After the heated battle over SB5, many elected officials in Ohio have been hesitant to attack your rights in the workplace. That hasn't stopped some conservatives from trying to get another bill passed into law that would strip away your rights.
ProgressOhio's Brian Rothenberg had this to say to the Cincinnati Enquirer on the subject:
The governor understands the perils this would have in the 2014 elections. I don't think he needs this headache.
President Obama talks about his choice to rescue the American auto industry from collapse and save more than one million American jobs.
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Earlier this month, Mitt Romney was welcomed for a campaign event at the Century Mine in Beallsville, Ohio, by hundreds of coal workers and their families.
Now many of the mine's workers are saying they were forced to give up a day's worth of pay to attend the event, and they feared they might be fired if they didn't, according to local news radio WWVA.
Coal miners lost pay when Mitt Romney visited their mine to promote coal jobs
The Pepper Pike company that owns the Century Mine told workers that attending the Aug. 14 Romney event would be both mandatory and unpaid, a top company official said Monday morning in a West Virginia radio interview.
A group of employees who feared they'd be fired if they didn't attend the campaign rally in Beallsville, Ohio, complained about it to WWVA radio station talk show host David Blomquist. Blomquist discussed their beefs on the air Monday with Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore.
Moore told Blomquist that managers "communicated to our workforce that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend." He said the company did not penalize no-shows.
The Obama Campaign immeadiately released a TV Ad "Mandatory".
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Related:
ProgressOhio Files FEC complaint Against Romney, Mining Company
Recognized for Leadership in Fight for Workers' Rights
COLUMBUS - The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio presented State Representative Matthew A. Szollosi (D-Toledo) with the Ohio House of Representatives Legislator of the Year award today. The award was presented to Rep. Szollosi at the 78th Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
"I am proud to stand with our safety forces because they put themselves in harm's way everyday to keep us safe. Decisions to close stations and reduce staffing levels concern me, especially when statistics show crime is on the rise. We should be giving our safety forces the tools they need to do their jobs safely, so they can go home to their families after each and every shift."
Rep. Szollosi was recognized for his leadership statewide last year in the fight against Senate Bill 5 which would have gutted Ohio's collective bargaining law. Rep. Szollosi fought to ensure that Ohio's safety forces maintained their ability to negotiate fairly for proper staffing levels, necessary safety equipment and job security.
"Senate Bill 5, had it remained law, would have been terrible for workers," said Szollosi. "The Fraternal Order of Police did a great job educating the public about the true intent of the bill."
Senate Bill 5 was overturned by citizen referendum last November by a 61%-35% margin.
WASHINGTON, D.C--The proposed deal between Verizon Wireless and the big cable companies will cost workers and communities 72,000 jobs, according to a new report by the Communications Workers of America.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Justice are reviewing a proposed deal that would allow Verizon Wireless and companies including Time Warner and Comcast to cross-market each other's products, thereby eliminating competition and job-creating investment. The cross-marketing deal eliminates Verizon Communications' incentives to expand and promote its state-of-the-art all-fiber FiOS network to compete with its new cable partners' broadband and video service. In comments filed at the FCC today, CWA emphasized that the proposed spectrum swap between Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile does nothing to address the job loss and consumer harm that will result from the anti-competitive cross-marketing agreements that are a central component of this transaction.
To safeguard jobs and protect the interests of consumers and communities, CWA is calling on regulators to impose these conditions on the deal: 1) prohibit Verizon Wireless and the cable companies from cross-marketing in Verizon's landline footprint, 2) require Verizon to build the FiOS network to 95% of Verizon households in its landline footprint, including buildout in rural and low-income areas, and 3) ensure that Verizon Wireless and other cable companies are not able to lock out competitors.
Last year Governor Kasich of Ohio signed SB5, an attack on police officers, firefighters, teachers and the middle class.
SB5 (Issue 2) was soundly defeated. But Romney continues to attack police officers, teachers and firefighters. Ohioans disagree with Mitt Romney.
President Obama cares about what real people think about, are worried about, and are concerned about.
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Are you in? http://OFA.BO/i8tung
WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that displaced RG Steel workers will receive additional funds from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to get retraining for new careers. A National Emergency Grant (NEG) of $41,347 has been awarded to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) to continue provide reemployment services to workers affected by layoffs at six RG Steel/Severstal facilities (four in Ohio and two in West Virginia), as well as at Kinder Morgan, a Severstal supplier, located in Pennsylvania.
"RG Steel's bankruptcy filing and subsequent layoffs have left hundreds of Ohioans without a paycheck or a clear future," Brown said. "We should do all we can to get these workers back on their feet. These funds from the Department of Labor will help ensure that additional displaced workers from RG Steel can get the retraining and job search assistance needed to get back on their feet."
Columbus - Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D - Columbus) has introduced legislation that would prohibit employers, employment agencies, personnel placement services, and labor organizations from requiring an applicant or existing employee to provide access to private electronic accounts such as Facebook. The bill does not apply to work related electronic accounts.
This bill is in response to the recent trend both in Ohio and throughout the country of employers requiring current staff and potential employees to provide passwords to various social media sites with which they have a public profile.
"This bill is an effort to correct the invasion of the privacy of individuals who simply want to work. Employees should not have to give the keys to their personal and private information just to gain or maintain employment," stated Senator Charleta B. Tavares.
Although it is well known that employers search for the public profiles of potential employees in order to make judgments about the applicant character and personality; however, requesting access to that individual's personal profile reaches far beyond that scope. Tavares' legislation would also seek to prevent negative repercussions for those who refuse to divulge the information.
Columbus -State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland), State Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), State Representative Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) and State Representative Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) issued the following joint statement today regarding legislation for the Cleveland Schools plan:
"Last week we announced our intention to introduce legislation in support of Mayor Jackson's plan to turn around Cleveland's schools. At the time, we made clear that the plan as submitted to us was not perfect, and asked all parties to buckle down and work out solutions. To this end, we convened a series of meetings last Friday between the Cleveland Teachers Union, Mayor Jackson, and the Cleveland school district that were attended by a number of our legislative colleagues. These gatherings were followed by a very constructive session on Monday during which many differences were resolved.
"We are deeply encouraged by the progress made by the mayor in resolving concerns raised by the union and the inclusion of those solutions in the second draft of his legislation. Taking this significant progress into consideration, we have decided to delay introduction of the bill until Wednesday to provide the opportunity for discussion on those issues that remain. The outcome of these negotiations will have a significant impact on the lives of tens of thousands of children in Cleveland, and it is our hope that all parties come to the table prepared to work in the best interest of the city's students.
"Beyond building a better educational system, the mayor's plan has presented us with a unique opportunity to model for our young people how those with divergent views can work together to build up our communities. We call on those involved to maintain their composure, respect the process of negotiation, and work in good faith to produce a result that will better educate our children.
"It is imperative that all sides commit to crafting solutions through collaboration, while avoiding the road blocks and rhetoric that could so easily derail constructive dialogue. We have the opportunity to both reach an agreement that puts learning first and can achieve outcomes for students, and create fundamentally new relationships among professionals committed to the task.
"In the coming days, we expect the mayor, the union, and the district to reach an agreement and to resolve outstanding issues. If an understanding cannot be reached, we will introduce the legislation we have and negotiate the remaining issues through the legislative process. The language we have is a starting point--all bills are subject to change--but we have to start somewhere. There is no time to waste.
"Failure is not an option. The well-being of Cleveland's children is foremost in our minds and we remain committed to working with all parties to find common ground, whether it is at the negotiating table or in a Statehouse hearing room."
Vice President Joe Biden is making his first major foray into the 2012 presidential campaign in Ohio, an effort by President Barack Obama's re-election campaign to use the frequently blunt Biden to combat criticism from Republicans and dish it right back at them.
In a speech Thursday at a United Auto Workers hall in Toledo, Ohio, Biden is expected to offer a vigorous defense of the auto industry bailout and a robust takedown of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's opposition to the policy. The White House says the president's actions saved 1.4 million U.S. jobs.
"The verdict is in: President Obama was right and his critics were dead wrong," Biden says in excerpts of his prepared remarks released by the Obama campaign.
The $85 billion auto bailout, which was primarily first initiated by President George W. Bush in 2008, continues to be a centerpiece of the Obama administration's campaign and a debate issue between Republicans and Democrats.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - An amendment to the Senate Transportation bill offered by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to strengthen "Buy America" provisions and support Ohio-made steel has cleared the Senate. The legislation benefits several Ohio steel companies, including ArcelorMittal and Cliffs Natural Resources in Cleveland; Nucor, located in Marion; and AK Steel in Middletown.
"'Buy America' provisions support Ohio jobs and Ohio businesses. We leave our manufacturing sector vulnerable when we buy steel and iron from foreign countries. When taxpayer dollars are invested in highway and infrastructure projects, they should be spent on American-made goods," Brown said. "With companies like ArcelorMittal, Nucor, and AK Steel making steel right here in Ohio, there's no reason why countries like China, Russia, and Brazil should be doing it for us. By strengthening 'Buy America' requirements for highways and infrastructure, we not only support American jobs, but we eliminate the need to rely on foreign nations for vital manufactured materials."
"Buy America" provisions support American companies and workers by giving a preference to domestically-produced iron, steel, and other manufactured goods in infrastructure projects that receive federal aid. They are administered by several Department of Transportation agencies, with common-sense exceptions that permit waivers to allow the procurement of foreign-made products when there is insufficient domestic capacity, if the cost of the domestic product is unreasonable, or when the administering agency deems the waiver to be in the public interest.
Could Senate Bill 5 be making a comeback? Some union leaders say yes and it all has to do with proposed education reform in Cleveland to fix their broken schools.
It's called "The Cleveland Plan" and it has mandates within it that were part of the overwhelmingly defeated SB5. Not only that, but Gov. Kasich says it is the model for his education reform.
Watch this report from NBC4i.com
COLUMBUS - We Are Ohio announced Monday the coalition representing hundreds of thousands of Ohioans will actively fight misguided and deceptive attacks on worker or voter rights in 2012.
"We are Ohio will be actively engaged throughout 2012. We will stand to protect our middle class neighbors and working families. Too often extremist politics enters the fray and Ohioans recognize that it truly hurts us all," said Doug Stern, a Cincinnati firefighter. "The 2.1 million voters who vetoed Senate Bill 5, the 1.3 million Ohioans who signed the petition and the more than 17,000 volunteers are here to stay. Together, We Are Ohio!."
Today is a great day for America's and Ohio's middle class and those who aspire to get there. Cooper Tire, who locked out over 1,000 United Steelworker Local 207L members finally agreed to be civil to those who create their profits by bringing a proposal to the table that is fair to the workers and the community of Findlay.
According to USW District 1 Director Dave McCall, a tentative agreement was reached late this afternoon which could end the lockout. Members will get to vote on the proposal Monday.
"We want to thank all the unions and activists that stood with Local 207L members during this tough lockout. Just like the fight to save collective bargaining in 2011, labor showed once again when we stand together, all of the middle class and those who aspire to be there become stronger," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga.
Because of this great news, the events at local NTB stores scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 25 and the Journey for Justice tour scheduled for Monday, Feb. 27 have been cancelled.
"We are so glad this Cooper Tire lockout has an end in sight and the 1000-plus workers can get back to work and providing for their families. But we cannot forget this new strategy of the greedy 1% and their corporations," said Burga.
"Machinists in Sandusky, Ohio have suffered through this union-busting strategy and we know we will see more of these in the future. But when we stand together as one, in solidarity, we will continue to win for all of the 99%!
Thank you again for all your support in this effort and in working to win for Ohio's 99%."
Across the nation, greedy corporate CEOs and the 1% are using new strategies to bust unions. That is because the only line of defense between an America with a strong middle class where everyone has the chance at the American Dream and one that only favors the greedy 1% is the strength of the nation's labor movement.
Members of USW Local 207L gave up $30 million in pay and other benefits to help Cooper Tire in its time of need.
With their help, Cooper made more than $300 million since 2009. The company paid its executives millions of dollars in bonuses, bought a new corporate jet, then refused to bargain in good faith.
They locked USW union employees out and gave replacement workers their jobs.
Learn more of the Cooper Lockout and Sign the Petition Here.
As Indiana was passing Right To Work (For Less) out of their state House of Representatives yesterday, the Ohio AFL-CIO was submitting a challenge to the Ohio Attorney General over the submission of petition language that could put Right To Work (For Less) on the ballot as early as this November.
You can download and read the Ohio AFL-CIO objection here.
Ohio Governor John Kasich spoke today about Right To Work (For Less) and agrees this is not the time to start trying to destroy what is left of Ohio's private-sector middle class
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"The preponderance of evidence gathered from extensive independent research shows that the so called 'right to work for less' policies are in fact damaging to local economies as they lower wages and often create an environment that is conducive to job flight instead of fulfilling the promises of their proponents," said Tim Burga, Ohio AFL-CIO President. "We will continue to fight every day to ensure every worker has the dignity and protections they deserve at work to raise their families."
Congresswoman spoke with employees about creating manufacturing jobs in Ohio
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) toured the Will-Burt Company's manufacturing facility in Orrville, Ohio to talk about her 'American Jobs First' initiative and to hear from workers on the importance of creating new jobs in Ohio.
"Ohioans want us to set aside cheap talk and political rhetoric and put people back to work. The people at Will-Burt are an example of what we can do if we put American jobs first; by strengthening American manufacturing we strengthen our communities and our families. It's time to stand up for American jobs and bring my 'American Jobs First' initiative to the floor for a vote."
Members of USW Local 207L gave up $30 million in pay and other benefits to help Cooper Tire in its time of need.
With their help, Cooper made more than $300 million since 2009. The company paid its executives millions of dollars in bonuses, bought a new corporate jet, then refused to bargain with us in good faith.
They locked USW union employees out and gave replacement workers their jobs.
Watch It:
Cooper Tire is just flat wrong.
Please sign the petition and urge Cooper to end the lockout!
While the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25--$2.60 an hour less (after adjusting for inflation) than it was in 1968--some states have instituted a higher minimum, or even indexed the minimum wage to inflation.
In eight of those states--Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington--the minimum wage will go up automatically on Jan. 1, raising wages for more than a million minimum-wage workers.
Workers covered under Ohio's minimum wage law will see a 30-cent increase in their hourly wage taking them to $7.70 an hour.
