Early in my career as a nurse I worked in Florida, a right-to-work state.
I came to New Hampshire to live with my young family because of the losses we incurred due to that reality. In that large metropolitan hospital, you would be called and told you were not needed to come to work if the census was low.
Unable to get medical insurance through work, when my husband landed in ICU with Type 1 diabetes we were unable to pay the bill. We subsequently ended up losing our home.
I was pregnant with my son at the time, and we did not know if we would have a home to take him home to in the next few months.
Right-to-work is far more complex than is being expressed to the people of New Hampshire. I never had to worry about my employer calling me up to tell me I was not needed. I never had to worry about insurance. I could buy a home here without fear of losing it if a health crisis happened.
Right-to-work has direct ramifications on young people being able to raise families here in New Hampshire. I will never forget another nurse in an education meeting talking about the union. When another came in she said, “Shhh, don’t talk union. We won’t be called for work.”
Elizabeth Kennedy
Northwood