AFSCME Takes Over NH Local 3144 | The Quinnipiac Post

National union appoints administrator after invalidated election and candidate withdrawal leave 397 city employees without local leadership

The News

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees placed Local 3144 in New Haven under emergency administratorship on February 17, 2026, after months of leadership disputes left 397 city professional and supervisory employees without elected union leadership.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders authorized the takeover, citing constitutional violations and governance breakdowns within the local, the New Haven Independent reported. Timothy Birch, AFSCME's Eastern Regional Assistant Director, was appointed administrator. The local's executive board has been suspended.

"This is a decision that is never made lightly," Birch told the New Haven Independent.

A hearing is expected in early March to resolve the dispute. The takeover adds urgency to upcoming contract negotiations — Local 3144's current six-year agreement, retroactively effective from July 1, 2023, expires on June 30, 2026.

How New Haven Got Here

The crisis traces back to February 2024, when Gildemar Herrera, a New Haven city IT director, was suspended from his job. He was fired in September 2024. An arbitrator reinstated Herrera in October 2025, and he ran for president of Local 3144, winning the election that same month.

But Malinda Figueroa, the former Local 3144 president, challenged the results. The election was invalidated on November 24, 2025, because Herrera had not maintained union dues payments during his termination — a requirement for eligibility under AFSCME's constitution, the New Haven Independent reported.

A rerun election was scheduled, but the Local 3144 Election Committee canceled it on February 6, 2026. Five days later, on February 11, Jeff Patton — one of the candidates in the race — withdrew. With no candidates and no scheduled election, the local was left without a path to elected leadership.

AFSCME stepped in six days after Patton's withdrawal.

"Stand up for what you want," Herrera told the New Haven Independent, expressing frustration with the process.

What It Means for New Haven City Employees

Local 3144 represents 397 professional and supervisory employees across New Haven city government. Under the administratorship, Birch will handle day-to-day union operations and leadership decisions that would normally fall to elected officers.

AFSCME has said that representation and services for members will continue without interruption during the transition. Members can direct questions to AFSCME's regional offices.

The immediate concern is the union contract. With the current agreement expiring on June 30, 2026, Local 3144 will need stable leadership in place to negotiate a successor contract with the city. The March hearing is expected to determine next steps for restoring elected governance.

What's Next

The early March hearing will address the leadership dispute and outline a timeline for new elections. AFSCME has not announced a specific date for the hearing.

The Aldermanic Affairs Committee and the Health & Human Services Committee both had meetings scheduled in late February, and the issue was expected to come up in city discussions. No formal city response to the takeover has been announced.

This is the first known instance of AFSCME imposing an administratorship on Local 3144 in New Haven.

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