In 2006, on behalf of Ohio's lowest wage earners, the Ohio AFL-CIO and the coalition, "Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage" successfully placed the Constitutional Amendment on the ballot, which tied Ohio's minimum wage rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI has increased over 4% from September 1st 2010 to September 31st 2011.
We Are Ohio said today that the group will donate $10,000 to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign and another $10,000 to the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.
Sgt. Jose Ranero of Toys for Tots said its check would be used to provide toys for as many as 1,000 youngsters.
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the food banks' group, said the donation would provide food for as many as 1,600 families for three days.
A form on the We Are Ohio website offers a method for supporters to donate to a charity of their choice.
Millions of hardworking Americans--nearly 2 million in January alone, and over 6 million in 2012--will be cut off from the emergency lifeline of federal unemployment insurance, unless Congress acts to fully renew the program before it expires December 31st.
But a bill that would slash jobless benefits in every state, and cut more than half the available benefits in the highest unemployment states including Ohio, is now headed for the U.S. Senate. This bill would cut over 74,000 Ohioans off of unemployment benefits at the time they need it the most to put food on their tables and keep their families warm.
In the past three years, federal unemployment insurance has helped more than 17 million Americans while they've looked for work in the toughest job market since the Great Depression.
Congress has never cut back or allowed these programs to expire when unemployment was anywhere near this high for this long. Senator Portman should reject the cuts to unemployment insurance, and pass a full renewal of the federal UI program immediately.
Please click this link to connect with Senator Portman (or any other federal elected official) through an innovated call back system. Just enter your information, including your phone number, and you will receive a call, hear a brief message and then you will be connected to your Members of Congress.
Legislation would strengthen 'Made in America' provisions, help American manufacturers
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) introduced the 'American Jobs First' initiative, a package of four bills that would help revive American manufacturing and put Americans back to work without requiring any major new spending.
"The 'American Jobs First' initiative is a common-sense plan that will give American manufacturers the tools they need to put people back to work," said Sutton. "At a time when Americans are looking to Congress to work together, the 'American Jobs First' initiative presents a real opportunity to set aside our differences and focus on real job creation in this country. I urge Speaker Boehner to bring these bills to the floor for a vote and show the American people that we can truly put American jobs first."
The 'American Jobs First' initiative consists of four bills introduced by Congresswoman Sutton that will strengthen 'Made in America' laws and work to level the playing field for American manufacturers.
The bills include:
Federation Founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1886
Columbus, OH -- The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1886 by Samuel Gompers as a reorganization of its predecessor, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions. Gompers was the president of the AFL until his death in 1924.
"The AFL has a prominent place in American history and the AFL-CIO will continue to play a role in shaping her future," said Tim Burga, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO. "Our mission is and will always be to improve the lives of working families--to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation. To accomplish this mission we will build and change the American labor movement," said Burga.
State Rep. Rex Damschroder, R-Fremont, announced Thursday that he has introduced legislation to ban "double dipping" for Ohio government workers, the practice that allows them to collect retirement benefits if they return to public employment after retiring.
House Bill 388 would suspend retirement benefits of a public retirement system retiree who returns to public employment.
Of course, they are right up front about the fact that this means you public workers, but not "us" the legislators themselves:
Sec. 145.01. As used in this chapter:
(A) "Public employee" means:
(1) Any person holding an office, not elective, . . .
Decaying Bridges are Symbol of Congress's Failure to Put People Back to Work
Columbus, OH - After votes by Congress to block President Barack Obama's jobs plan, and on the eve of the Super Committee's expected recommendations to enact more job-killing budget cuts, unemployed workers and local residents joined protestors nationwide in declaring an "Economic Emergency for the 99%." Columbus residents marched across the structurally deficient I-71 overpass on East Broad Street today, calling on Congress to create jobs, stop cuts, and make Wall Street banks pay.
The group gathered at The First Congregational Church to hear stories from unemployed and underemployed citizens and then peacefully marched to the overpass to illustrate the "structurally deficient" infrastructure, and others like it, needs work and so do 25 million Americans.
The march was part of a national day of protest at decaying bridges against policies that have enriched the 1% richest Americans and impoverished the 99%. In cities across America people are holding marches and sit-ins at bridges and other sites in need of repair to protest the inaction of Congress, the treatment of Wall Street banks and to demand that Americans be put back to work now.
"The economy, the banks and our leaders are failing the 99%," said John Reat, a former information technology manager with a Master's degree whose job was downsized. "We can't wait any longer for action. We need jobs - not more budget cuts. The overpass needs repair and is a symbol of our leaders' failure to pass a jobs bill or do anything to help the 99%, while the bankers and other members of the 1% keep getting richer."
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A group of conservative activists pushing for a constitutional amendment to make Ohio a "right to work" state today had their intial petition rejected by Attorney General Mike Dewine as not a fair statement of the proposed constitutional admendment.
Opponents argue right-to-work laws create a free-rider problem, in which non-union employees (who are bound by the terms of the union contract even though they are not members of the union) benefit from collective bargaining without paying union dues.
Statistics show that right to work states have lower wages and that right to work endangers the safety and health standards that protect workers on the job.
The election results in Ohio on Tuesday showed that Ohioans overwhelmingly support collective bargaining rights for Ohio workers. Opposition to this extreme legislation was both broad and deep and the election showed that Ohioans want to get rid of the politics of division to bring jobs back to the state. In Ohio, moderates and independents overwhelming rejected Issue 2 by double-digit margins. Even one in three self-identified conservatives voted against Issue 2.
Now extreme elements of the Republican Party are proposing an even more broad assault on workers' rights with a proposed constitutional amendment that goes even further. Voters clearly rejected the misguided notion of taking away workers' rights when they voted down Issue 2. It is my hope that Governor Kasich and Republican leaders in the legislature can provide some leadership to their party to stop these extreme initiatives and work for what Ohioans have clearly called for in terms of an economic recovery and creating jobs.
Working families want to see elected officials move forward in a new direction - by working together to create jobs and an economy that works for everyone. While we would prefer to pursue an agenda that brings forth an economic recovery that is shared across all occupations and sectors of the economy, we will not shy away from defending workers' rights across the state, as the campaign to defeat Issue 2 has already shown.
Columbus, Ohio - Ohio fire fighters and paramedics are launching a Get Out the Vote bus tour of the state that will run November 5-8, urging "Vote NO on Issue 2" during final days of canvassing to remind voters that SB 5 is an overreach that undermines public safety and the professionals who serve and protect.
"While the polls indicate there is strong opposition statewide to SB 5, our work isn't done yet," Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters President Mark Sanders said. "We want to encourage voters to exercise their right on November 8 and use their citizen's veto to reject this over-reaching legislation that compromises safety in our neighborhoods."
Ohio fire fighters have been heavily involved in efforts to repeal SB 5, with thousands participating in grassroots efforts, talking to their neighbors to repeal the measure and starring in television and internet ads that point out the risk to public safety if SB 5 becomes law.
Senator Glenn served our country is so many ways... a veteran, an astronaut and as a public employee.
Hear what he has to say about Issue 2...
Watch It:
HT: Anthony Caldwell
Ohio's Small Town Mayors Say They'll do Their Part;
Thousands of Ohioans Are Counting on It
COLUMBUS, OHIO - This week, in advance of a Senate vote on the infrastructure portion of the President's Americans Jobs Act, a group of 21 mayors from across Ohio joined together in signing a letter urging Republicans in Congress to pass the bill.
In their letter, this group of Ohio mayors, representing various communities across the state, writes, "With Ohio's unemployment at 9.1%, we see firsthand the foreclosed homes, the shuttered businesses, and the crumbling infrastructure in our communities. Far too often, we speak with citizens who have been laid off and are desperately searching for new jobs. We cannot wait any longer. We thank our Congressional leaders who have already shown great support in the fight to pass the American Jobs Act, but it is time for all of our leaders to step up, bridge the partisan divide, and act now by passing the jobs plan."
"Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost."
SB5 is all about values. Republicans across the state, at every level of office, oppose the values behind SB5.
Hear them explain in their own words why SB5 doesn't represent Ohio's family values :
Do the right thing. Next Tuesday, vote No on Issue 2.
Columbus, Ohio - In new campaign ads being released this week military veterans who fought to protect our nation, and who also serve as fire fighters protecting their neighborhoods across Ohio, find that SB 5 has stripped away their rights in the workplace and dramatically urge Ohioans to vote no on Issue 2.
"We didn't expect this kind of homecoming when we came back," said Columbus fire fighter David Jarvis, who served in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and served in Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War.
More than 1,000 Ohio fire fighters and paramedics are serving in the military, and after putting their lives on the line to protect our national security, these veterans have been stunned to learn that politicians used SB 5 to take away the voices of those who preserve our domestic security.
A recent memo written by ProgressOhio's Brian Rothenberg was leaked by parties unknown to the Washington Post. This puts us in a bit of an awkward position, but it didn't seem right not to comment on it, now that it is out there.
The truth is we will be shocked (delighted, but still shocked) if Issue 2 and SB5 are defeated by anywhere close to the margins currently being bandied about. There are a number of obstacles that still stand in the way of victory, let alone the big double digit victory margin we'd like to see.
While the record-setting protests this spring at the Statehouse showed that this issue really resonated with middle class Ohioans, there are a lot of barriers between having support in a poll and winning big at the ballot box:
Bottom line: this race is too critical to be confident. If one side fails to walk, knock, talk and vote during the next two weeks, things can change dramatically.
Columbus police officer Jerry Cupp voted for John Kasich and considered himself a card-carrying Republican. Now he's urging his fellow conservatives to Vote NO on Issue 2 because it takes a sledgehammer to the middle class.
Hear it from a former Republican and Tea Party member: SB5/Issue 2 is not a partisan issue and is actually hurting the Republican Party.
Watch It:
Join millions of Ohioans, including conservatives like Jerry Cupp and State Senator Bill Seitz in opposing SB5 and voting No on Issue 2.
October 25, 2011 - Opposition To Ohio's SB 5 Grows, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Women, Union Members Push Kasich Deeper In Hole
If the election were held Tuesday instead of in two weeks, a solid majority of Ohioans would vote to reject the state's new law restricting collective bargaining by government workers.
The latest poll from Connecticut's Quinnipiac University released Tuesday showed a 25-point gap between opposition and support for Senate Bill 5, which appears on the Nov. 8 ballot as Issue 2. That's nearly double the 13-point gap seen about a month ago when the poll showed momentum shifting to the side of those trying to save the law.
"With two weeks until Election Day, the opponents of SB 5 have strong reason to be optimistic," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "The opponents had seen their 24-point margin in July close over the summer and early autumn. As we enter the home stretch, however, they have once again taken a commanding lead. Except for Republicans, just about every demographic group favors repealing the law."
By a margin of 57 percent to 32 percent, registered voters questioned said they will vote "no'' on Issue 2, rejecting the law. That compares to 51 percent to 38 percent seen on Sept. 27.
THe Ed Show covered our video case study on safety equipment in Xenia which was featured in Executive Director, Brian Rothenberg's Shadows on High last Friday.
Watch It:
Watch our original video and read the entire Shadows on High column here.
On Fox News October 20th, Ohio Governor John Kasich says -- while laughing -- that public employees get "free health care" and pay nothing into their pensions.
Nice try, Guv. On average, county and state employees pay more than 15 percent for their health care plans and more than 93 percent of public workers already pay for their own pension contribution, with no pick-up from their employers.
Furthermore, Ohio's teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public employees have already made great sacrifices, saving Ohio taxpayers more than $1 billion dollars to help fix the budget crisis.
Stop the Liars!
Vote No on Issue 2!
You know it and I know it. SB5/Issue 2 is an attack on the middle class and bad for Ohio.
There has been a lot of talk lately from Issue 2 supporters about how SB5 only affects pensions and healthcare but we know that is just not true.
SB5/Issue 2 decimates collective bargaining in Ohio because management gets to pick the final contract. They can try and call it "bargaining" but bargaining only truly exists when both sides have something to lose and something to gain. It doesn't matter what is allowed to be collectively bargained if in the end, the government get to pick their own contract.
Kasich says this system is the best option since, "City councils and school boards ought to decide what a community can afford." But how does this work in practice?
Well we here at ProgressOhio have put together a case study on safety equipment in Xenia, OH and what we found will shock you. Not only do these council members try to put off replacing worn out equipment, these politicians say that firefighters and police should be buying their own safety equipment.
Watch It:
Columbus, OH - ProgressOhio delivered petitions from over 700 Ohioans outraged with Senator Rob Portman's vote against the American Jobs Act, which would have resulted in 1 billion dollars in infrastructure money and nearly 41,000 infrastructure, school rebuilding, and teacher jobs for the state.
Senator Portman was among Republicans in Washington that obstructed the American Jobs Act, and forced the bill to be carved into separate pieces. ProgressOhio is demanding Senator Portman vote in support of the first stand-alone piece of legislation, which the US Senate is slated to vote on this week and provides $35 billion to prevent teacher, firefighter and police layoffs.
Labor is poised for a big victory in Ohio next month- PPP's newest poll of the state finds that voters intend to reject Senate Bill 5 by a 56-36 margin. Although that margin is consistent with what we found in the state earlier this year, when we polled Ohio in August the support for repealing SB 5 had tightened to 50-39. These numbers suggest that momentum is back on the side of the groups trying to kill the bill.
The preferences of Republicans and independents on Senate Bill 5 are mostly unchanged from two months ago. Independents are evenly divided on the issue, 46/46. And Republicans want to uphold it 61/30. But Democrats have unified in their support for repealing SB 5. In August they were only planning to overturn it by a 69/21 margin. Now that figure is 80/13. That increase in Democratic support for repeal may be indicative of voters becoming increasingly aware what the implications of a 'yes' and 'no' vote are on this somewhat complicated referendum.
Conservative WLW 700 Cincinnati radio personality Bill Cunningham comes out against Issue 2, declaring that "those being affected by governmental decisions need to have a place at the bargaining table and a say in what's being discussed."
Watch It:
Related:
Right Wing Talker Bill Cunningham Threatens 'Intifada' Against 'Kasich The First'
There is an old saying that goes, "It's time to get down to brass tacks." Basically, it means that the time for side points and digressions is over and now we need to get down to the real facts of the matter.
