Recently, the SEA filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) challenging the manner by which Governor Sununu issued raises to select employees who work directly with the public, including the 10% raise given to certain NHLC employees via Executive Order 28. The NHLC is a self-funded agency and required no federal CARES Act financial support. We understand this legal action has raised some concerns, and you, our members, deserve to know why we took this action.
It is our goal to reassure members that we are not challenging your right to higher wages. In fact, we firmly believe that all state employees are far overdue for wage increases and we have fought for those increases at the bargaining table and, now, through legal challenges.
The right to negotiate wages is fundamental to our members strength as a Union. If we fail to assert all members rights to negotiate wages, the Governor could reduce wages just as easily as he could raise them.
The Governor’s executive orders are a clear indicator that your fundamental rights as members are under attack. This Governor would prefer to simply bypass the law and handpick which employees to properly serve.
It is our goal to assert all our members rights to negotiate wages. If we do not assert these rights, we risk losing decades of progress and leave wages to rise and fall at the whim of any future Governor for years to come.
In solidarity,
Richard Gulla