From the New Hampshire Union Leader:
Lynch vetoes "right to work" bill
As promised, Gov. John Lynch has vetoed the right-to-work bill that Republicans in the Legislature have passed by overwhelming margins.
Lynch said the bill wrongly intrudes on the ability of labor and management to negotiate contracts.
"There is no evidence that this legislation will offer any benefits to New Hampshire's economy or workers," Lynch wrote in his veto message, saying out-of-state interests, not New Hampshire businesses, are driving the issue.
The bill, HB 474, would bar contracts that require non-members to pay partial dues to unions that represent their rights in the workplace. The partial payments are meant to cover the costs of reaching and enforcing labor contracts.
The bill would also allow fines to be levied against companies that included the provision in a contract and deducted the payments.
The bill's supporters say non-members can be intimidated into joining a union, and that the partial dues payments creates more pressure. They argue that no one should be required to make payments to a group he or she does not support.
The House plans to take up a challenge of the veto on May 25. The Senate has no schedule in place at this point.
When they say: "overwhelming margins", they mean it. The bill passed 221 to 131. The entire bill (about a page and a half) can be found here: HB474 (2011)(3rd New Title) relative to freedom of choice on whether to join a labor union. The gist is that currently, even if you are not planning to join a union at your workplace, if there is a union at your workplace, you will be obligated to pay some measure of "dues" to that union. Look for Governor Lynch to get a big electoral Veto next year...
