NH House Testimony

HB735

House · 2025 sessionRepublicanKilled in House

Union recertification vote rules

AI

Changes public employee collective bargaining voting procedures, requiring recertification votes when never-voted members become a bargaining unit majority, mandating all members be allowed to vote, and requiring vote documentation be reported to the labor department.

relative to elections in collective bargaining.

EmploymentState GovernmentMunicipalities

Status

Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · March 6, 2025
  1. Introduced
  2. House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Division of testimony

609 submissions
Support 11Oppose 598Neutral 0

Argument digest · AI-generated

from 105 of 105 written submissions

HB735 would require certain public-sector collective bargaining units to hold a recertification election, such as when current members were never part of the original vote that established the union. Virtually all submitted testimony opposes the bill, arguing it would impose costly administrative burdens on unions and government agencies, that it functions as a union-busting measure aimed at nearly every mature public-sector union, and that unions already provide essential protections for public workers. No testimony in this set supports the bill; a handful of submissions in the source data concern unrelated topics (such as abortion or solar panel credits) and were excluded from the tally as off-topic.

Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.

Catharine FarkasOpposeSanbornton, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

We have solar panels that we invested in to help us and the state. We wish to continue to receive credit for what we produce!

Kathleen MalsbendenOpposeNewmarket, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

Every person benefiting from union negotiated contracts and benefits should have to pay some sort of agency fee.

Jodi RoosOpposeConcord, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I will always oppose this!

Thomas BennettOpposeRindge, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

This bill will harm many workers in this state.

Wendy PietroniroOpposePLYMOUTH, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

Please oppose this bill. If passed, there will be a mass exodus of public sector employees. Thus will hurt our state.

Allyna WardOpposeBrentwood, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

The rules and regulations passed such as this one are fundamentally undermining the work that goes on in our towns and schools. This bill is bad for NH.

Brendan McDowellOpposePlymouth, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

HB 735 is explicitly anti-working class. If you are working class you should not vote to pass this bill.

Julie ManfrateOpposePlaistow, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I oppose this bill.

Joe StanleyOpposeSeabrook, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

Unions make America great and protect the average citizen. Republicans do the opposite of this.

Heather PikeOpposePittsfield, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

The purpose of this bill and the effect of it is completely contrary to the welfare and benefit of the citizens of New Hampshire. I am a retired SEIU member. The only times in my working life when I made a good living or had good benefits were when I was either a member of the union or there was a union operating in the business, even though I wasn’t a member such as at the gas company. I believe the legislature has no business interfering with the operations of unions in this way. As a voter, I deeply resent bills like these, which are only intended to be retribution andup to make life more difficult for union members despite the proven fact that union membership improves the standard of living for all those who are members and for non-members as well. This bill serves no geniune benefit to anyone. I encourage you to reject it fully.

Caryn NoonanOpposeHudson, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

Stop burdening unions with your ridiculous agenda

Shannon PetersOpposeManchester, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I Oppose this Bill

Laurie RunionsOpposeSandown, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I oppose this bill.

Deborah LeavittOpposeDover, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

As a proud member of my local teacher's union and the National Education Association when I taught public school for 27 years, I oppose this attempt to weaken or eliminate public sector unions. Unions support and strengthen working and middle class families and are much needed to counteract the growing gap between the ultra-rich and families who work hard and are nonetheless struggling to pay their bills.

Denise ClarkOpposeMilford, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

As a native NH retiree, I oppose HB 735. This bill is nonsensical. The Legislature wants unions to legitimize their existence AFTER workers have already made their choice to join a union? If someone doesn't want to join, they don't have to. I worked in a unionized workplace where workers could choose to join or not. However, non-union workers (who paid NO dues) benefitted from ALL the negotiated benefits, pay scales, and workplace environment improvements that the rest of the union members paid the negotiators for w/ our dues. If there was ever a time for unions, it's NOW.

Donovan BurleighOpposeConcord, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I oppose this bill

Mary Hakken-PhillipsOpposeHanover, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

Mr. Chair & Members of the Committee: I oppose HB735, relative to elections in collective bargaining, because it seeks to union bust retroactively. If a union is elected by the workers, the employer should not be able to undo that decision and hold new elections for bargaining at a later date. This bill is having the state step in and give the employer another bite at the apple. The union should decide whether or not to dissolve, not the employer and certainly not the state. Certainly, the union members that join as employees after the union is in place, understand that when they take the job - the select to take this job and all the union benefits that come along with the job. Thereby, the worker votes with his feet to join the union. If the worker didn’t want to join the union, the worker would find a different job. This bill is blatant interference by government into contracts & that is a slippery slope. I encourage all the members of this committee to vote ITL of HB735. Thank you. Rep. Mary Hakken-Phillips

Karen LufkinOpposeGlen, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

Please, for the love of god, stop this madness! You all work for me, not the other way around. I insist you stop this bill!

Karla McManusOpposeBedford, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I oppose this Bill

Ciarra AnnisOpposeConcord, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

This bill is an outrageous and useless drain on every system it affects. Are we not already struggling with our current budgets? Why are we forcing departments to create new positions, but not grant them the funds to do so? This is a clear ploy to bleed the Department of Labor dry while weakening the protections every worker within a union has and deserves. Every worker deserves to be protected by a union, regardless of their ability to have voted in a certification election or not. We are in an age of rapid dis and misinformation, and I do not want to lose my representation because Sally FacebookAd McTweeter over there fell for anti-union (read: anti-worker) propaganda hook line and sinker. It's convenient to be anti-union when one is only concerned about maximizing profits. Why don't you try to be concerned about maximizing quality of life for all granite staters?

Justin RosamilioOpposeManchester, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

This bill is unnecessary legislation, and will cost local employers more to administer.

Giana GelseyOpposeMadbury, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

This is an attack on public sector unions. Just stop it. I oppose.

Jed CarpentierOpposeHampton, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I'm not sure why this is even a discussion.

Tristan HusbyOpposeNASHUA, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

I a member of the National Educators Association in Pelham, NH, and I oppose this bill.

John DalyOpposeGilford, NHfor MyselfJan 28, 2025

This bill would make organizing a public sector labor union more difficult, meaning that it would make it more difficult for public sector workers, such as police, firefighters, and public school teachers to receive the benefits they have earned by serving the public. Public sector workers put make personal and financial sacrifices for the good of their communities, and they deserve to be taken care of by the public they serve.