Appeal of City of Laconia

The City of Laconia (City) appeals the New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relation Board’s (PELRB) decision to include the personnel director’s administrative secretary as a member of a newly formed bargaining unit, as proposed by the State Employees Association of N.H., S.E.I.U., Local 1984 (SEA). For the reasons set forth below, we reverse.

On March 5, 1990, the SEA filed a petition for certification of a proposed bargaining unit to be composed of employees from various departments of the City of Laconia. Although the parties agreed that the position of executive secretary was confidential…