SEIU Local 1984

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BARGAINING SENATE & COUNCIL DECIDES ON ACTION

The Bargaining Senate and Council gathered on March 1 for a briefing on negotiations from the Master Bargaining Team. The bargaining team discussed in depth the 3-point program (see next page or previous bargaining update), which could be summarized as health security, economic security, and job security. The presentation included educating members on the complex nature of our health care benefit, emphasizing that all employees need to get up to speed on it – via meetings, bargaining bulletins, or www.nh.gov.
Master Bargaining Team
The Master Team briefs the Bargaining Senate & Council

The privatization and contracting out issue is a larger concern than we have realized in the past, and that’s why we've tied it into bargaining as a third focal point – this is the larger threat for our future job security. From 1992 to 2005, the number of new state employee jobs increased an average of 244 per year. However, from 2005 to 2026 the projection is for 161 new jobs annually – a decrease of 34%.

Jim Nall of Chapter 9 (Glencliff Home for the Elderly) signs the pledge.
Past SEA president Tim Decker reminded attendees that winning often relies on action as much as it does on good negotiations. At Tim’s urging, members signed a pledge for action, which read:

“We are ready to take action to secure a new contract that will help the state retain experienced personnel and attract the best and brightest new hires to public service. We pledge: to stay informed and connected, to return to our worksites and communicate with our co-workers, and to ask our co-workers to fill out leave slips now for the May 2 rally.”

Leave slips were handed out, and members urged each other to submit slips right away for May 2. Members committed themselves to go back to their workplaces and spread the word about the May 2 rally, including to agency fee payers, our friends and families, and our allies in other organizations. Our goal: a rally attendance of at least 1,000.

Debbie Rule of Chapter 23 (Safety) signs the pledge.