John Kasich and his buddies like to say that SB5/Issue 2 is only about public workers paying 10% of their pension and 15% of their healthcare costs but this couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, state workers are required by law to pay 10% of their pensions. They've also had their wages frozen and increased healthcare costs increased to help the fiscal situation in their local communities.
So let's get down to brass tacks.
SB5/Issue 2 is not about pay or benefits, its about the health and safety of our communities.
SB5 would reduce the safety equipment and staffing of our police officers and firefighters who put their lives on the line each and every day. Police and Fire have been partners with cities to bring down costs through collective bargaining but as servants of the community, they must stand up when arbitrary decisions by politicians put the safety of the community at risk.
Voting NO on SB5 will allow local elected officials to force these public servants to combat ultra hazardous situations with inadequate safety equipment and staffing levels. For the future of our communities and the protection of our public servants, we cannot allow this to happen.
SB5/Issue 2 is about hypocrisy.
WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) called on her colleagues to vote NO on unfair trade deals with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia that will come before the House for a vote today.
Watch It:
A lifelong leader on trade and manufacturing issues, Sutton is a member of the House Trade Working Group and a co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation.
To read more about Congresswoman Sutton's record on trade, click here.
The union movement as a whole has helped ensure that workers throughout the economy - not just those in unions - share in economic growth, have decent wages and benefits, have good training, and are protected by health and safety regulations. But do public sector unions also bargain for provisions that more directly benefit the community?
This report, based on interviews, contract analyses and a review of the literature, finds that collective bargaining contracts often contain such broadly beneficial elements. Some key examples include safety officers negotiating for provisions that speed response times or keep skills up to date, teachers negotiating for more effective discipline or more enrichment classes, and nurses negotiating for better staffing ratios, which improve patient care.
This report finds that community well-being is often enhanced when public sector workers have a voice to improve their own work conditions and the quality of services they deliver.
Senate Bill 5, passed in March 2011, sharply curtails collective bargaining in ways that would reduce the ability to bargain for such provisions. A 'no' vote on Issue 2 will prevent these sweeping changes.
"Yes on Issue 2" Campaign Sinks to New Low
Columbus- Today Marlene Quinn, a great-grandmother from Cincinnati, called on Building A Better Ohio to immediately pull a television ad using her likeness without her permission.
Mrs. Quinn spoke out against Issue 2 in a television ad produced by We Are Ohio thanking Cincinnati firefighters who saved her great-granddaughter Zoey from a deadly fire. The anonymously-funded, corporate-backed pro-Issue 2 group, Building a Better Ohio, appears to have illegally used the likeness of Marlene Quinn and images from We Are Ohio's ad in their response advertisement.
On Tuesday, the "Yes on Issue 2" campaign that wants to take away collective bargaining rights from firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses and other public employees began running an ad that uses Mrs. Quinn's image without her permission.
The "Yes on Issue 2" campaign manipulates footage in an attempt to mislead viewers and represent a message that is the exact opposite from the message Mrs. Quinn expresses in the We Are Ohio television spot.
"I think it's dishonest and downright deceitful that they would use footage of me to try to play tricks and fool voters," Mrs. Quinn said.
Yesterday, Representative Betty Sutton traveled to Wall Street to join fellow-Americans in sending a message to Wall Street fat cats and their political point men that enough is enough: it's time for Wall Street bankers and Corporate CEOs to pay their fair share.
Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing they all have in common is that they are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.
Workers are told that they aren't allowed health care, shelter, food. Students are told that they aren't allowed jobs, and that they will be in debt for the rest of their lives, unable to declare bankruptcy. The 1% has destroyed this nation and its values through their greed.
John Kasich promised to make Ohio great again. But he gave over a hundred million of our tax dollars to big corporations while Ohio continues to lose jobs. Now, Kasich is using Senate Bill 5 to destroy collective bargaining rights for Ohio workers. Kasich and other politicians took over three million dollars in campaign contributions from corporate special interests who could profit from Senate Bill Five.
It doesn't have to be this way... We can stop Senate Bill 5 by voting no on Issue Two.
Watch It:
Speaker Batchelder rejected an increase in pension contributions for state employees because that meant he and his colleagues in the legislature would have to sacrifice, too!
Watch It:
Learn More:
Speaker Batchelder: The Ohio Legislature's Largest 'Double Dipper'
The People's Road Trip will be making its way to a city near you this week! We Are Ohio will launch the People's Road Trip in Cincinnati, with trip stops planned all across Ohio.
Workers who will vote NO on Issue 2 to stop SB 5 will speak at each stop to encourage Ohioans to vote early.
Doug Stern, the Ohio firefighter featured in the first television ad for We Are Ohio will join the People's Road Trip and will speak at all the stops.
Tuesday, October 4
10:50 AM: Hamilton County Board of Elections, 824 Broadway, Cincinnati
1:00 PM: Dayton Cultural Center, 40 S Edwin C Moses Blvd, Dayton
5:00 PM: Lima We Are Ohio Office, 43 Town Square (near Main and Market)
Wednesday, October 5
10:00 AM: (Near) Lucas County Board of Elections, 12th Street (near the corner of 12th and Washington), Toledo
3:15 PM: AFL-CIO, 3250 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
6PM-8PM: Community Forum- Bethany Christian Church, 3940 Martin Luther King Drive, Cleveland
Thursday, October 6
10:15 AM: Mahoning County Board of Elections, Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave Youngstown
2:20 PM: Steubenville Fire Department, 115 South Third Street, Steubenville
2:45 PM: March to the Jefferson County Board of Elections, 117 North Third Street, Steubenville
Friday, October 7
10:00 AM: Washington County Board of Elections, 205 Putnam Street, Marietta
4:00 PM: Franklin County Board of Elections, 280 East Broad St., Columbus
Is Speaker Bill Batchelder a hypocrite?
If nothing else, the Medina representative who championed the reduction of public worker's rights while having them pay more of their benefits costs is the Ohio legislature's biggest 'Double Dipper'.
What's a Double Dipper you ask?
Well, it's an employee who works for the state while also collecting retirement benefits from the state.
Turns out, Speaker Batchelder has collected over $500,000 in pension payments from Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS) all while collecting hundreds of thousands in legislative salary during the last five years.
Firefighters, police, nurses, teachers and other public servants have taken pay freezes and furlough days without pay, saving taxpayers $350 million. But the Columbus politicians are pushing Issue 2 -- blaming public employees for Ohio's budget woes -- all while funneling over a hundred million dollars in tax breaks to their corporate campaign contributors.
The politicians have turned their backs on the middle class. But in Ohio, we don't turn our backs on those who watch ours. Vote NO on Issue 2.
Watch It:
During his two Ohio live shows last week, MSNBC's Ed Schultz challenged Gov. John Kasich to be a guest and explain why he's waging a war against public sector workers.
Kasich did not appear.
While Ohio Governor John Kasich pushed Senate Bill 5 to cut pay for public workers, he gave his own staffers a raise.
Ed Schultz was in Columbus last night and talked to Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D), Rep. Tim Ryan (D), State Senator Nina Turner (D)and Jack Reall, President of the Columbus Professional Fire Fighters Union, IAFF Local 67.
View a slideshow:
At the same time Columbus politicians were asking hardworking Ohioans to make 'shared sacrifices,' they were literally giving out huge pay raises and bonuses to their staff members.
Their hypocrisy is appalling. Once again these politicians are playing by one set of rules, while expecting the rest of us to play by another.
Watch It:
Vote No on Issue 2!
The Ed Show will be traveling to Ohio for live shows next Wednesday (9/14) and Thursday (9/15).
The show will be broadcasting live in Toledo on Wednesday on the corner of South Huron and Washington streets just across from the home of the Toledo Mud Hens, Fifth Third Field.
On Thursday the show will be broadcasting live from the Columbus Professional Fire Fighter's, IAFF Local 67 Union Hall.
The shows are first come first served and will broadcast live at 10pm EDT.
Both shows will be all about working middle classers and their fight to repeal SB 5 (Issue 2).
Columbus- Today supporters of Issue 2 launched two television ads attacking the rights of middle class workers in Ohio.
"As supporters of Issue 2 continue attacking worker rights with two politicians in television ads, We Are Ohio remains focused on what this bill will really do, hurt middle class families and put the safety of Ohio communities at risk," said Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. "The politicians behind Issue 2 want us to do what they say, not what they do. They blame firefighters, nurses and teachers for the budget problems they created by giving hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax breaks to their corporate campaign contributors, while at the same time cutting funding to local communities for safety services. At the same time politicians also left a gaping loophole which exempts them from Senate Bill 5. While claiming we all need to share in the sacrifices, politicians gave their staff members and upper management big pay increases and bonuses. Their actions continue to show who is important to them, their special interest friends who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get them elected, not the hardworking Ohioans who serve and protect our families and communities. The hypocrisy never seems to end with these guys. Today Ohioans are left with one simple question, who do you trust more, hypocritical politicians who support this unsafe and unfair law or firefighters who risk their lives to serve and protect us?"
We Are Ohio is a citizen-driven, community-based, bipartisan coalition that has come together to repeal SB 5 by voting NO on Issue 2, the unfair and unsafe law that will hurt us all. We Are Ohio includes public and private sector workers and employees, police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, pastors, small business owners, Republicans and Democrats, local elected officials and business leaders, students, Moms, Dads, family members, and your neighbors.
COLUMBUS- Today, Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish issued the following statement on the Labor Day holiday on behalf of the Ohio House Democratic Caucus.
Labor day is a day to honor all of the workers who make this state and country great. This nation was built on the backs of our laborers, and this Monday we take time to honor and thank them for all their hard work. This year especially, as our working families are under attack, we honor their contributions to the advancement of this nation, and we stand in solidarity with them.
Great Editorial from Becky Williams, President of SEIU District 1199 in today's Canton Repository. Here's an excerpt:
This Labor Day as you head out with your family, think about those in our community who are suffering because they cannot find work. Think about those who struggle every day, working low wage jobs with no benefits. Think about that waitress in Massillon and all of the other waitresses like her who are working themselves literally to death to provide for their families.
My mother used to say, "All but death can be changed." I believe that to be true. We must do our part as advocates for those who feel they have no voice. It is our responsibility to hold politicians and bad corporate citizens accountable until everyone who wants to work can find a job and those who are working can afford the basic benefits of health care and retirement security.
Change is not elected. Change is not selected. Change is affected by what you and I do in our daily lives.
Click here to read the full editorial, you will be glad you did.
We Are Ohio is up with their first TV ad. Watch it, share it, and get involved! Short and sweet.
When there's an emergency, Ohio firefighters need to be ready. But Issue 2 makes it harder for firefighters to do their jobs -- and that's not safe for firefighters or the neighborhoods they serve.
Vote NO on Issue 2!
www.weareohio.com
In this episode of Kasich's Cons we examine the disconnect between Kasich talking about creating jobs and doing "good things" and the actual facts on the ground.
Despite Kasich's rosy picture, unemployment in Ohio has actually risen since Kasich has passed his poorly titled "Jobs" Budget, ending 15 months of positive gains.
Don't let Kasich Con Ohio.
Vote NO on Issue 2!
Brian Rothenberg of ProgressOhio made the following statement on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas decision to not grant a Temporary Restraining Order on Kasich's prison privatization scheme lawsuit, ProgressOhio v. State of Ohio:
"This is just one act in a long journey through the Court system. We are disappointed in this initial ruling, but the Judge clearly indicated in this decision that the denial of the right of referendum is problematic for the Defendants. We are confident going forward that there are significant Constitutional issues here that will be adjudicated and we look forward to the preliminary injunction hearing."
A full copy of the Court decision can be read here.
Link to the original story: ProgressOhio Files Lawsuit to Shackle Kasich's Prison Privatization Plan
Watchdog Group Warns of Abuses Unless JobsOhio is Reformed
COLUMBUS - Gov. John Kasich is finalizing plans today to funnel public money to private groups that support Senate Bill 5. And a new analysis shows these groups and their affiliates have donated nearly a half-million dollars to pro-SB 5 candidates and causes.
The government watchdog group, ProgressOhio, held a news conference today to question Kasich's plan and warn that widespread abuses could occur unless major reforms are made to JobsOhio -- the governor's new non-profit jobs agency.
"JobsOhio is starting to look like a slush fund to pay off supporters,'' ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg said at a Columbus news conference. "Explain to me why this is not a new pay-to-play scheme."
Rothenberg called for better oversight and transparency said he is troubled that JobsOhio is exempt from many of the state's ethics and open government laws.
"When public money is spent, public oversight is necessary,'' he said. "How else will we determine if this new system to create jobs is better than its predecessor?"
Rothenberg said he began a close examination of JobsOhio after Kasich's surprise announcement that it will rely on Third Frontier money - in addition to hundreds of millions in liquor profits.
Columbus - State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) issued the following statement today after Ohio had missed the deadline to qualify for $176 million in unemployment benefits:
"It is a shame that this deadline has passed, because this is funding that could have helped unemployed Ohioans and their families.
"Senate Bill 13 would have modernized Ohio's unemployment system in order to qualify for part of $7 billion made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. If we had made these much needed changes before today, thousands of struggling Ohioans could have benefited from $176 million in federal funding. That money could have been spent in our communities to help strengthen our economy.
"Since introducing this bill in February, I've attempted to work with the Republicans through this process. I was told that it would be included in the budget if I was patient. That never happened. On August 5th, Senator Capri Cafaro and I sent a letter to the Governor asking him for an emergency meeting to discuss the funding available for people who will be affected by his lack of action. He declined to meet with us personally.
"Thirty-three states have implemented modernization and qualified to fully draw down funding. It is unfortunate Ohio is not one of them."
In this episode of Kasich's Cons, we examine the disconnect between Kasich and his Friends saying they gave SB5 Opponents the ability to participate in the process, when there were turning away thousands of Ohioans who had come to testify on SB5.
Watch It:
Don't let Kasich Con Ohio!
Vote NO on Issue 2!
Columbus - State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) issued the following statement today in regards to Republican efforts to avoid a referendum on Senate Bill 5:
"As the ranking member in the Insurance, Labor, and Commerce Committee, I asked for more time and discussion from all interested parties when senate bill 5 hearings were being held. That would have been reasonable. Today's press conference was nothing more than a political stunt and was disingenuous to say the least. "
Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) issued the following statement today in regards to Republican efforts to negotiate a watered down version of Senate Bill 5:
"With each passing hour it becomes more obvious that Governor Kasich's offer to finally have meaningful negotiations on Senate Bill 5 is nothing more than a desperate publicity stunt. When did the Governor and Republican leaders in the General Assembly offer to sit down as a group to meet with public employees during the debate over Senate Bill 5? The answer is never.
