Message from the President

Embrace Home Loans This Week!

Thinking about buying a home in the near future? Your union provides exclusive benefits to prospective homebuyers through Embrace Home Loans. The NTU is hosting a virtual seminar for those who members who would like to know more on October 15 at 4 pm. For more information and sign-up details, click the link below:

Embrace Home Loans

Here is the Zoom Link to attend:

Zoom Link 

Got Student Loans? The NTU Can Help! Sign-up Information Now Available

This past July, I attended the AFT Convention in Washington, D.C. Whenever I attend events like this, I always try to bring back information, resources, or benefits that can help NTU members.

One of the most powerful moments of the convention came when several AFT members took the stage to share their experiences with student loan debt. They spoke about the enormous financial burden their loans had placed on them and their families. Then, they explained how attending an AFT Student Debt Clinic helped them navigate the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program and ultimately have their student loan debt forgiven. Each of the members who spoke had more than $100,000 in student loan debt forgiven.

I am sure there are NTU members—or their family members—who work in public service or the nonprofit sector and may be eligible for student loan forgiveness through PSLF. That is why the NTU will be hosting a virtual AFT Student Debt Clinic on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.

You can now register for the Debt Clinic using the link below:

Register for the Debt Clinic! 

Student Behavior Issues

One of the most common reasons members seek union assistance is to address problems involving student behavior. It is important to understand that all students are required to follow the district's Student Behavior Standards. If your school's administration fails to enforce these standards, the NTU may be able to file a grievance.

The district's Student Behavior Standards are outlined in Policy JIC. Student offenses are divided into three classifications, with Class III being the least serious and Class I being the most serious. It is important to understand that repeated Class II and Class III offenses can become Class I offenses if they occur frequently enough. You can review Policy JIC here:

Policy JIC: Student Behavior Standards

If you are experiencing significant student behavior problems and believe your building administrator is not enforcing Policy JIC, please contact your union representative for assistance.

Unfortunately, there have also been incidents in which staff members have been intentionally assaulted by students. These incidents should be reported to your school's Joint Loss Safety Committee and the incident report forms are in the District's Student Violence Prevention and Management Plan.

As you may recall from previous Monday Morning Messages, Joint Loss Safety Committees are required by state law. Half of each committee's members are selected by the union representatives in your building, rather than by management. These committees play an important role in addressing workplace safety concerns, including incidents involving student violence. You can review the district's policy on Joint Loss Safety Committees and its Student Violence Prevention and Management Plan here:

Policy ED Joint Loss Management Committee

Student Violence Prevention and Management Plan 

Finally, when a student is responsible for repeated behavioral incidents, I also recommend initiating a CHAT for student behavior so that an appropriate behavior plan can be developed. If you are unfamiliar with the CHAT process or do not know how to initiate one, please ask your building administrator for guidance.

Payroll Issues

It appears that most of the remaining payroll issues have been fixed. However, if you are still experiencing an issue with your benefits or pay, please report it to the NH Department of Labor using the link below:

File an Online Wage Complaint 

Second HSA Payment from the City

For those of you who have an HSA, you should receive an email by the end of next week that the second HSA deposit from the City is being transferred into your HSA accounts. If you receive no notification by October 13, please let me know and I will report it to the NH Department of Labor.

Important Retirement Information

I wanted to share a few important reminders for members regarding the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS).

First, if you are vested in the NH Retirement System (10 years of service or more), please consider completing the Pre-Selection Before Service Retirement form below and returning it to NHRS. I first shared this information back in the spring of 2025, but I wanted to remind everyone in case they have not done this yet.

If you do not complete this form and die before you begin collecting your pension benefits, your beneficiary will receive the amount you contributed to the retirement system, plus applicable interest, but nothing more.

However, if you complete the Pre-Selection Before Service Retirement form, have it notarized, and return it to NHRS, your beneficiary(ies) will be eligible to receive the pension benefit you selected if you die before you begin collecting your retirement benefits. If you are married, your spouse will also need to be present when the form is notarized.

The difference between filling out this form and not filling it out could be enormous. For example, let's say your NHRS account has $100,000 in it and you die while your are still working and your spouse is still alive. If your spouse is your only beneficiary, and you do not fill out this form, that is all they would get: $100,000 minus taxes. However, if you fill out the Pre-Selection Before Service Retirement form, your spouse will receive the same monthly retirement benefits you would have had you had lived long enough to collect them. If you have not done so already, please take care of your beneficiaries and fill it out.  

Here is the form:

Pre-Selection Before Retirement 

Second, you may want to check who you currently have listed as your pension beneficiary or beneficiaries.

You can find this information in your NHRS member portal. If you need to change your beneficiary(ies), you can do so by completing the appropriate NHRS form.

Designate Beneficiaries 

Third, if you have never logged into the NHRS member portal, the process is easier than it used to be.

In the past, you had to submit an online request and wait for a PIN to arrive in the mail. Now, you can call NHRS, and they can provide the information you need to set up your account over the phone.

Here is the NHRS website and phone number:

Phone: 603-410-3500
Website: https://www.nhrs.org/

Lastly, NHRS is offering a virtual webinar on November 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. for anyone who would like to learn more about their pension benefits. These events tend to start a little later than the scheduled time, so members at the high school level may be able to attend.

You can register here:

Group I (Employee and Teacher) Summary Webinar - 11/12/2026 

I’ll also try to organize another NHRS webinar specifically for NTU members in the spring, since members working at the other school levels will likely not be able to attend the November 12 webinar.

Questions? Comments? Need Assistance?  Contact a member of the Executive Board

Trying to email Gary? Make sure to use president@nashuatu.org