Paraeducator and Teacher Contract Update

Last week, the Paraeducator and Teacher contracts had their first reading before the Board of Aldermen. Both contracts were sponsored by eight aldermen, as well as Mayor Donchess. With only fifteen members on the Board, this majority support suggests both contracts are likely to be approved—barring any unexpected developments.

The next step is a review by the Board of Aldermen’s Budget Review Committee, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. on June 23, 2025, in the Aldermanic Chamber at City Hall. I plan to attend and would welcome any members who are available to join me. If all goes well, the contracts are expected to be presented for a final vote at the full Board of Aldermen meeting the following evening, June 24, also at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Small Dues Increase

The NTU Board of Directors recently approved a modest dues increase at my request. This is the first increase since 2016. In the years since, our operating costs have risen significantly, while revenue has remained flat.

This budget cycle, I was able to identify $40,000 in savings within the NTU budget. However, even with these cuts, we were still facing a deficit that would require dipping into our reserves. While drawing from reserves can be a useful short-term solution, it is not sustainable as a long-term strategy. The combination of budget cuts and this small dues increase will allow us to balance the budget without further depleting our reserves.

The increase is minimal. The highest increase any member will see is $26 per year—about $1 per paycheck if you get twenty-six checks. Dues are based on your salary, and the full breakdown is provided in the document below.

2025–2026 Dues Schedule

I recognize that many of you are also facing rising costs, so I assure you that I remain committed to keeping NTU dues as affordable as possible while maintaining the strength and stability of our union.

Protect Your Pension Benefit

Last week, I mentioned that the majority of our members in the Teacher, ASL/FEC, and Clerical units are enrolled in the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS). Unfortunately, if you pass away before retiring, your beneficiaries would only receive the amount you contributed to the NHRS plus interest. 

However, if you complete the form linked below, have it notarized, and return it to NHRS, your beneficiaries will be eligible to receive 100% of your available pension benefit.

Pre-Selection Before Retirement

One important thing to check before complete the form is to make sure that your designated beneficiary matches what the NH Retirement System has on file. In many cases, members may have nominated a beneficiary when they were hired before they got married or had children and never updated this information. If this is the case, you will need to update your beneficiary information first before filing this form. You can do that by filling this form out:

NH Retirement Beneficiary Designation

If you need to check who your current beneficiary is and forget how to log into the NH Retirement System portal, you can do that by following my directions here:

NH Retirement System Website

Nevertheless, I spoke with a representative from the NH Retirement System last week and she assured me that all current NH Retirement members who are still working she definitely complete the "Pre-Selection Before Retirement Form." Thank you to Robin Peringer and Judy Loftus for bringing this form to my attention.

Meals Matter Goes Over the Edge

On June 24th, three brave Nashua High School North students will rappel down 24 stories of the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester to support Meals Matter. If you're interested in supporting these brave students by donating to Meals Matter, you can do so here:

Donate to Meals Matter

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

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