For the full report, please visit NHJournal.com
Union bosses were grinning from ear to ear on Wednesday when New Hampshire’s Democratic Gov. John Lynch vetoed the right-to-work bill that passed both chambers of the legislature by huge majorities.
An investigation by NH Journal shows those union leaders paid a handsome price for Lynch’s veto. Unions have contributed over $112,000 directly to Lynch since he became governor. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands more made it into the New Hampshire Democratic Party and through lobbyists who represent labor interests during that same period of time.
Lynch’s firm stand on such a lopsided issue is unusual. The popular governor is generally thought of as malleable and willing to go along with the legislature’s agenda.
Perhaps the $20,000 he has taken from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters or $19,000 from the Granite State Teamsters Local 633 had something to do with Lynch’s firm stand. Or maybe it was the collective contributions from 26 different unions that kept him grounded.
The right-to-work bill would protect workers from being forced to join a union. There are currently 22 states with such a law. Right-to-work suddenly became a national issue two weeks ago when the Obama administration’s National Labor Relations Board filed a legal complaint against Boeing for attempting to build a plant in South Carolina, a right-to-work state. Obama, like Lynch, has received an inordinate amount of financial help from union leaders throughout his political career.
Lynch’s veto ensures New Hampshire will remain near the center of the storm in the ongoing battle between conservative Republicans and unions and their Democratic allies.
The fight now moves to the House, where Republicans will attempt to whip enough votes to override Lynch’s veto. The Senate is believed to have enough votes to override.