more important to your everyday life, more than the decisions the president makes.” Steve Farley

Below is a 30 minute movie from PBS and Moyer and Company that digs deep into ALEC.   After you learn about what ALEC is doing in state houses nation wide you can join Granite State Progress, AFT-NH, SEIU, and more to see what ALEC is doing in New Hampshire.  (full press advisory below)

Moyers & Company Show 138: United States of ALEC from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

Media Advisory: “Who is Writing New Hampshire’s Laws?” Report Release to Detail ALEC Corporate Influence in New Hampshire

Report outlines corporate trade group’s influence during the 2011-2012 session; calls on new legislators to oppose outside corporate special interests as they file legislation this week

CONCORD, NH – Concerned citizens, legislators and organizations will shine a light on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)’s extreme agenda and impact on the New Hampshire State Legislature during the 2011-2012 session, and call for a return to Granite State values during a Wednesday morning press conference in Concord.

Granite State Progress, The Center for Media and Democracy, People For the American Way Foundation and Common Cause will release the joint report, “Who is Writing New Hampshire’s Laws? A Summary of ALEC Corporate Influence in New Hampshire, 2011-2012,” which examines the influence of ALEC corporate model bills in New Hampshire this past session. ALEC’s corporate executives, lawyers and lobbyists, along with member legislators, draft, lobby for, and secure passage of a wide array of bills designed to promote corporate interests. Due to rising public outrage and exposure, several state legislators and major corporations have begun to drop their participation in ALEC, including Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, and KRAFT.

WHAT:            Report release of “Who Is Writing New Hampshire’s Legislation?” to shine a light on ALEC’s influence in pushing legislation in New Hampshire aimed at attacking workers’ rights, undermining public education and enriching specific industries; Public call for new and returning legislators to reject corporate special interests as bill filings open this week.

WHEN:            TOMORROW, Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM

WHERE:          Granite State Progress – 4 Park Street, Suite 207, Concord, NH

DETAILS:        Community leaders will speak out at a press conference about ALEC’s influence in the New Hampshire State House and call for a new direction. The speakers will identify specific ALEC legislation that has directly impacted Granite State families and communities. Speakers include:

  • Zandra Rice Hawkins, Executive Director, Granite State Progress
  • Laura Hainey, President, American Federation of Teachers, NH
  • Diana Lacey, President, State Employees Association, SEA/SEIU Local 1984
  • Rep. Cynthia Chase, Sponsor of Legislation to Identify Corporate Model Bills

A Message From AFT-NH President Laura Hainey

  By New Hampshire Labor News | November 7, 2012 - 3:22 pm | , ,
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AFT-NH MEMBERS and Friends,

We have a lot to be excited about and you made the difference. We knew there was a lot at stake and no one wanted to relive the last two years and the attacks on us. They came after everything and left no stone unturned. But we stood against them and let our voices be heard!

When the legislators take their oath of office in January and the session begins, we will have work to do. There will be pieces of legislation we will need to be concerned about. But today, for the first time in a few years, we can take a moment to celebrate; a moment to breathe.

With your help, look at what was accomplished for our nation:

 

  • President Obama won a decisive re-election, which means that support for education and for collective bargaining will remain strong in America;
  • Carol Shea-Porter and Ann Kuster both ousted Republican incumbents for seats in the two NH congressional districts , which means that support for education and for collective bargaining will be strengthened in Washington.

With your help, look at what was accomplished for our state:

  • Maggie Hassan convincingly beat her opponent for Governor by 12%, which means support for education and for collective bargaining will remain strong in the state of New Hampshire;
  • We gained  6 seats in the State Senate.  For the past 2 years the senate has been way out of balance, with 5 Democrats and 19 Republicans.  Looking forward to January, 2013, the State Senate will have 11 Democratic senators (of 24)!
  • In the State Legislature, we gained over 100 seats giving us the majority! For the past 2 years, representatives in the State House who support public education and collective bargaining rights have been outnumbered by two thirds. This imbalance gave the legislature the power to override Governor Lynch’s vetoes of extremist legislation.  But it looks like at least 217seats went our way (almost all who earned high marks on AFT-NH’s Candidate Report Card and/or questionnaire) will be sworn into office.