"My friend and colleague Republican Senator Tim Grendell was correct when he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer today that 'we had union people willing to have discussions, but nobody who was leading the charge from the legislature wanted to have those meetings.' The time to negotiate over Senate Bill 5 was during the legislative process, but instead they locked the doors of the Statehouse.
"Senate Democrats continue to support the repeal of Senate Bill 5 either through legislation or the ballot box."
Legislative repeal would be sincere first step to find common-ground
COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood) called on legislative leaders to convene the General Assembly next week to repeal Senate Bill 5 and take the first serious first step to finding a compromise solution. Budish also instructed the Legislative Service Commission to begin drafting repeal legislation, which is expected to be ready for consideration early next week.
"If Gov. Kasich and Republican legislative leaders are serious about compromising on Senate Bill 5, they will take the first necessary step and reconvene the legislature to completely repeal this bill," said Budish. "Upon the complete legislative repeal of SB 5, we can then begin to do what should have been done 8 months ago, and have an open and honest discussion with those affected by these proposed law changes."
COLUMBUS - Today We Are Ohio responded in writing to Governor John Kasich, Senate President Tom Niehaus and Speaker of the House William Batchelder. We Are Ohio, the broad-based coalition, reinforced our commitment to our thousands of volunteers and 1.3 million supporters by asking the government leaders to repeal all of Senate Bill 5.
"While we thank the Governor, Senate President and Speaker of the House for reaching out and recognizing that the bill is flawed, we are asking for a fresh start," said Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. "That fresh start must begin with a full repeal of Senate Bill 5. A complete repeal of Senate Bill 5 would go a long way toward creating an environment for compromise, restoring trust in government by the electorate and setting the table for meaningful negotiations about creating jobs, rebuilding Ohio's economy and moving the state forward. Due to the complexity of the bill and our responsibility to the 1.3 million Ohioans who want to repeal it, We Are Ohio strongly believes a full repeal of Senate Bill 5 must occur prior to any meeting. Upon repeal of Senate Bill 5, we look forward to coming together as Ohioans to make our state a better place to live,work and raise a family, just like our public employees - firefighters, nurses, teachers and police officers -- do every day in their jobs."
Contrary to the erroneous report in today's Columbus Dispatch, the Ohio AFL-CIO has never entered into any series of meetings or negotiations on Senate Bill 5.
Yesterday, Governor Kasich, along with House Speaker Batchelder and Senate President Niehaus called a press conference to invite Ohio labor leaders to a meeting to negotiate a compromise with regard to SB 5. The Ohio AFL-CIO attempted dialogue during the legislative process and was denied that opportunity.
Since the bill passed and was signed into law, The Ohio AFL-CIO has been clear that if SB 5 is repealed in its entirety we would be willing to address any concerns that the Governor and the legislature have with the collective bargaining law. This is our position and will remain our position throughout this campaign.
The Ohio AFL-CIO stands firmly with the We Are Ohio Coalition and the nearly 1.3 million Ohioans who have signed a petition to repeal the bill in its entirety.
In this episode of Kasich's Cons, we examine the disconnect between Kasich and his Friends saying they gave SB5 opponents access to the deliberations on the bill, when the truth is there were literally thousands of Ohioans physically locked out of the Statehouse while hearings were going on.
Watch It:
In this episode of Kasich's Cons, we examine the disconnect between Kasich and his Friends calling for "Compromise" on SB5 in public and his much different comments in the past.
Just recently, Gov. Kasich and his Friends in the Statehouse have proposed a "compromise" with We Are Ohio to try and avoid a bitter defeat of SB5 in November. Yet while publicly calling for talks, Gov. Kasich has been telling others that there is no reason to sit down since he already knows what We Are Ohio thinks and all they would do is "talk, talk, talk".
Watch It:
Columbus -State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement today in response to Governor Kasich's last minute offer to compromise on Senate Bill 5, the anti-worker legislation that takes collective bargaining rights away from public employees:
"I am utterly perplexed as to why the Republicans have waited this long to come to the table. After months of playing politics with peoples' paychecks, their new-found spirit of compromise seems a bit late. The time for negotiation was in the spring but they refused to take part. Instead, they jammed Senate Bill 5 through the legislature. They even ignored the advice of their own Republican members in refusing to compromise as they steamrolled the hard working people of Ohio. Now, 4 months and 1.3 million signatures later, they see the writing on the wall."
Senator Turner will appear on the "Ed Show" tonight at 10pm on MSNBC to discuss Senate Bill 5.
Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) issued the following statement today after Governor Kasich offered to compromise in a last-ditch effort to avoid a repeal of Senate Bill 5:
"Governor Kasich and Republicans in the General Assembly have finally admitted that Senate Bill 5 went too far. If they thought they could destroy collective bargaining in Ohio and get away with it, they have been proven wrong. More than one million Ohioans have already sent a strong message that Senate Bill 5 should be repealed.
"The time to negotiate was during the legislative process, not 197 days after Senate Bill 5 was first introduced in the Ohio Senate. Unfortunately, it has taken too long for the Governor and GOP leaders to acknowledge they overreached."
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following statement after a new study from the Youngstown State University Center for Working Class Studies found that the "de-facto" unemployment rate is 26.37%. That number includes the unemployed, underemployed, those unable to work due to excess disability, and those on government assistance.
"Under the wrong assumption that fiscal austerity is economically stimulative, Congress' response to the recession has been to cut desperately needed programs that help individuals and families adversely affected by the recession.
"When other governments have been hit hard economically, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have forced them to take a similar approach, known as structural adjustment. In exchange for low-interest loans, the IMF has required countries to cut spending and privatize government services. For many countries, like Argentina in 2001, economic tragedy ensued.
"The fastest, most effective way to stimulate the economy is not to cut back on projects that create jobs, but to dramatically accelerate them. We need an infrastructure program on a grand scale that will address our multi-trillion dollar infrastructure needs and will rapidly put millions of Americans back to work on projects that keep the economy strong.
In this mini episode of Kasich's Cons, we discuss making Ohio a "Right to Work" state.
Governor Kasich and his Legislative Allies have said in the past that SB5 is specifically targeted to Public Sector union workers, not private sector union workers.
Once again, John Kasich is trying to con Ohio.
At a Ohio Young Republicans meeting, Representative Andrew Brenner lays out the conservative strategy to ban both public AND private sector unions by making Ohio a "Right to Work" state.
Watch It:
Don't let Kasich and his Allies Con Ohio. Stand up against his bus!
Repeal SB5! Vote NO on Issue 2!
Join the movement:
www.weareohio.com
www.standupforohio.com
www.progressohio.org
Last night, the people of Wisconsin recalled two of their state senators, sending a clear message to Republicans everywhere: we won't sit silent when politicians put millionaire tax breaks before middle class jobs.
Meanwhile the American people view Congressional Republicans more negatively than ever and six in ten voters have an unfavorable view of the Republican Party, an all-time high.
Wisconsin voters are showing the way: politicians who take away middle-class jobs shouldn't get to keep theirs. Our country needs more jobs, not less -- and we've all had enough of politicians who don't get it.
Last night was a victory for the people of Wisconsin. The tide is turning against politicians everywhere who lay off our middle class teachers and nurses while protecting tax giveaways to millionaires and big corporations.
Wisconsin voters stood side by side with teachers, nurses, and firefighters and fought back -- despite attempts by corporate billionaire-backed front groups to trick them out of their rights.
We can all fight back against corporate special interests and politicians who've lost their way. It's time America worked again for people who work for a living.
COLUMBUS - Today We Are Ohio declined to compromise on its obligation to the more than 1.3 million Ohioans who want to exercise their right to repeal SB 5 by voting no on Issue 2 in November. SB 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety, is viewed by Ohioans as extreme and out of touch with what they want for their communities.
"We Are Ohio takes our obligation to our more than 1.3 million supporters very seriously, and thus will not back down from this attack on teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses and other hardworking Ohioans," said Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. "We Are Ohio recognizes our huge responsibility in representing the majority of Ohioans who want to defeat Issue 2 in November. The time for compromise has passed. Not to mention, that following the lack of 'compromise' witnessed during the legislative process, why would any Ohio worker believe those same leaders would now be willing to come to the table and reach a reasonable 'compromise'? The question still remains, when did your child's school bus driver or a city sanitation worker become the enemy? Ohioans' right to vote no on Issue 2 in November should not be trampled by a last ditch effort to save face for an extreme policy that is out of touch with Ohioans."
Ballot language certified for State Issue 2
COLUMBUS -- A "yes" will mean "yes," and a "no" will mean "no" on State Issue 2, the referendum by union groups and like-minded individuals that seeks to reject controversial collective bargaining law changes supported by Republicans and signed earlier this year by Gov. John Kasich.
The Ohio Ballot Board finalized the wording for the issue Wednesday following several hours of public debate and behind-closed-doors discussions.
In the end, members, in a 5-0 vote, certified the language to read that Senate Bill 5 "is a new law relative to government union contracts and other government employment contracts and policies. A 'yes' vote means you approve the law. A 'no' vote means you reject the law."
In this episode of Kasich's Cons, Ohio Governor John Kasich tries to explain why, in his mind, the poll numbers on SB5 should be turning in his direction.
Except in the real world, both SB5 and Governor Kasich himself continue to drop in the polls as more Ohioans become aware of his extreme ideological agenda.
Watch It:
Stand up against Kasich's Bus!
Stand up for Ohio!
www.weareohio.com
www.standupforohio.org
www.progressohio.org
In this episode of Kasich's Cons, we discuss the disconnect between the public statements about Kasich's Budget and the more honest statements made to local officials behind closed doors.
At the Columbus Metro Club lunch on July 29, 2011, Governor John Kasich called his budget the "most comprehensive" piece of legislation "in the history of the State."
Meanwhile, Speaker Batchelder and State Representatives are talking to their local elected officials and admitting the "huge" and "devastating" cuts that Kasich's budget will bring to their local communities.
Watch It:
Stand up against Kasich's Bus!
Stand up for Ohio!
www.weareohio.com
www.standupforohio.org
www.progressohio.org
In this episode of Kasich's Cons, we get into the wide disconnect between the 'come together' language that Ohio Governor John Kasich uses in public vs. the disrespectful and insulting language that he uses in more private settings.
Governor Kasich calls public employees pigs with their "snouts in the trough", "knuckleheads", "idiots" and more.
SB5 is a slap in the face to hard working Ohioans across this great State. Help stop Kasich's bus and bring respect back to the Statehouse. Respect for our communities, our neighbors, our public employees we rely on each and every day, and our small businesses.
Watch It:
Visit www.weareohio.com for more information on how to help Repeal SB5.
On Thursday July 21st, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka came to Columbus to join Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga for a series of events to mark the launch of the massive Ohio AFL-CIO effort to repeal SB 5.
At the first event of the day, President Trumka and President Burga were joined by Ohio AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Pierrette Talley and more than a dozen representatives from allied community organizations for a roundtable discussion on the campaign and how SB 5 will hurt working families. The diverse set of participants included NAACP, A. Philip Randolph Institute, Alliance of Retired Americans, clergy, community advocates, Gene Branstool, the author of the original collective bargaining law in 1983, and a number of other union and non-union individuals from across the state.
The highlight of the day was a rally of more than 600 Labor leaders and allies from all over the state, assembled to kick off the labor-to-labor campaign to repeal SB5 on the November 8 ballot and receive some inspirational speeches from President Burga, President Trumka, and others.
Coincidentally, the Ohio Secretary of State certified the referendum to repeal SB 5 for the ballot just minutes before the mid-day event. President Burga shared the news that more than 915,000 signatures had been validated, far exceeding the 231,000 necessary. "Because of the work of everyone in this room and working families from across the state, we made the ballot," Burga announced to a roar of applause. Burga called on all Ohio labor organizations to mobilize for the coming fight saying "labor was borne from struggle, and we will take this struggle, overturn SB 5 and usher in a new progressive movement for all workers."
State Representative Armond Budish, Ohio Democratic minority leader, talks with Rachel Maddow about the extreme unpopularity of Governor John Kasich's union stripping law and the likely impact of the backlash against Republican anti-union agenda on national politics.
Watch It:
Petitioners have met Constitutional requirements to place issue on November ballot
COLUMBUS - Secretary of State Jon Husted today certified that petitioners seeking a referendum on Senate Bill 5 have collected 915,456 valid signatures, meeting the necessary requirements to place the issue on the 2011 November ballot. Petitioners needed 231,147 signatures or six percent of the total vote cast for Governor in 2010.
As part of the total number of signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot, petitioners also needed to collect signatures from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, and within each of those counties, to collect enough signatures equal to three percent of the total vote cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election, 2010. Senate Bill 5 petitioners met this requirement in all 88 counties.
Having met the requirements to place the issue on the ballot, the next step in the process is for the Ballot Board to convene to approve the ballot language that voters will consider in November. The Ballot Board is expected to meet in early August.
Senate Bill 5 Referendum Certification Letter:
Gov. John Kasich made the case yesterday that he doesn't even know what's in SB5, the job killing, anti-labor attack on collective bargaining.
The Columbus Dispatch reports:
Speaking before about 150 farmers and small-business leaders on Republican state Rep. Bob Peterson's farm in Sabina, Kasich told the crowd that "Senate Bill 5 doesn't require merit pay" for teachers. Rather, he said, the bill encourages the exploration of merit pay and ends the practice of conducting layoffs by seniority.
While Senate Bill 5, which weakens collective bargaining for public employees, does prohibit seniority-based layoffs, it also says school districts shall pay teachers' salaries "based upon performance as required under section 3317.13 of the Revised Code."
Senate Bill 5 is facing a likely voter referendum this fall, and a key component of the coalition to overturn the law is Ohio's teachers unions.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- President Barack Obama is expected to finalize an executive order today that would extend the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers and appoint Mayor Jay Williams as its executive director.
Obama created the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers and the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers by executive order in June 2009, following the bankruptcy filings of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC. The council expired on June 23.
