Nurses at Concord Hospital campuses in Laconia, Franklin first in state to unionize

LACONIA — Nurses at the Laconia and Franklin campuses of Concord Hospital Health System are the first to vote in favor of forming a union at a private hospital in New Hampshire. 

In a tight vote conducted Thursday morning and afternoon, nurses voted in favor of unionizing. 

“It is the first private hospital in the state to successfully form a union,” said Rich Gulla, president of the State Employees' Association, SEIU Local 1984, in an interview on Friday, noting the achievement could “change the landscape of health care in New Hampshire.”

The recorded vote held a close margin, and included 78 nurses in favor and 74 against. Despite some efforts to discourage nurses from voting affirmatively, including confiscating flyers passed out among pizza boxes and holding meetings meant to persuade them, the election went off without major issues. 

“There was some of what you would typically see in an election,” Gulla said. “There were tactics that they did.”

Nurses filed for an election on July 31, after a period of about two months of organizing, whereby nurses signed cards indicating their preference for holding an election. They had to meet a 30% threshold of support among their peers before notifying the National Labor Relations Board. 

An election is successful if 50% plus one of the nurses who show up to vote affirm the question. In the period of time before filing for an election, nurses at Concord Hospital-Laconia described their frustration with “unsafe” staffing levels, and their perception that they had no real voice in the workplace, despite hospital statements ensuring leadership there are committed to working under a “shared-governance” model. 

“Their No. 1, main concern was their patients and their community members,” Gulla said, adding nurses wanted a seat at the decision-making table. “It was about the care of the patients and the staffing levels.”

Hospital administrators failed their community by not listening to nurses, “so now they’re going to be forced to,” Gulla said.

But nurses don’t view their disagreements as evidence of an us-versus-them mentality — they generally like their jobs and care deeply about doing them well. 

“It’s about a labor-management relationship that just doesn’t exist,” he said.

The process isn’t complete — there is a seven-day period for objections that must conclude before the National Labor Relations Board will officially certify the results. 

“The regional director of the NLRB must still certify the results, a process that will take at least one week. Until then, the outcome is not official,” Chief Advancement Officer of Concord Hospital Health System Veronica Rosa wrote in a prepared statement sent to The Laconia Daily Sun on Thursday night. 

Rosa also acknowledged a majority of nurses who voted in the election affirmed their preference to be represented by SEA/SEIU 1984, for the purpose of collective bargaining. 

“While we continue to believe that the collaborative working relationship we shared prior to the election offered the best path forward, we are prepared to move ahead in good faith. We respect our nurses’ decision and are committed to navigating the next steps together,” the letter reads. “Our priority remains clear: providing the highest-quality care for the community members who depend on us. We value the critical contributions of our nurses and all staff, and we will continue working side by side to ensure we remain the trusted, stable healthcare resource our communities deserve.”

Following certification, a union chapter will be formed and chapter leadership will be elected. A bargaining team will be appointed or elected, a survey will be conducted and proposals will be written prior to a petition to the hospital to enter into bargaining. 

Bargaining could take place over an extended period of time.

Union organizers think the nurses on the Laconia and Franklin campuses, in voting to form a union, sent a message to other workers across the state, and are already hearing from employees in other health care settings.

“I think I’m going to be very busy,” Gulla said.

In a letter dated Sept. 5, and addressed to hospital Chief Executive Officer Robert Steigmeyer, Gulla thanked Steigmeyer for his commitment to honoring the results of the election. 

“We know that collective bargaining agreements succeed only when both parties are treated fairly, and we view professionalism, respect, and decorum as essential to our work. We believe a strong and healthy labor–management relationship serves everyone’s best interests. Of course, there will be times when we disagree, but we are committed to doing so respectfully and in good faith as we work toward solutions,” Gulla’s letter reads, in part. “While our first duty is always to the employees we represent, we also believe that their right to bargain over their terms and conditions of employment will support your mission of recruiting and retaining talented nurses — nurses whose dedication directly strengthens the vital services your hospitals provide.

“The nurses I’ve met are deeply committed to delivering excellent care. Their bargaining goals are centered on improving conditions for all, not just themselves. That shared commitment gives us a strong foundation for building a collaborative relationship.”