On behalf of AFT-NH, I want to thank all of you who worked hard, and all of you who took the time to understand the issues, and who voted to support education and public employees in New Hampshire.  Yes, there’s much work still to be done.  But today we celebrate; the tide has turned and the sun is peeking through the clouds.

In Solidarity,
Laura Hainey

Workers Deliver Bad Deals to Guinta’s Office to Protest Fiscal Cliff

  By New Hampshire Labor News | October 16, 2012 - 6:29 am | , , , ,
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Credit Nora Fredrickson

Constituents tell Frank: A “Grand Bargain” Is No Bargain for the Middle Class

Frank Guinta is ready to hand Granite Staters a bad deal in the lame duck session of Congress, voters in the 1st congressional district and local labor leaders argued today as they delivered 153 petitions to his Manchester office asking the Congressman to address the nation’s fiscal cliff without devastating New Hampshire workers and their families. The group, including President Laura Hainey of AFT-NH and Mark MacKenzie of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO, delivered a shopping cart of bad deals, including a Do-It-Yourself retirement kit, to the Congressman’s office

When Congress returns for the Lame Duck session on November 13th, it will face a series of high-stakes decisions on jobs and taxes that could have fateful consequences for workers and the economy, including sequestration, the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, and potential changes to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Guinta’s constituents were quick to express concern at how a wrong step in any of these decisions would impact them. Kim Hayes, a postal worker from Manchester, said that most average Americans would suffer if Medicare and Social Security were cut.

“Many seniors and other middle class Americans would go bankrupt paying for their healthcare bills if they did not have Medicare. This is after contributing to Medicare through payroll deductions their whole life,” she said. “And Social Security is the difference between worrying about every penny you spend and being able to look towards the future with certainty.

President Laura Hainey of AFT-NH explained that there was a simple solution to avoiding the fiscal cliff: ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich and cancelling sequestration. Under that plan, no adjustment to Social Security or Medicare would be necessary.

credit Nora Fredrickson

“It is time that we asked the richest 2% to do their fair share, and time to start focusing on jobs and economy security for working Americans. That is why we are asking Congressman Guinta to end the Bush tax cuts for the rich, end sequestration, preserve the Bush tax cuts for the middle class and protect programs like Social Security that we all depend on. Our families and our jobs depend on it.”

End America’s Fixation On High-Stakes Testing

  By New Hampshire Labor News | July 12, 2012 - 7:15 am |
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All children deserve a rich, meaningful public education that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges that await them as they become contributing members of a democratic society. Growing our nation’s future citizens and workers is a serious undertaking that calls for a thoughtful focus on teaching and learning.
But the growing fixation on high-stakes testing has undermined that focus, putting at grave risk our students’ learning and their ability both to meet the demands of the 21st-century economy and to fulfill their personal goals.

Add your name to the thousands of Americans taking a stand to restore balance to public education by prioritizing high-quality instruction informed by appropriate and useful assessments.

The AFT executive council recently passed a resolution calling for an end to America’s fixation on high-stakes testing. Assessments should promote, not impede, teaching and learning. That’s the clear stand thousands of educators will consider this July when they gather for the AFT national convention in Detroit.

Test-driven education policies have forced educators to sacrifice time needed to help students learn to critically analyze content and, instead, focus on teaching to the test. These policies have pushed passionate, talented educators out of classrooms, misled parents about their children’s academic strengths and needs, and deprived children of the rich learning experiences they need in order to succeed in a 21st-century knowledge economy. And far too many examples exist of tests riddled with errors and as such serve as unreliable indicators of student performance.

By every credible measure, the testing fixation rooted in the No Child Left Behind Act has failed our students. Join thousands of educators and pledge your support for the resolution on using tests to inform, not impede, teaching and learning.

We are committed to restoring balance to public education, and ensuring that assessments support teaching and learning. Together, we can guarantee every child the high-quality public education they deserve, and ensure that educators have the tools and resources they need to help our children learn and grow.

I hope you will join us.

In unity,

Laura Hainey
AFT-NH President

Randi Weingarten
AFT President

P.S. You can read the full text of the proposed resolution here.