Mike Bordes

House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee New Hampshire House of Representatives Concord, NH Members of the Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony regarding HB 1704 FN, legislation that would create “independent bargaining rights” for public employees outside the established collective bargaining framework. I am writing to express deep concern about the bill’s impact on municipalities and the residents we serve. From a local government perspective, HB 1704 FN would create significant administrative, legal, and financial burdens for cities and towns across New Hampshire. The bill replaces a clear, structured bargaining process with a fragmented system in which individual employees negotiate wages, hours, grievances, and working conditions directly with the employer. For a municipality like Laconia, this is unworkable. Instead of one agreement per bargaining unit, public employers would face dozens potentially hundreds of individualized negotiations. The bill also prohibits linking independently negotiated wages or conditions to those of unionized employees. This guarantees pay disparities, inconsistent standards, and a high likelihood of litigation. The fiscal note itself acknowledges that the local cost impact is “indeterminable,” which should be a red flag for any community trying to budget responsibly. Perhaps most troubling, HB 1704 FN attaches criminal penalties including a Class A misdemeanor and fines up to $5,000 for violations. This means that municipal leaders and staff could face criminal liability for routine labor management disagreements or administrative errors. Turning labor relations into a law enforcement matter is not only unnecessary, it is counterproductive. Although the bill carves out police, fire, and corrections employees, the remaining workforce is no less essential to the functioning of our communities. If the sponsors believe this bill promotes efficiency and freedom, it is worth asking why the most public facing and safety critical employees were excluded. The carve outs themselves acknowledge that this model is unworkable. New Hampshire municipalities rely on predictable budgeting, stable labor relations, and clear statutory frameworks. HB 1704 FN undermines all three. It weakens the established exclusive representation model, destabilizes workplaces, increases administrative costs, and exposes local governments to unnecessary legal and criminal risk. For these reasons, I urge the Committee to reject HB 1704 FN. This bill is not needed, not workable, and not in the best interest of New Hampshire’s cities, towns, or taxpayers. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Mike Bordes Mayor, City of Laconia State Representative Belknap-5 Laconia