The new office -- to be called the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers -- will be housed entirely in the U.S. Labor Department, and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will announce his appointment at a trip to a former GM auto factory in Flint today.
The factory is now used by Diplomat Pharmacy to provide medical services, cholesterol screenings, one-on-one counseling, medication management services and community-based wellness programs.
Williams - who will appear in Flint with Solis -- will resign as mayor and is expected to start in August.
Video from The People's Parade to Repeal SB5 on June 29, 2011. Thanks to over 10,000 volunteers, We Are Ohio delivered 1.3 million SB5 Repeal signatures (in 1502 different boxes) to the Secretary of State's Office in Columbus, OH.
Watch It:
Video from The People's Parade to Repeal SB5 on June 29, 2011.
Watch It:
Delivering SB5 Petitions to the Secretary of State
Watch It:
Today I marched down Broad St. with the hard working men and women of organized labor as they delivered nearly 1.3 million signatures to repeal Senate Bill 5 to the Ohio Secretary of State.
These 1.3 million signatures represent the first step in a citizen's veto of Senate Bill 5. Senate Bill 5 is a dangerous and destructive piece of legislation that would take away the rights of police officers, fire fighters, teachers and other public employees to bargain collectively.
As mayor of Columbus, I have negotiated many contracts through the collective bargaining process with our unions. Through this process I have been able to negotiate fair contracts by working with our unions instead of busting them as Senate Bill 5 seeks to do.
Today was the first step in a citizen's veto of this harmful legislation, but their is still more work to be done. I look forward to working to defeat Senate Bill 5 on November 8th.
The campaign to repeal SB5, the worst attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation,reached a critical milestone today.
To celebrate having gathered 1,298,301 signatures to get the repeal of SB5 on the ballot, thousands of people marched through the streets of downtown Columbus to deliver the petitions to the Ohio Secretary of State.
View Slideshow:
The announcement by the We Are Ohio campaign today that 1,298,301 signatures have been collected to put Senate Bill 5 on the ballot for a citizen's veto is a historic moment for Ohio. This unprecedented number is a record for any Ohio ballot initiative and shows that Ohioans are fed up with Gov. Kasich's extreme partisan agenda.
More than 10,000 volunteers participated in this effort and the Ohio AFL-CIO and the 650,000 working families it represents commend their hard work and dedication to going ahead and beyond to repeal this anti-working family bill. When the measure is approved by the State of Secretary, the Ohio AFL-CIO, working in coalition with the We Are Ohio campaign, will immediately turn our attention to continuing to educate voters on the detrimental effects Senate Bill 5 will have on communities across the state.
This is not just a referendum on Senate Bill 5, it is a referendum on Kasich and his political allies' blatant assault on working families and the middle class. Senate Bill 5 has galvanized a true grassroots movement of Ohioans who have stood up and made their voice heard, not only on Senate Bill 5, but also on Kasich's jobs killing budget, bills that would suppress the vote, and a slew of other attacks.
The final agreement on Gov. Kasich's jobs killing budget, worked out by conference committee last night, is the icing on the cake of Kasich's destructive and unpopular partisan agenda. The pain from this budget will be felt by working families and the middle class in every corner of the state.
Local governments are already bracing for the effects of this draconian budget by announcing mass layoffs and cuts to education and other vital services our communities need. At the same time, this budget is a boondoggle for corporate CEOs who will reap massive profits from Kasich's privatization schemes.
Gov. Kasich was elected on the promise of creating jobs. My question is how does killing tens of thousands of jobs and cutting billions in funding for schools, fire stations, and other services help to create jobs or make us Ohio's economy stronger?
The answer is obvious. It doesn't and, with this budget, Kasich has proven that he cares more about satisfying an agenda to enrich his corporate CEO friends than helping the rest of us.
The march to repeal SB5, the worst attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation, is reaching a critical milestone this Wednesday.
To celebrate having gathered enough signatures to get the repeal of SB5 on the ballot, hundreds of people like you will be marching through the streets of downtown Columbus.
This historic event will kick-off outside COSI at 10 AM. We will march to the Secretary of State's office to turn in hundreds of thousands of signatures to repeal SB 5 that have been collected by volunteers all across the state. After the march, we will have food and refreshments at a people powered party at the new Columbus Commons to celebrate this milestone in the campaign.
WHAT: The People's Parade to the Secretary of State's Office
WHERE: Line up at COSI, 333 West Broad Street [map]
WHEN: June 29th at 10 am
AFTER-PARTY: Columbus Commons, 4th and Rich St, Columbus from 1 pm to 4 pm
JOIN US! Click here to sign up today!
Update: Apparently embarrassed after having this video of Governor John Kasich Thanking the Union Busting Koch Brother's front group Americans For Prosperity that they tried to keep secret exposed to the public the AFP has removed the video. We'll be posting the back-up we made later today!
Update II: Thanks to Rachel Maddow for picking up this story
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In an "unlisted video" which Gov. Kasich recorded using state resources, he tells the Koch Industries astroturf group Americans For Prosperity "... in the four months that I've been Governor, we've accomplished a lot in Ohio... in all of these efforts the strong support of Americans for Prosperity has made a really big difference. ...it's so important that Ohio's fighters for freedom, the grassroots leaders of Americans for Prosperity, continue to lend their support to the effort to get Ohio back on track."
Americans for Prosperity is Part of the Koch Industries Right-Wing Machine:
Koch's founder, Fred Koch, also helped found the John Birch Society, an ultraconservative organization that believed the U.S. government was controlled by a traitorous cabal of communist sympathizers. Koch Industries' charitable arm, the Koch Family Foundations, has provided over $120 million in the past 20 years to the Cato Institute (founded by Charles Koch), Citizens for a Sound Economy (founded by David Koch, now known as Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks), the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, the Mercatus Center, North Carolina's John Locke Foundation, and dozens of other right-wing, anti-regulatory, and global warming-denial organizations. [Media Transparency]
Koch-Run Americans For Prosperity Has Bircher, Racist Roots:
From Jane Mayer's New Yorker story on the Kochs, billionaire bankrollers of Americans For Prosperity, elements of the Tea Party, and the CATO Institute:
In 1958, Fred Koch became one of the original members of the John Birch Society, the arch-conservative group known, in part, for a highly skeptical view of governance and for spreading fears of a Communist takeover. Members considered President Dwight D. Eisenhower to be a Communist agent. In a self-published broadside, Koch claimed that "the Communists have infiltrated both the Democrat and Republican Parties." He wrote admiringly of Benito Mussolini's suppression of Communists in Italy, and disparagingly of the American civil-rights movement. "The colored man looms large in the Communist plan to take over America," he warned. Welfare was a secret plot to attract rural blacks to cities, where they would foment "a vicious race war." In a 1963 speech that prefigures the Tea Party's talk of a secret socialist plot, Koch predicted that Communists would "infiltrate the highest offices of government in the U.S. until the President is a Communist, unknown to the rest of us."
COLUMBUS - State Representatives Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) and Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) have made a public records request for all correspondence between Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio Ballot Board. The request was in response to concerns over the Governor's now-discredited desire to split SB 5, a controversial measure to limit public employees' right to collectively bargain, into separate ballot initiatives this November.
The text of a letter to the Governor's Chief Legal Counsel requesting the records is below:
Summer Saturday Premier Petition Signing Events
Friday, June 24, 2011
ZANESVILLE
Muskingum County Drive-Thru SIgning
11am to 7pm
Keith Shrider Insurance Agency
2104 Maple Ave.
Zanesville, OH 43701
Saturday, June 25, 2011
WILMINGTON
Clinton County Courthouse
Noon to 2pm
103 E. Main St.
Wilmington, OH
TIPP CITY
105 Main St.
Noon to 2pm
Corner of Fourth and Main
Tipp City, OH
FINDLAY
Hancock County Courthouse
Noon to 2pm
308 Dorney Plaza
Findlay, OH
ASHLAND
Ashland County Courthouse
Noon to 2pm
142 West 2nd St.
Ashland, OH
DELAWARE
Farmer's Market
9am to Noon
12 Sandusky St.
Delaware, OH
WARREN
Trumbull County Courthouse
Noon to 2pm
161 High St.
Warren, OH
CANTON
Stark County Courthouse
Noon to 2pm
115 Central Plaza North
Canton, OH
View Full Map Of All Singing Locations Here
Suggestion of splitting referendum question would be 'extraordinary breech of precedent'
COLUMBUS - State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today sent the following letter to Gov. John Kasich's legal counsel, warning him against splitting a referendum question into multiple ballot issues.
The letter was prompted by news reports that unnamed officials from Gov. Kasich's office were talking with some members of the Ohio Ballot Board about possibly splitting up the referendum question so voters would be required to cast multiple different votes on the matter. Rep. Clyde noted that splitting up a referendum question would be an extraordinary breech of precedent.
The Ohio Constitution lays out a referendum process that allows the submission to Ohio voters "for their approval or rejection, of any law, section of any law or any item in any law appropriating money passed by the general assembly." The opponents of Senate Bill 5 have petitioned their fellow Ohioans to repeal the entire law. This is a single question: "Shall the law be approved?" There is no authorization or precedent for doing anything different than this in a referendum.
The letter to Governor Kasich is below:
Let's celebrate!
Due to your hard work, We Are Ohio has already collected at least 714,137 signatures with thousands more coming in every day. We Are Ohio will deliver the signatures to the Secretary of State on Wednesday, June 29th, one day prior to the deadline.
To mark this historic movement, We Are Ohio is inviting our unprecedented number of volunteers and supporters to participate in the People's Parade on June 29th. The People's Parade is a celebration of your hard work and your role toward overturning SB 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety.
Please join us on June 29th to deliver petitions to the Secretary of State.
The People's Parade - We Are Ohio
Wednesday, June 29 · 10:00am - 1:00pm
Starling St. off West Broad near COSI in Columbus, Ohio
The parade will begin at COSI in Columbus and end at the Ohio Secretary of State's Building, where We Are Ohio will be holding a press conference to announce the FINAL SIGNATURE NUMBER.
COLUMBUS - Today, We Are Ohio announced at a press conference on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse that 714,137 total signatures have been collected in just two months. This surpasses the We Are Ohio goal of collecting 450,000 to 500,000 total signatures and represents more than three times the total amount of valid signatures needed to place the repeal of SB 5 on the November ballot.
"We are absolutely blown away at the overwhelming support shown by the more than 10,000 volunteers who have been working extremely hard to collect signatures thus far," said Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. "Even with this incredible number, we know some Ohioans would still like to add their name to the list. We encourage them to visit one of our many signing events this weekend and for any petition circulators to return their books as soon as possible. We stood at the Statehouse today where thousands of hardworking Ohioans stood earlier this year protesting SB 5. While their voices were drowned out by the extreme politicians who decided to pass SB 5, today We Are Ohio wants thank our volunteers and let them know their voices will be heard."
HAMILTON, Ohio - Governor Kasich will be in Hamilton today at a job announcement at Thyssenkrupp Bilstein. But just as before when Governor Kasich rolled through other parts of Ohio, should he be there? Governor Kasich did not support the Obama administration bailout plan that gave General Motors time to restructure itself and made these jobs possible.
"Governor Kasich opposed the auto bailout that have allowed for companies like ThyssenKrupp Bilstein to grow. This company is expanding because we have a vibrant auto industry and if Governor Kasich had his way these jobs may not exist today," stated Chuck Morton, Dayton Miami Valley AFL-CIO.
This Saturday, We Are Ohio will host motorcycle riders from all across the state in a Biker Rally and 'Ride to Kill the Bill' around the Statehouse in opposition to Senate Bill 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety.
We're standing up for the middle class once again, but this time supporters of SB5 won't just hear our chants and songs.
They're going to hear the deafening sounds of motorcycle mufflers roaring through the streets of Columbus and we're going to be there to catch it all, LIVE!
LIVE! Stream: Ride to kill the bill
Location: http://fightforafaireconomy.org/category/live-stream/
Time: 12:00PM Saturday, June 11th
Entertainment will be provided by Mission, The Moonbats, and Mary's Crooked Box. Vendors from the Proud Ohio Worker program will be selling food and refreshments. T-shirts will be available for sale and bikers can sign petitions to repeal SB 5 at the rally.
Prior to the ride, bikers will gather at meeting points all across the state to motorcade into Columbus.
This is the kind of messaging you can expect will be forthcoming from the right wing media machine in the upcoming campaign to overturn SB5 in Ohio this November.
Fight Back Ohio!
Watch It:
Three signatures a minute.
That's what it will take to put an end to the biggest attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation.
SB5 hurts Ohio families, destroys jobs and lowers wages. In order to repeal it on the ballot this November, we need you to do your part by signing the repeal petition.
We're trying to make it easy for you to sign by creating a map of SB5 petition locations. Easily find out where you can sign a petition in your community.
New events are being added every day, so if there's not one in your neighborhood, bookmark it and check back. Don't wait too long though - we need your signature in the next few weeks.
When more than two million Ohio citizens voted to amend the Ohio Constitution to raise Ohio's minimum wage in 2006 as state issue 2, they made a clear statement that they approved of the measure.
This week, however, Senate Republicans quietly inserted a provision into House Bill 153 that usurps the will of the voters by excluding certain workers from protections in the law that may include police officers, firefighters, homecare workers, farm workers, fishing industry workers and amusement park workers.
This provision clearly conflicts with the language and intent of the constitutional amendment that Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved. Issue 2 was very specific as to who qualified for minimum wage and who would be exempted.
Senator Seitz's amendment is attempting to expand the number of employee groups which will not be covered by the wage law, effectively denying those groups of employees their voter-approved right to be paid a minimum wage.
This provision is unfair to Ohio workers and the manner in which it was inserted in the 4,800 page bill without even a mention of it in committee hearings or in the overall debate on the spending package is disingenuous and a departure from our democratic process.
Working families call on the Senate Finance Committee to remove the provision and stand up for Ohio workers and abide by the laws that Ohioans overwhelmingly support.
Join us! Come sign the SB5 Referendum Petition This Saturday in Steubenville!
Today police, firefighters, teachers, construction trade workers and others attended lobby Day at the statehouse to target lawmakers in key senate districts.
As part of the days lobby efforts workers spoke to reporters at a press conference organized by the Unity Labor Table and facilitated by ProgressOhio.
Despite some positive changes made to the state budget by the Senate Finance Committee, this spending plan remains deeply flawed. This plan simply takes us in the wrong direction.
