Thomas Gaumont: Low wages negatively impacts retention of staff members

To The Daily Sun,

I am writing on behalf of the NH Veterans Home Residential Council as second vice president to make the public aware of the crisis in retaining essential staff members at the home. These workers are the backbone of our residential care, yet severe wage stagnation continues to negatively impact our ability to retain them.

Dietary workers and recreation assistants, in particular, are paid wages that fall well below a living wage goal of $25.77 per hour. The current contract wage structure begins at $14.40-$18.46 per hour, compared to the estimated living wage required to cover basic needs for a single adult without children.

We urgently request that the Finance Committees, Gov. Kelly Ayotte, the Governor’s Council, and the SEA/SEIU Local 1984 address the following in their appropriate capacities in the state budget and collective bargaining processes:

• Increase the minimum starting hourly pay rate for both the dietary and recreational staff to $25.77 per hour
• Continue to provide a competitive medical benefit package
• Implement annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to ensure wages keep pace with inflation

Our dietary workers and recreational assistants are a critical part of the healthcare continuum. Investing in their compensation is not just an operational necessity; it is a moral obligation to those who care for our residents, and is indirectly a moral obligation to our residents as well.

Thomas G. Gaumont

Tilton