By Olivia Grady

On February 16, 2017, the New Hampshire House voted 200-177 to kill the Right-to-Work bill. New Hampshire would have been the 29^th Right-to-Work state and the first state in New England to become Right-to-Work.

New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu expressed disappointment in a statement he released:

“While it is clear that some House members did not understand this opportunity to unleash the untapped potential of our economy, I know that we can continue to work collaboratively on initiatives that will drive new business into the state.”

Union members protested outside the State House this morning to show their opposition to Right-to-Work.

Rich Gulla, President of SEIU Local 1984, was thrilled with the outcome: “It’s a good day for New Hampshire. We’re ready to get down to business now that this is behind us.” 

18 House Representatives declined to vote. 14 of these legislators were Republicans, while 4 were Democrats. In addition, 32 Republicans voted against Right-to-Work.

On January 19, 2017, the New Hampshire Senate voted 12-11 to support Right-to-Work. Only one Republican voted against Right-to-Work.

The bill then moved to the House where it was debated on February 8^th. Executive Director of the Center for Worker Freedom, Matt Patterson, addressed the concerns of Senators who opposed the bill at the hearing. You can read and watch Matt speak by clicking here.

Because there was so much misinformation at the hearing, Patterson wrote a follow-up letter to New Hampshire legislators, which was published in Forbes on February 10^th. The letter explained that Supreme Court Justices had decided that unions did not have to be an exclusive bargaining representative. Therefore, their free-rider argument does not hold up on closer examination.

Unfortunately after the hearing, the New Hampshire House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee voted to recommend against passing Right-to-Work. The vote was 14-7 with Republicans joining Democrats.

In 2011, unions were similarly able to stop Right-to-Work in New Hampshire with Democrat Governor John Lynch's veto.

But those who support Right-to-Work are not likely to give up.

The Center for Worker Freedom will continue to support states that want more freedom and prosperity.