The press conference participants discussed how the plan deprives local communities of the resources needed to pay for public schools and basic services. It passes the buck to cities and towns and forces them to make the tough choices on how to make do with less. It does not create jobs. Even worse, it could lead to some 50,000 jobs being lost in local communities.
Are you a biker who wants to do all you can to oppose Senate Bill 5? Then attend We Are Ohio's Ride to Kill the Bill: Thunder at the State House event on Saturday June 11.
Bike enthusiasts from all over Ohio will gather from noon-5 p.m. at the corner of Front and Rich streets in downtown Columbus to show their opposition to SB 5 and the harm it will cause to working families. An anti-SB5 ride around the Statehouse will take place from 1-2 p.m.
Food and drink will be available for purchase from Proud Ohio Worker small business vendors.
Download the flier and circulate TODAY.
Three signatures a minute.
That's what it will take to put an end to the biggest attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation.
SB5 hurts Ohio families, destroys jobs and lowers wages. In order to repeal it on the ballot this November, we need you to do your part by signing the repeal petition.
We're trying to make it easy for you to sign by creating a map of SB5 petition locations. Easily find out where you can sign a petition in your community.
New events are being added every day, so if there's not one in your neighborhood, bookmark it and check back. Don't wait too long though - we need your signature in the next few weeks.
Now that the signatures to repeal SB5 are coming in strong, the campaign needs your help. In order to make sure we get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, we have to verify the information is correct and the signers are registered voters.
If you live in Columbus, you can help stop the biggest attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation by volunteering for just a few hours. Meet fellow progressives and help take back Ohio by sorting through completed petitions and entering the data.
In order to sort through the hundreds of thousands of signatures, 658 volunteer shifts have to be filled.
Hundreds have already stepped up to the plate. Will you?
Just fill out the form and we'll contact you to get a time and date that works.
A new Quinnipiac University poll of Ohio registered voters documents the opposition. According to the poll, Ohio voters oppose limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees (51-38), do not believe limiting collective bargaining for public employees is necessary to balance the state budget (52-38), oppose banning public employee strikes (58-35), and oppose banning public employee bargaining over health insurance plans (54-38).
Via Center For American Progress
Prevailing wage helps ensure that decent wages are paid to skilled workers and that taxpayer value is provided on public construction projects. This law protects good jobs in Ohio and prevents contractors from sacrificing the quality of construction projects for lower wage and less skilled workers.
But the state budget is being used in a sneaky, back door attempt to strip this law away - even though prevailing wage has no effect on the state budget.
Simply put, prevailing wage helps keep skilled trades in Ohio.
Call Ohio Senator Chris Widener, Chair of the Ohio Senate Finance Committee, at 614 466-3780 and tell him not to use the budget to gut the prevailing wage law. Our budget should make Ohio stronger, not rob us of good, skilled jobs in our communities.
Chris Widener's office - (614) 466-3780
Thanks for all that you do.
COLUMBUS - Today, at a press conference in Columbus, We Are Ohio released its first set of preliminary data from the field regarding the total number of petition signatures gathered thus far.
"We are pleased to report 214,399 signatures have been collected in the first month," said Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. "The unprecedented level of support from communities all across the state is staggering. While we continue to struggle to keep up with demand for petitions, we know this campaign is a marathon, not a sprint. We believe these early numbers will only serve to motivate our supporters to collect more signatures to ensure we reach the threshold of 231,149 valid signatures."
We Are Ohio also shared three personal stories from the ground about Ohioans gathering signatures in Cleveland, Columbus and Wooster. In Cleveland, a man who has a hot dog cart and sells hot dogs in downtown Cleveland is also asking his customers to sign the petition to protect workers' rights. In Columbus a school teacher signed up nearly 700 people at the Race for the Cure, adding to the nearly 4,000 total signatures she has personally collected. And, in Wooster more than 700 people signed the petition at a drive thru event.
We Are Ohio has more than 10,000 volunteers on the ground in communities all across Ohio. Petitions have been out for three weeks today. The deadline to submit the signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State is June 30.
We Are Ohio is a citizen-driven, community-based, bipartisan coalition that has come together to repeal SB 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety. We Are Ohio includes public and private sector workers and employees, police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, pastors, small business owners, Republicans and Democrats, local elected officials and business leaders, students, Moms, Dads, family members, and your neighbors.
Saturday, August 20th from noon to dusk at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.
Stand up for Good Jobs and Strong Communities!
Hard earned dollars keep your neighborhood running. Cutting public and private employee's wages will have big negative impacts on everyone, including the small businesses where you go for dinner, get your hair cut and have your oil changed.
The Proud Ohio Workers program is asking you to talk to 5 local businesses and ask them for their support for public and private workers. It's a way you can help stand up for Ohio's middle class while you run your errands.
The businesses will receive free advertising and a sticker letting the public know that their business is worker friendly.
Volunteer for this program by signing up here and we'll send you over a toolkit with all the details.
After last week's successful SB5 Petition Signing in Columbus, SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH has helped community activists organize another "Democracy Drive Though" today in Youngstown.
Youngstown, Ohio -- Community activists opposing Senate Bill 5 have organized a petition drive-thru for tomorrow (Wednesday, May 18) from 7:00am until 6:00pm in front of the SEIU District 1199 office on Belmont Avenue in Youngstown.
"We are taking democracy to where people already are - in their cars," said Anthony Caldwell, spokesperson for SEIU District 1199. "We know people are busy and this drive-thru will give folks the opportunity to sign the petition to put Senate Bill 5 on the ballot and it takes less than 3 minutes without getting out their car."
Volunteers will be in front of the former Big John's Car Wash located at 3657 Belmont Avenue in Liberty Township beginning at 7:00am until 6:00pm.
The petition drive-thru is open to all Ohio registered voters.
View the map of SB5 signing locations across Ohio
Community Forum on cuts in public services, schools, safety and emergency services, new voter ID requirements, jobs with decent wages, the impact of Senate Bill 5 and the attack on workers.
DON'T GET THROWN UNDER THE BUS.
Come and get tools to defend yourself against these attacks.
Columbus Town Hall Meeting Flyer
Ohio voters disapprove 49 - 38 percent of the job Gov. John Kasich is doing, compared to 46 - 30 disapproval in March, while by 54 - 36 percent they say that SB 5 should be repealed, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Registered voters disapprove of Kasich's handling of the state budget 53 - 35 percent compared to 51 - 31 percent disapproval in a March 23 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University.
And by 53 - 36 percent they say the governor's proposals are unfair to people like them, identical to the March 23 survey findings.
"Gov. John Kasich's job approval has ticked up slightly, but he still has a long way to go to get back even to parity among voters," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Most of his increase has come among independents and women voters who have turned slightly less negative on him."
In today's survey, independent voters disapprove of Kasich's job performance 47 - 37 percent, better than the 49 - 25 percent disapproval in March. Republicans approve 66 - 22 percent compared to 63 - 18 percent in the last survey, while Democrats disapprove 73 - 15 percent compared to 67 - 11 percent in March.
There is still a large gender gap on Kasich: Men split with 44 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving, while women disapprove 51 - 33 percent.
"Although it is a long way until November when opponents of SB 5 hope to ask voters to overturn it, at this point there is strong support for repealing Gov. Kasich's signature plan."
"Not only does he need to rebuild his image, but the governor will need to move a lot of voters over the next six months if he wants his plan to survive," said Brown. "Voters also say they are opposed to several parts of the new law."
Calling for repeal of SB 5 are Democrats 72 - 14 percent and independent voters 56 - 35 percent, while Republicans support the law 58 - 33 percent. Men want repeal 49 - 42 percent, while women back repeal 58 - 31 percent.
Voters say 52 - 38 percent that limiting collective bargaining for public employees is not needed to balance the budget.
Read The Full Release at Quinnipiac University
Everybody wants to know, how many SB5 Referendum Petition signers do we have, so far?
Well, with so many collectors and petitions in the field an accurate number of signers to date is impossible to know for now, but here's some information from OCSEA on how their petition drive is going so far:
From The AFL-CIO Blog:
Ohio Petition Drive to Repeal S.B. 5 Rolling Along
Workers, activists and other volunteers are making fast progress in collecting the 231,000 signatures needed to put the repeal of S.B. 5 on the Ohio ballot this November. S.B. 5, pushed by Gov. John Kasich (R), eliminates the rights of 350,000 public employees to bargain for middle-class jobs.
The 35,000 member Ohio Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME (OCSEA/AFSCME) set a goal of gathering 60,000 voters' signature. In a mere two weeks, OCSEA canvassers have collected more than 20,000 signatures to "Kill the Bill." (See photo.) Similar efforts are under way through the Buckeye State to hit the signature threshold by the June 30 deadline.
If you haven't signed as yet, here is an updated map of signing locations and events.
Three signatures a minute.
That's what it will take to put an end to the biggest attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation.
SB5 hurts Ohio families, destroys jobs and lowers wages. In order to repeal it on the ballot this November, we need you to do your part by signing the repeal petition.
We're trying to make it easy for you to sign by creating a map of SB5 petition locations. Easily find out where you can sign a petition in your community.
New events are being added every day, so if there's not one in your neighborhood, bookmark it and check back. Don't wait too long though - we need your signature in the next few weeks.
Don't forget to drive thru the SEIU Columbus office today and sign the petition to repeal SB5.
Any registered Ohio voter can sign, regardless of where you are from.
We will be outside until 6:00pm at 1395 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio.
Stand Up For Ohio because We Are Ohio.
The House Commerce & Labor Committee advanced a proposal Wednesday to restrict state funding for construction projects that require union labor.
The panel split along partisan lines in reporting Rep. Ron Young's (R-Leroy) proposal (HB 102*), as well as an amendment that the sponsor said was designed to make the bill's title more accurately reflect the legislative intent.
Chairman Rep. Joseph Uecker (R-Loveland) said after the hearing that he had no assurance from leadership that the bill would come to a vote on the House floor shortly. However, he doesn't anticipate substantial opposition within the GOP caucus.
Democrats and labor unions that oppose the measure, which would prohibit governmental agencies from requiring project labor agreements on public construction, say it closely resembles a law that Rep. Young sponsored in 1999, which the Ohio Supreme Court subsequently overturned.
Opponents say governmental entities should be free to enter into PLAs to ensure a high quality, well-trained source of local labor for public improvement projects. Proponents say the agreements effectively stymie non-union companies from bidding and drive up construction costs.
Prevailing wage has been part of Ohio law for 77 years. This law has helped to protect communities and workers from unscrupulous practices such as contractors low balling bids on construction projects that are funded by taxpayers and it sets wage standards for workers.
But in yet another attack on worker rights Gov. Kasich has stuffed prevailing wage into the state budget in an extreme attempt to get rid of this this law, even though prevailing was has no impact on the state's budget and improves construction quality, provides stability against the seasonal nature of construction work, and results in long-term cost savings.
Gov. Kasich wants to raise the threshold of prevailing wage on construction projects from $78,000 to $5 million and exempt state-assisted universities from prevailing wage requirements - essentially eliminating the law.
Call your state senator today and tell them to keep prevailing wage out of the budget bill and that it deserves its own hearing.
Tell your state senator that prevailing wage helps make sure strong, healthy communities are built by workers who are paid fair wages for their labor.
Find your state senator online here or call 1-800-282-0253 to leave a message with their office.
Thanks for all that you do.
Gov. Ted Strickland will be the special guest at a central Ohio rally to repeal SB5. This event is free and open to the public. It will take place Sunday, May 15th at 6 pm at Upper Arlington High School [click here for directions].
Hear our former governor defend the rights of working families. Get your chance to sign the petition to repeal the biggest attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation.
Before the event, at 5 pm, there will be a special reception with Gov. Strickland. A $25 donation is suggested for this and all proceeds benefit UA Progressive Action. You can sign-up for the reception online here.
This event is sponsored by Upper Arlington Progressive Action, Upper Arlington Education Association and Upper Arlington Firefighters IAFF Local 1521.
Federal workers generally cannot collectively bargain pay and benefits, but they can negotiate working conditions, according to the Federal Labor Relations Authority, which administers the labor-management relations program for more than 1 million federal workers.
"Employees also have the right to engage in collective bargaining with respect to conditions of employment through representatives chosen by employees," the FLRA's program guide reads.
There are about 1.6 million non-postal federal workers. Of those, about 1.1 million are represented by more than 90 labor organizations. Some workers in agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission can negotiate wages. Others in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and other departments do not engage in collective bargaining.
So what does it mean for federal workers who can negotiate working conditions?
It means they can negotiate discipline policies, hours of work, procedures for performance evaluations, safety, procedures for layoffs and more, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employees union, with about 625,000 members from about 75 federal agencies.
Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols acknowledged federal workers do have some ability to bargain collectively.
"The fact is most federal workers cannot collectively bargain for pay or benefits and the governor's point is that under Senate Bill 5, Ohio's public employees will have more collective bargaining rights than most federal employees," Nichols said.
So where does Kasich land on the Truth-O-Meter?
We rate Kasich's statement Barely True.
Read The Full Story at Politifact Ohio and see the break that they gave Gov. Kasich to come up with their "barely true" instead of false rating.
On May 6, 2011, the Ohio Education Association (OEA), representing 128,000 teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty, kicked-off its two day Spring Representative Assembly at Veterans Memorial in Columbus.
OEA members voiced their strong opposition to the proposed state budget, passed in an amended version Thursday through the Ohio House. "Legislators are still attempting to insert provisions of SB 5 into the state budget and silence the voices of the voters," said OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks. The OEA president called the budget more of the same - billions in funding reductions for Ohio public schools, colleges and universities, with only slight modifications from the Kasich administration's original budget proposal, which left Ohio public schools with $3.1 billion less in state and federal funding.
"This budget will close neighborhood schools and expand state resources for charter schools run by private companies, as well as private school voucher programs that only serve a few students," said Frost-Brooks. "How can we do this at a time when we are cutting back overall state aid to nearly every public school district in Ohio? Surely we can find a different path that gives all Ohio students the opportunity to succeed, not drastic cuts that limit their future."
