Welcome to your union.
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End-of-Year Reflection
I was lucky enough to work with a decidedly pro-union principal for most of my career when I was a classroom teacher. She often reminded us of the privilege we have as teachers to reflect on our year and then begin again the following fall, with not only a clean slate, but also with real opportunities, along with our students, to build, to grow, to change, and to learn. And here we are at the end of another school year, so much to reflect on, so much more work to do (but first summer break), so much need for that clean slate of a new school year, and so much real opportunity ahead. We started the year gearing up for our contract campaign that would ultimately open up a process that had been closed to our members for far too long. In that process more and more of our members engaged in the work of our union - planning and attending our general membership meeting at Career, participating in Contract Committee work, observing bargaining sessions, helping distribute bulletins to fellow union members, showing up and speaking out, and helping us all secure improved pay, benefits, and working conditions for our next contract - which takes effect on July 1 (in case you haven’t heard). While the gains we made are real, we know we didn’t win everything we set out to win. We also know that with this reflection comes the next steps - building teams at each of our schools to make sure members know about our new contact, organizing with members to improve our working conditions and demand real solutions to the problems that continue to impact us, and keeping up the pressure at the state level to demand a school funding system that works for educators, students, and the communities we serve. So we are going to use the summer break to breathe new life into the structures we need to build power. We are going to attend conventions, door knock for pro-union/pro-public education political candidates, engage in the work of the Governor’s School Funding Commission, convene a paid members-only organizing institute to get better at our one-on-ones (check your email for applications), welcome new NHFT members, and of course slow down a bit so we are refreshed and rested for the 26-27 school year. A school year where all of our members will see more money in their paychecks, more protected time at the start of the year, and expanded coverage for our medical benefits. This is progress and we are ready for more of it in the months and years to come. Leslie Blatteau NHFT President June 2026 
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