What we need to do
1) Call each of the councilors listed below from your personal phone on break, at lunch or after
work
2) Give your name and what you do for your job
3) Ask him or her to delay a vote on Victoria Sheehan’s renomination as DOT Commissioner until
she demonstrates she is committed to working with her employees and their union in a
collaborative manner to fix serious safety, morale, compensation, recruitment and retention and
trust issues that have arisen since she took over as Commissioner.
4) Thank them for their support for the men and women who work day and night to keep our
streets safe all winter (and year) long.
5) Send an email to each councilor outlining one of our issues with the Commissioner
Sample Conversation
Hello Councilor _________. My name is ________ .I am a position name at NHDOT and I have worked here for XX years. I am calling to ask you to delay a vote on Commissioner Sheehan’s re-appointment. We have some
serious concerns about her leadership and we need your help. Whenever we’ve tried to have meaningful
conversations with her, it results in scripted answers on her part that show she is not really listening. We are
dedicated to our jobs, but she is making it very difficult and many of my coworkers have left. Can we count on
you to halt her re-appointment and support the workers who keep NH’s roads safe? Thank you.
Contact Info
District 1 Councilor Michael J. Cryans (D)
Executive Council Office: (603) 271-3632
Cell: (603) 443-1901
Email: Michael.Cryans@nh.gov
District 2 Councilor Andru Volinsky (D)
Executive Council Office: (603) 271-3632
Home Office: (603) 491-0376
Email: Andru.Volinsky@nh.gov
District 3 Councilor Russell E. Prescott (R)
Executive Council Office: (603) 271-3632
Cell: (603) 231-7822
Email: represcott@nh.gov
District 4 Councilor Theodore L. Gatsas (R)
Executive Council Office: (603) 271-3632
Office: (603) 623-0211
Email: Ted.Gatsas@nh.gov
District 5 Councilor Debora B. Pignatelli (D)
Executive Council Office: (603) 271-3632
Home Office: (603) 888-5245
Email: Debora.Pignatelli@nh.gov
Talking Points
● We are seriously underpaid ($3-$5 an hour less than almost every city and town in the state)
and she refuses to call on the governor to fix it at the bargaining table or even talk about the
issue publicly
● There are serious safety and health issues in our worksites and when members address these
concerns using the appropriate channels, her managers retaliate against the employees who
bring them forward. For example….
● Her HR Director worked with the Department of Personnel to create new requirements for our
jobs that mean many long-term employees no longer qualify for the jobs they have been doing
for many years. For example a handful of employees mostly at the end of their careers without
high school diplomas or GEDs are told that they can no longer meet the minimum requirements
for the job they currently do. We are aware of 6 employees who have been impacted statewide.
At least one quit when he was told he could not be considered for an open position at another
shed. We have asked the Commissioner to “grandfather in” these employees and so far she
and her HR Director have refused. This proves that Sheehan is looking to shortchange the
hardworking people who have demonstrated loyalty to the State for decades.
● Over six months ago the Department added new job requirements upon Foremen and
Construction Foreman with no increase in their compensation.
● When our union asked about the reclassification of positions, the Commissioner and her staff
misled us. After we asked to work collaboratively with the department on any proposed
changes, she and her HR Director kept the proposal secret until it was finalized and being
implemented. This forced our union to file an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the NH Public
Employee Relations Board to protect our rights that is currently pending a hearing.
● The Department has systematically reduced our union’s ability to protect our rights and safety.
They have reduced our voice and voting rights under the Unit Safety Committee, giving a
management appointee final authority over decisions that our contract and state law require be
equal votes for management and labor. In the District Safety Committees they unilaterally
appointed both Management and Labor appointees. When confronted with this violation of
contract and law, the Commissioner claimed these were no longer official safety committees.