OEA members rallied behind the effort to repeal Senate Bill 5 by citizen veto referendum vote in November, citing not only its effects on OEA members, but also the effort by SB 5 to take key teaching and learning conditions out of the realm of collective bargaining. "Most Ohioans agree with us," said Frost-Brooks. "Our polls show more than 50% favor repealing Senate Bill 5, and less than 40% would let the law stand."
Friday, May 6:
Toledo
Toledo Mud Hens Home Game
7 pm, Fifth Third Field
406 Washington St
Toledo, OH 43604
Contact Billy Benner if interested in volunteering at wbenner@weareohio.com.
Dayton
Dayton Dragons Baseball
Fifth Third Field
220 North Patterson Blvd.
Dayton, OH 45402
Friday at 7pm
Please contact AJ Smith at asmith@weareohio.com or 513.348.6434 to volunteer.
Saturday, May 7:
Toledo
Toledo Mud Hens Home Game
7 pm, Fifth Third Field
406 Washington St
Toledo, OH 43604
Contact Billy Benner if interested in volunteering at wbenner@weareohio.com.
Cuyahoga Falls Signature Collection Canvass
FOP Lodge
436 Graham Rd.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Saturday 9:00 - 1:00
This is being organized by the Falls FOP, IAFF, AFSCME, CSPA, and UWUA
Contact Minh Nyuyen if interested in volunteering at 805.807.3025 or mnguyen@weareohio.com
Columbus
Capital City half-marathon
Meet at 7 AM under the arch on Nationwide Blvd at McPherson Commons (Arch Park)
Please contact John Parker at (614) 256-9110 or jparker@weareohio.com to volunteer.
Sunday May 8:
Toledo
Toledo Mud Hens Home Game
2 pm, Fifth Third Field
406 Washington St
Toledo, OH 43604
Contact Billy Benner if interested in volunteering at wbenner@weareohio.com.
Columbus
Central Ohio Folk Festival (festival runs all weekend)
Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park
Meet at 10 AM at the Indian Ridge park entrance
Please contact John Parker at (614) 256-9110 or jparker@weareohio.com to volunteer.
Troy
SB - 5 Petition Signing
Hosted by Troy Police Officers Association and Troy Firefighters Local 1638
Troy City Park
200 Adams Street
Sunday, May 8 & Monday, May 9, 2011
11am - 7pm
Please contact AJ Smith at asmith@weareohio.com or 513.348.6434 to volunteer.
For More Info Contact A We Are Ohio Field Office In Your Area:
We Are Ohio Field Offices Across The State
Today, May 3, "is a special day to give teachers the appreciation that they deserve everyday. Won't you join in thanking a teacher using your status message on your Facebook page.
Posting a simple "thank you" and the name of a teacher who has inspired you is just one small way to appreciate such important individuals, but it isn't limited to only Facebook. If you are a regular on Twitter, give a shout-out to your favorite teacher by using the hashtag #thankateacher, or feel free to thank teachers wherever you frequent online.
Some of us may be more comfortable picking up the phone or writing a quick note to a truly influential teacher, yet no matter your method of communication, we can all reach out and provide a heartfelt "thank you."
After all, if you can read this blog post, you have a teacher to thank.
Kaisch: "State employees are actually going to get a pay raise"
Gov. John Kasich marked his 100th day in office with a news conference highlighting a long list of accomplishments. Among them were introduction of the "Jobs Budget," as he called it, and passage of Senate Bill 5.
SB 5, described as "collective bargaining reform," would limit collective bargaining rights for public employees across the state.
Kasich was asked during the meeting with reporters if the economic squeeze on workers and schools and local governments made it important symbolically for state lawmakers to take a pay cut.
"I think they should be treated like all other state employees, and state employees are actually going to get a pay raise," the governor answered.
A raise? In these times? While closing an $8 billion state budget deficit?
PolitiFact Ohio was surprised. We asked the governor's office to explain, and looked for some background information on our own.<snip>
State workers will be getting more money in their paychecks, as Nichols noted. But that's not because they'll be getting paid more for their time.
Those increases are a result of them working more days at the same rate of pay. When the furloughs end, state workers will no longer be forced to take unpaid days off from work.
On the Truth-O-Meter, we rate Kasich's claim as False.
Read the full story at PolitiFact Ohio
Related:
Kasich: Give State Legislators a Pay Raise!?!
Ohio's CEOs Collect Raises While Workers Collect Pink Slips
Tomorrow is primary day in the great state of Ohio. While some communities have less to vote on than others, tens of thousands of civic-minded Ohioans will be hitting the polls to weigh in on mayoral primaries, levies and other local issues.
If you have free time tomorrow, you can volunteer to collect signatures for the SB5 repeal effort outside polling locations. Volunteer shifts are available from 9 to 7:30 pm in twelve different cities across the state. Your help this election day can help ensure that SB5 is repealed in November.
Budish says Governor's statements supporting public employees and teachers are laughableCOLUMBUS - The following is a statement from House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) on Governor Kasich's statements regarding public employees and teachers. Governor Kasich today stated "public employees...work every day to ensure our state and local communities effectively provide essential services" and urged Ohioans to "thank them for their invaluable work they do each day."
"Governor Kasich's statements forced me to check my calendar, and much to my surprise today is not April Fool's Day. Does he get the irony in them? While he's putting out statements of praise, he and his Republican cronies are working to systematically destroy public employees and teachers through Senate Bill 5. So Governor Kasich, do you commend the police officer for doing his job well before or after you call him an 'idiot'? Do you thank teachers and firefighters for the invaluable work before or after you slash their wages and benefits. Once I stop laughing at his audacity to actually put out these statements, I would like to remind the Governor that your actions speak louder than your words."
Read Governor Kasich's Two Press Releases Below:
It's time to do more than just talk.
For the past few months, in every corner of Ohio we sent a clear message to Governor John Kasich and the Legislature that we would not tolerate Senate Bill 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety. Teachers, police officers, firefighters, and the majority of Ohioans stood up to show they were against this extreme attack on Ohio's middle class and working families. But unsurprisingly, the Governor ignored us.
We've taken things into our own hands in order to ensure voters repeal Senate Bill 5 in November. To get on the ballot, we have less than 70 days from today to collect more than 231,000 signatures. The clock is ticking, and we need your help now!
This coming Tuesday we need all hands on deck to collect signatures on Primary Election Day. Will you join us?
In a week from today, tens of thousands of voters will head to the polls to vote on local issues all across the state on Primary Election Day. We need your help to get every last voter to sign our petition. With so little time left to collect signatures, we all must find a way to help now and as much as we can.
Pledge today to take a few hours next Tuesday, May 3rd, to collect petition signatures. Your support is crucial to the fight to repeal SB 5.
The momentum is on our side, but we need your help to keep it going. There are opportunities throughout Ohio to help. Whether you signup to work one shift or all day, we all must do what we can now. In order to accommodate everyone we have volunteer shifts in the morning, afternoon, and early evening.
Make sure Governor Kasich does not ignore us again. Signup now to help collect petition signatures next Tuesday.
Thank you for all that you do. With your help, we will repeal SB 5.
Sincerely,
Katie Kelly,
Field Director
We Are Ohio
Decades of struggle by workers and their unions have resulted in significant improvements in working conditions. But the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous. Each year, thousands of workers are killed and tens of thousands more are injured or diseased because of their jobs.
12 workers die every day on the job. In Ohio, 132 workers died on the job in 2009. This is unacceptable.
Each year on April 28, Workers Memorial Day, working people throughout the world remember those who were hurt or killed on the job and renew our struggle for safe workplaces.
In town squares and union halls, at worksites and memorials, in community after community--we are gathering to remember our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives and to fight for safe workplaces and for good jobs for all workers.
Gov. Kasich seems angry that the President commented on SB 5 in an interview yesterday. I'm almost suprised that he didn't call him "an idiot" . . .
Kasich blasts Obama for SB5 comments
Gov. John Kasich today blasted President Obama for comments he made to a Cleveland television station over restricting collective bargaining rights for public employees in Ohio and Wisconsin.
"The president of the United States has, I think, a $13 trillion debt. Why doesn't he do his job?" Kasich said. "When he gets our budget balanced and starts to prepare a future for our children, maybe he can have an opinion on what's going on in Ohio."
Video by Marc Kovac Capital Blog
Watch It:
WKYC-TV News Anchor Romona Robinson sat down with President Barack Obama in a White House interview yesterday.
In the interview, the President says he strongly disapproves of new laws restricting public employee unions in Ohio and Wisconsin and says states should not use the financial crisis as an excuse to erode bargaining rights.
He tells Romona that public employees should not be blamed for a financial crisis that they had nothing to do with and that sacrifices should be shared in tough economic times.
"Whether it's Wisconsin or what we're seeing in Ohio, I strongly disapprove," the President said.
Watch It:
Marc Kovac, who runs the Ohio Capital Blog, found another nugget from the Kasich 100 Days press conference last week.
During a press conference marking his first 100 days in office, Kasich was asked whether lawmakers should cut their own pay, as a symbolic recognition of the economic realities facing many other Ohioans.
Members of the Ohio General Assembly earn more than $60,000 a year, with those in leadership topping $85,000 or $90,000. They also get other perks -- public pensions, tax breaks for their time in Columbus and travel stipends.
That's pretty good money, especially in this economic environment. Cutting pay rates a few percentage points wouldn't push any lawmaker into the poorhouse.
We recently did some of our own research here at ProgressOhio and found that Kovac is actually underestimating the compensation totals.
He's definitely made the Top 10!
Who is America's worst governor?
That is the question being asked by National Nurses United, the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in U.S. history - with close to 160,000 members across all 50 states.
Spin the wheel and find out if John Kasich is The Worst Governor in America!
COLUMBUS - Secretary of State Jon Husted today certified that We Are Ohio, the group seeking a state referendum on Senate Bill 5, has met the initial 1,000-signature requirement on each of the two petitions they filed to qualify for the November 2011 ballot.
Petitioners collected 2,835 signatures for the short version of the petition, of which 2,506 were deemed valid, and 2,866 for the long version of the petition, of which 2,517 were deemed valid. The Secretary also approved the full text of the law submitted with the signatures.
The Ohio Constitution requires petitioners seeking to place a referendum on the ballot to first submit 1,000 valid signatures and the full text of the law, or section of the law, to the Secretary of State's office for certification. Once the signatures and law text have been certified by the Secretary of State, and the petition summary has been certified by the Attorney General, petitioners may begin collecting the required 231,147 valid signatures to place the measure on the ballot.
Petitioners will have until June 30, 2011, to collect the required signatures.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today issued certification of the summary language for one of the two referenda seeking the repeal of Senate Bill 5. The certification was issued today in a letter delivered to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.
On April 4th, 2011 two petitions were filed with the Attorney General's Office and the Secretary of State. The proposals submitted were informally titled "Short" and "Long." After reviewing the summaries, Attorney General DeWine issued two separate letters certifying the Short Version Summary and rejecting the Long Version Summary.
"The Office's explicit statutory duty is to determine whether the submitted summary 'is a fair and truthful statement of the measure to be referred,'" DeWine stated in his letter certifying the Short Version Summary language. "Without passing upon the advisability of the approval or rejection of the measure to be referred...I hereby certify that the summary is a fair and truthful statement of the proposed referendum concerning Am. Sub. S.B. 5 of the 129th General Assembly."
In rejecting the Long Version Summary language, Attorney General DeWine stated, "The summary, though greatly condensed at 28 pages, is still far too lengthy and detailed to be considered a short and concise summing up of the matter to be referred. For this reason, I am unable to certify the proposed Long Version Summary of the Petition."
In order for the certified referendum to proceed, the petitioners must collect signatures from registered voters in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, equal to 3 percent of the total vote cast in the county for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election. Total signatures collected statewide must also equal 6 percent of the total vote cast for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election. The petition, containing at least the minimum number of signatures, must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than the effective date of the legislation, which is 90 days after it was enrolled with the Secretary.
The full text of today's letters and of the initiative petitions submitted can be found at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/BallotInitiatives.
Update: Wow! Most of the currently scheduled trainings are already at capacity.
Sign-up here and we will contact you as more trainings are scheduled in your area.
Thanks for your Support!
31 SB5 Referendum trainings have already been scheduled and that is just until the end of April!
The passion and momentum is going strong but we need YOUR help to get the required number of signatures.
Together we can stop John Kasich's attack on the middle class!
Kucinich blasts Gov. Walker at Hill panel
In a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing exploring state and municipal debt, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) challenged Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) to admit his legislative campaign aimed at stripping public employees' collective bargaining rights did nothing to help solve his state's budget deficit.
"If the unions agreed to the financial cuts you demand," Kucinich told Walker, "I don't understand how repealing collective bargaining rights for public workers shows us anything about state debt."
The longtime Ohio congressman accused Walker of politicizing an important state fiscal debate and claimed his legislation impacting unions saved no money whatsoever.
Citing a document published by the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau asserting that Walker's efforts to the repeal the rights of state workers were non-fiscal, Kucinich briefly clashed with committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), when he asked for unanimous consent to have the document included as part of the official record.
Watch It:
Here's the real story behind the attacks on working people in Ohio, Wisconsin and around the country and a look at what's at stake in this fight for the middle class.
Watch It:
A crowd estimated at over 10,000 people attended the We Are Ohio rally at the Ohio Statehouse to kick off the campaign to repeal Senate Bill 5 today.
View Slideshow:
The Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio held a free luncheon today for Statehouse Legislators, at the swanky Athletic Club in downtown Columbus, to "salute the legislative supporters" of Senate Bills 5.
Despite word only getting out late last night, several dozen Ohioans were able to assemble a last minute protest in front of the luncheon. They made sure that legislators and members of ABC knew that they can't hide from the people of Ohio.
We are standing up to say "No more!" to shady backroom meetings between legislators and lobbyists plotting to destroy the middle class. "No more" wining and dining with the elite while the people of Ohio are pushed down and left behind.
Watch It:
Now that Gov. Kasich has signed SB 5 and opponents wait for our petition language for a referendum on the November ballot to repeal it to be approved, could the Republicans push for an emergency clause that would make the law go into effect immediately?
Democratic lawmakers don't see that happening.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility, but I don't anticipate that. You need more votes to be able to pass an emergency clause than you do just to pass a bill. So that makes the threshold even more difficult," said State Senator Capri Cafaro.
In order for an emergency clause to pass, the bill would need approval from two-thirds of both the Ohio House and the Senate. Clearly, Republicans don't have the votes.
