Nurses at Concord Hospital - Franklin and Concord Hospital - Laconia have the right to support the union, oppose it, or ask questions about representation, bargaining, and decertification. No employee should be pressured or treated differently because of their views.
Across Concord Hospital Health System, we respect every employee’s legal right to support, oppose or consider union representation. At the same time, we continue to believe that direct relationships, open communication and the ability to address concerns collaboratively are the best ways to support our employees, patients, and communities.
Because SEIU is now the certified bargaining representative, it represents all nurses in the bargaining unit, regardless of how any individual voted. Wages, benefits, and other working conditions must be negotiated between the hospital and the union. During ongoing negotiations, nurses in the bargaining unit retain the right to ask questions, review proposals, share your views, and receive accurate information about the bargaining process. Any final contract will apply to everyone in the bargaining unit.
We encourage you to exercise your right to seek information from multiple sources, review the actual proposals being exchanged, and reach your own conclusions. We will continue to provide factual updates, answer questions, and respect every nurse’s lawful rights throughout the bargaining process.
August 5, 2026
This update follows the August 4, 2026, negotiation session toward a first contract between Concord Hospital Health System (CHHS) and SEIU, the union representing Franklin and Laconia nurses.
- All new proposals on the table: Yesterday, CHHS and SEIU completed the process of putting all new proposals on the table. This marks a significant point in the development of the contract. For the first time, we can comprehensively evaluate the full package and address the issues holistically.
- CHHS proposals: We presented four new proposals addressing health and safety, definitions of full-time and part-time employees, leaves of absence and vacancies, as well as counterproposals on seniority, uniforms and miscellaneous provisions.
- Timeline: While we are all eager to reach an agreement, it is important to remember that substantive negotiations have been underway for only four months and that a typical first union contract takes an average of 15 months to negotiate. Although we met in February, that meeting focused solely on ground rules, and a discussion of contract proposals did not begin until our next session on April 23.
- Next sessions: The next session will be August 11, and we have scheduled three additional bargaining dates: August 28, September 14, and September 23. CHHS remains committed to being flexible and meeting regularly and productively.
CHHS is focused on identifying areas where it can address priorities raised by the Union. For example, SEIU has emphasized the importance of recognizing nurses’ service at predecessor hospitals when determining seniority. Although the Union did not modify its prior seniority proposal, CHHS proactively moved forward and incorporated prior service in its latest counterproposal on seniority for benefit accruals.
While CHHS and SEIU teams spent approximately an hour reviewing proposals and counterproposals together, SEIU made limited movement on many of the issues discussed yesterday. Specifically, SEIU made only modest changes to several counter proposals on which we had offered counterproposals. Further, on some counter proposals, SEIU did not make any changes at all.
Significant differences remain, and reaching an agreement will require meaningful movement and compromise on both sides. The Union explained that it wants to review CHHS’s economic counter proposals before making further movement on many other proposals, including non-economic proposals, claiming that it views all proposals as connected to economics. We intend to begin responding to economic and other proposals at the August 11 session. In doing so, we will consider the individual and combined impact of the proposals on patient care, employees, and the financial health of our hospitals. Our goal is to support both our employees and the ability of Laconia and Franklin hospitals to continue providing valuable healthcare services to our communities.
We remain committed to bargaining collaboratively, professionally, and in good faith. We will keep you informed as the process moves forward.
Thank you for the outstanding care you provide every day to our patients and communities.
Sincerely,
Erin and Scott
Why is an educator meeting with nurses?
Nurses have raised questions about union representation, collective bargaining, and what these changes may mean for them. Miko Penn is available as an additional resource to provide general education and answer questions about these often complicated topics. Participation in any meetings with Miko is completely voluntary.
What is Miko’s role?
Miko provides general information about union representation, the bargaining process, and the options available to nurses who have questions about their representation.
