NH Labor Relations Board Sides with Nashua Custodians

NASHUA, NH — New Hampshire’s AFL-CIO is calling a decision by the state of New Hampshire’s Public Employee Labor Relations Board a “big win” for custodians in Nashua who were slated to be fired as the school district attempted to find ways to save money.

The labor relations board issued a decision on Aug. 4, 2016, stating that the school district “improperly refused to bargain with the Union over the custodial personnel positions in violation of its bargaining obligations under” state law and now must “engage in bargaining with the full bargaining unit for a successor contract to the 2013-16 CBA without further delay.” That contact expired in June.

The ruling stated that the current dispute about whether or not the district can privatize the custodial workforce should be addressed with the union.

In a statement on its website, the NH AFL-CIO, the org that AFSCME Council 93, the Nashua custodians’ union is a member of, called the decision a victory for workers and organized labor in the state.

“Yesterday’s decision by the PELRB stated that the school district had, in fact, committed an unfair labor practice,” according to the statement. “The Public Employee Labor Relations Board also found that the school district had deprived employees of their right to participate in the collective bargaining process through the duly certified bargaining unit.”

The org also thanked the “persistent and unwavering efforts” of the 101 custodians and their supporters in the state.

“Many members of the labor community protested at Nashua School Board meetings in the rain, sleet, snow, and sun to show that the Nashua community was behind the custodial staff and that New Hampshire workers deserve to be treated fairly.”