We're encouraged to see that while the misleadingly named Right-to-Work bill passed the New Hampshire House, it fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised veto by Gov. John Lynch.
House Bill 474 would end the practice of allowing unions and employers to negotiate a clause in contracts requiring non-union members to pay a fair share of collective bargaining costs, and it creates stiff penalties for anyone found guilty of doing virtually anything to encourage union membership. These two measures, along with many others in the bill, aim to weaken unions in New Hampshire and render powerless union and non-union workers alike.
Fortunately for the working men and women in our state, it looks like the bill is going to fail.
The bill passed the House 225-140. According to the latest figures, the House has 396 members with four vacancies, which means it would take 264 votes to override the governor's veto. In fact, it appears the bill has lost some support since it was originally approved Feb. 15, by a 221-131 margin. The bill gained four votes but nine additional representatives voted no.
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http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20110505-OPINION-105050375