While Miko is not a member of the health system's bargaining team and does not negotiate or speak for the health system, she has been informed about specific proposals that have been shared at the table and is knowledgeable about the overall process of bargaining a first contract. In conversations with staff, Miko may share:
- Specific proposals that have been put forth by the union or the health system, showing nurses the exact language. Miko will not speculate — nor would any member of our team — on how those proposals will evolve over time;
- Overall information about bargaining generally: how long it may take, how the process works, and what types of topics typically are covered when bargaining.
If you have a specific question about a proposal or something you have heard about the negotiations and you do not want to ask Miko, we urge you to ask your manager. While they may not have the answer immediately, they will seek out accurate information from our leadership team at the bargaining table and provide it to you.
Our goal is to be sure that your questions are answered and that you have the information you need to make informed decisions. We know and expect that you will seek out information from SEIU as well to support your decision making.
Can we trust Miko as a fair and accurate source of information?
Concord Hospital Health System carefully reviewed Miko’s past work and credentials before choosing to partner with her; we are confident that she understands the issues associated with union representation that are important to our nurses, and we are working closely together to assure that she has and shares only accurate information about any proposals that have been presented in negotiations.
Unfortunately, there have been inaccurate rumors and information shared by SEIU about that, which we do need to address. SEIU has shared information about several unfair labor practice charges (“ULP”), asserting some of them involved Miko. However, none of those charges involved Miko.
Nurses should consider information from Miko as one source and are encouraged to review the actual proposal language or ask their managers or Human Resources for clarification. The goal is to make sure nurses can compare the information they receive with the documents and facts themselves.
Why has Concord Hospital Health System brought in an outside resource?
Union representation and collective bargaining involve legal, technical, and procedural issues that may be unfamiliar to many employees. Our responsibility is to make sure nurses have access to clear, accurate, and timely information so they can understand the issues and reach their own conclusions. An experienced educator provides nurses with another place to ask questions.
How is Concord Hospital Health System approaching communication about bargaining?
We will continue to provide regular, factual updates about the overall status of negotiations. Because bargaining is an active process, proposals may change significantly as the parties exchange ideas, respond, and seek compromise. Our updates are intended to provide useful context without presenting preliminary positions as final outcomes.
What is Concord Hospital Health System’s approach to the issues being negotiated?
We are committed to bargaining professionally and in good faith. We are working toward a contract that supports nurses, protects safe and continuous patient care, and reflects the operational and financial realities facing Franklin and Laconia.
Why isn’t bargaining moving faster?
First-contract negotiations are often complex, and both sides are still introducing and responding to proposals. We have responded to 12 of the union’s 21 proposals (effective July 17). Several issues remain under active discussion and the parties are still working through significant differences in proposed language. Both sides have agreed to put all remaining proposals on the table at the next session on August 4.
What should nurses do when they hear conflicting information about contract proposals?
Nurses may speak with their nurse managers, Human Resources, or their union representative. We will continue to clarify information when needed and update this FAQ as common questions emerge.
Current Bargaining Topics You May Have Questions About
- Wages: Concord Hospital Health System recognizes that fair and competitive wages are essential to recruiting and retaining nurses. We have not yet responded to the union’s initial wage proposal because other issues that may affect the overall financial terms of an agreement are still being discussed. As discussed with the union during negotiations, once all proposals are on the table, we will respond to the outstanding economic proposals.
- Overtime: We agree that mandatory overtime should be limited and used only when an unusual combination of patient volume and staffing makes it necessary to maintain safe, high-quality care. Overtime has historically been used only when needed for patient care, and we are open to discussing a sustainable approach that protects nurses and patients while preserving the ability to respond when circumstances require it. Those discussions remain preliminary, and no final agreement has been reached.
- Strikes: Strikes, particularly in communities that depend on local access to care and at hospitals with financially fragile histories, can be incredibly damaging. While we respect employees’ lawful rights, we also have a responsibility to do everything possible to protect patients’ continuous access to safe, high-quality care. The parties are still discussing these issues, and no final agreement has been reached.
Why did Concord Hospital Health System decline a joint town hall?
We believe the bargaining table is the appropriate place for the two negotiating teams to discuss specific proposals. It will continue to provide nurses with opportunities to ask questions and receive information, but does not believe a town hall would make a complex and evolving process clearer.