Matt Damschroder and Mark McGinnis
Mark McGinnis, Attorney for the Petitioner's Committee, transfer's and Matt Damschroder of the Secretary of State's office accepts over 1,000 long form and short form petition signatures in support of the referendum to nullify SB5.
A minimum of one thousand signatures are required for petition language to be approved by the Attorney General and Secretary of State, before additional petitions can be circulated. 231,149 signatures are needed to place a referendum of the law on the ballot.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis 43 years ago, where he had travelled to support AFSCME sanitation workers striking for the right to collective bargaining. That struggle continues today in Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, Michigan and other states throughout the country as working people fight back against attacks on their rights and the middle class.
Legendary soul and R&B singer and musician Aaron Neville recorded the song "America the Beautiful" especially for this video.
Watch It:
Police and firefighter unions have been aligned with Republican candidates for a long time, and even the callous treatment of 9/11 workers wasn't enough to turn them against the Republicans.
The new reality:
WASHINGTON -- Leaders from two unions known to support the Republican Party warned of serious repercussions for GOP candidates in the 2012 elections, saying the onslaught of anti-labor bills in state capitals has shifted their political allegiances.
"Our political principles are pretty straightforward. We'll support those that support us," Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, told HuffPost. "We tend to stick with those who stick with us."
"There is a distinct possibility that the pro-labor candidate in the next election will be looked at much more favorably than their overall record," Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, told HuffPost. "The vast majority of our membership will put other issues aside."
The inclusion of police and fire unions in an Ohio bill that stripped collective bargaining rights from public employees may have been the last straw for the two conservative-leaning groups. But even in Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker's actions exempted them, cops and fire fighters marched shoulder to shoulder with teachers and other public workers.
Now, the public safety unions are signaling what could be a tectonic shift in the political landscape, one that could result in a level of labor solidarity missing for recent elections.
"I don't want to say we are unhappy with Republicans but we are very unhappy with the far-right wing of the party that seems to have taken the Republican Party hostage," said Canterbury, whose union endorsed George W. Bush and John McCain in the last three presidential elections. "We are extremely unhappy with the snowball that rolled in in Ohio and we are traditionally a very conservative organization. We've been bipartisan.....But with the actions that have taken place, there's going to be tremendous reprisals taken out at the polls" by police and their families."They feel like their public officials turned their back on them."
I'm not sure which is worse.
The fact that Republicans shipped the development of their "SB5Truth" website out of Ohio (to Florida, of course) or that they hired a developer whose only connection to Ohio seems to be that they created the campaign website for Nazi reenactor Rich Iott.
Republicans were apparently ashamed of this fact, as Brushfire Digital scrubbed all references to Iott immeadiately after it was discovered and tweeted in response to Speaker Bill Batchelder's announcement of the new republican website in support of SB5.
You can see the screenshot taken before the scrubbing took place above.
Which do you think is worse?
That The Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee, outsourced what should have been Ohio jobs to Florida or that they showed support for the firm that provided the web site for this guy?
Republican's referendum campaign in aupport of their union busting, job killing SB 5 legislation is off to an inauspicious start, wouldn't you agree?
As the anniversary of his assassination approaches, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s tireless advocacy for the social and economic justice echoes against the backdrop of today's assaults on worker rights
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Forty-three years ago, a struggle by 1,300 city sanitation workers for economic justice brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis. On the eve of his death, hours after marching with the AFSCME sanitation workers being denied the fundamental right of collective bargaining and facing down the armed forces of a city and state, Martin Luther King, Jr. declared: "Work that serves humanity...It has dignity and it has worth."
Today here in Ohio, in Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida and more than a dozen other states, well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for. This year, as we commemorate his sacrifice, Americans are organizing and mobilizing throughout the country to revive the Dream.
April 1 through 4, working families, people of faith, civil and human rights activists, students and other progressive allies will host a range of community- and workplace-focused actions, including rallies, teach-ins, vigils and forums throughout the United States. The theme for these events: We Are One.
Events are happening in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati (not listed but info to be available soon), Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Findlay, Hillsboro, Marietta, Oberlin, Portsmouth, Sandusky, Toledo, Warren, and Youngstown.
See below for full list of events.
Gov. John Kasich signed what he called an Ohio taxpayers' victory Thursday evening, a bill adding new restrictions on the power of public employee unions.
SB5 restricts collective bargaining rights for public employees and requires them to pay at least 15 percent of health insurance costs. It also bans "fair share" dues arrangements where employees who choose not to join the union must still pay enough to cover bargaining costs.
In order to give voters the final say on the issue, SB 5 opponents will need to gather more than 231,000 petition signatures within a 90-day window of time.
Opponents have vowed to put the issue on the November ballot, giving voters a chance to strike down the law. Unions plan to hit the streets and help gather signatures and report intense interest in helping. The campaign is called "We Are Ohio".
Sen. Tim Grendell speaks against SB 5 in the Ohio Senate on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.
Watch It:
Sen. Nina Turner speaks against SB 5 in the Ohio Senate on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.
Watch It:
Rep. Alicia Reece speaks against SB 5 in the Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.
Watch It:
Rep. Matt Szollosi speaks against SB 5 in the Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.
Watch It:
The Obama administration is indicating that the president will veto a bill moving through the House if it includes provisions hampering aviation and railroad workers' ability to unionize.
The legislation, which would reauthorize and fund the Federal Aviation Administration, includes a proposal that would count any workers who don't vote in union organizing elections as having voted against unions, and the White House says President Barack Obama won't support it.
The legislation as proposed in the House "would undermine a fundamental principle of fairness in union representation elections - that outcomes should be determined by a majority of the valid ballots cast," according to a statement of administration policy the White House released Wednesday night. "By treating non-votes as 'no' votes, the provision would prohibit workers in the airline and railroad industries from voting whether to join a union on the same basis - majority rule - as most other industries."
If the President is presented with a bill that would not safeguard the ability of railroad and airline workers to decide whether or not they would be represented by a union based upon a majority of the ballots cast in an election or that would degrade safe and efficient air traffic, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.
HT: TPM
Ohio lawmakers have had their chance to vote on a bill limiting collective bargaining rights for 350,000 public workers across the state.
Next will be the public's turn.
Even before the contentious Senate Bill 5 had cleared the Legislature late Wednesday, unions and Democrats in this once-proud labor stronghold vowed to put it on November's ballot as a referendum.
"O-H-I-O! S.B. 5 has got to go!" protesters chanted ahead of a final Senate vote of 17-16 that sent the bill to Gov. John Kasich for his signature, which is expected to happen on Friday. The vote followed a day filled with Statehouse demonstrations by about 750 people, who raucously chanted and shouted throughout the process.
After a House vote of 53-44, opponents chanted shame on you and Speaker Batchelder had the chambers cleared by the highway patrol.
Opponents intend to gather the signatures for a referendum to be placed on the ballot this November to overturn the legislation.
While Wisconsin has gained more national attention, Ohio is far more important to unions. It has the sixth largest number of public sector union members among all the 50 U.S. states, twice the number of Wisconsin. With many auto and steel and manufacturing plants, Ohio is also a union bellwether."
After nearly four hours of debate, the Ohio House of Representatives passed an amended version of Senate Bill 5, immediately prompting jeers and boos from the gallery.
The Ohio State House of Representatives took a huge step in the wrong direction for Ohio's future today. Republican Representatives decided to ignore the overwhelming majority of Ohioans who see this as a blatant attack on the rights of working families.
The amended version of this bill does not fool anyone. Nothing about this bill is better because it only destroys good jobs, tears down our local economies and endangers public safety for all of us. And it is worse than the Senate version of the bill because it goes further in gutting the rights of workers and dismantles the ability of unions to serve as a check on corporate power.
Instead of investing in our hard hit communities - which are going to be struggling even more if Gov. Kasich's proposed budget passes - and creating jobs, Kasich and his political allies are using Senate Bill 5 to further a partisan political agenda and Ohio working families are paying the price. These lawmakers should not exploit our economic recovery just to undermine working people's protections and their unions.
But working families understand this is only the beginning of our fight to save Ohio's middle class. Kasich and his political allies have unwittingly created a movement of Ohioans who want a society that works for all, not just the rich and big business. Ohio's working families will build on this momentum and are already organizing together for a citizens' veto, so we can restore the balance that is needed to stop the rising tide of corporate greed and the influence of big business in politics.
Vigil Comes as House Expected to Vote on SB 5
On the heels of the expected passage of Senate Bill 5 in the Ohio State House Commerce and Labor Committee, firefighters, teachers, police officers, nurses and working families will hold a vigil Wednesday in the Statehouse atrium to oppose Senate Bill 5 and Kasich's assault on the middle class.
The vigil will be held from 4-6 pm today.
A Wisconsin judge for the second time directed the state to put on hold an explosive law that strips most public workers of nearly all their union bargaining rights, ordering officials on Tuesday to follow her original instructions to stand down.
"Apparently that language was either misunderstood or ignored, but what I said was the further implementation of (the law) was enjoined," said a visibly annoyed Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi. "That is what I now want to make crystal clear."
Earlier this month, Sumi issued an emergency injunction prohibiting the Wisconsin secretary of state from formally publishing the law -- the final step before it could take effect.
Republican legislative leaders responded by directing the law be published by another state agency, and then declared it valid. State officials began implementing the law this weekend, stopping the collection of union dues for state workers and taking more from their pay for health care and retirement.
Sumi said Tuesday that action violated her original order, and she made it clear after a daylong hearing that the law was on hold while she considers a broader challenge to its legality.
COLUMBUS-- In Columbus and throughout Ohio, OEA members and other public employees denounced the Ohio House's amended version of Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) as bad legislation made even worse. In addition to approving SB 5 in House committee action today, legislators released thousands of pages of new State Budget language, including 10%-plus cuts to both public schools and state colleges.
"Combined with this state budget proposal, SB 5 will lead to an ongoing crisis in schools and public services for every Ohio community. We believe the people of Ohio will reject SB 5 through a citizens' referendum," said OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks. "We do not believe the people of Ohio elected leaders with a mandate to cut school funding, take away collective bargaining rights and privatize public schools, but that is the sum effect of legislation now moving so quickly through the Ohio General Assembly."
"Nothing is more essential than creating jobs and providing high-quality educational opportunities for children. But our legislators are ignoring and short-changing these essential functions of state and local government and schools," Frost-Brooks said.
Amendments in the House version of SB 5 are designed to restrict union funding, curb political freedoms of members and impose a one-size-fits-all approach to school districts on performance pay measures.
"These amendments really shine the light on what this bill is all about, which is silencing the voice of people who collectively bargain on behalf of their members and, in our case, on behalf of the children we work with," OEA Vice President Bill Leibensperger said.
SB 5 is expected to go to a House floor vote today. A Senate floor vote to concur with House changes to the bill is expected on today or Thursday. If the Senate concurs with House changes to SB 5, the bill would go to the Governor for his signature.
Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) and Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) issued statements today after the House Commerce and Labor Committee passed an amended version of Senate Bill 5--legislation that would take away collective bargaining rights for public employees.
Senator Cafaro:
"They have made a bad bill even worse.
The changes to Senate Bill 5 are just more window dressing to anti-worker legislation that will have a devastating effect on families and communities across the state.
The amended bill creates more bureaucracy and imposes new mandates by establishing another state commission and forcing local school districts to follow state imposed guidelines for teacher salaries and layoffs."
Senator Schiavoni:
"Some of the words may have changed but Senate Bill 5 remains a direct attack on worker's rights.
This legislation would turn collective bargaining into collective begging by tilting the negotiating table entirely in favor of employers. Workers could talk about certain issues but they would not have any leverage. Why are we doing this when polls show that a majority of Ohioans support collective bargaining rights for public employees?
We should be working on balancing the budget and creating jobs for all Ohioans."
SB 5 Referendum Facts:
231,149 - Signatures needed to place a referendum of the law on the ballot.
1,000 - Number of signatures needed for petition language to be approved by the Attorney General and Secretary of State, before additional petitions can be circulated.
44 - Minimum number of different counties where the petition signatures need to be collected.
April 6, 2011 - Last day for the law to be passed and filed with the Secretary of State in order to be placed on the Nov 2011 ballot, rather than the Nov 2012 ballot.
July 5, 2011 - Final date for signatures if SB 5 is signed and filed with the Secretary of State by April 6. (We will have 90 days to collect signatures.)
July 26, 2011 - Final day by which the Secretary of State must determine if there are enough valid signatures to place the referendum on the ballot.
91 - If no referendum petition is filed, SB 5 goes into effect 91 days after it was signed and filed with the SOS. If a referendum is filed, the law does not go into effect until and unless Ohioans vote to allow the bill to become law.
5 - Number of members on the Ohio Ballot Board who determine ballot language once the referendum petition is accepted. The Board includes the SOS, one R and one D from the House, one R and one D from the Senate.
Video from the Ohio Statehouse as the Commerce and Labor Committee considered Senate Bill 5, which would strip collective bargaining rights from Teachers, Police, Firefighters, and other public employees.
Watch It:
Senate Bill 5 grants substantial and unchecked power to the Governor, Auditor of State and Board of Regents to suspend public employee salaries, benefit increases and modify or terminate collective bargaining agreements. In fact, the ease in which any of these entities may declare fiscal emergency or watch, allowing the elimination of specific contractual provisions within the agreement, undermines the collective bargaining agreement. All provisions advocated for by the employee organization, and reluctantly agreed to by the public employer, may be targeted, thereby ignoring the sanctity of the contract and allowing the pubic employer to retroactively repeal provisions of the agreement they could not suppress through the bargaining process.
Not only does SB 5 grant the Governor, Auditor of State and the Board of Regents the broad and ill-defined power to declare fiscal watches and/or emergencies and thereby open the door to the modification and/or termination of existing collective bargaining agreements, it also denies public employees any recourse to challenge those actions.
Hundreds of Ohio workers are packing the state Capitol today as the House Commerce and Labor Committee begins hearings this morning on legislation that takes away the right of public employees, like teachers and fire fighters, to bargaining for good middle class jobs.
Before this morning's hearing began, Democratic members brought several boxes of petitions against the bill-signed by 65, 414 people-to the hearing room. Committee Chairman Joe Uecker (R) ordered the boxes removed from the room and refused to listen to objections from other committee members.
Said Rep. Robert Hagan (D):
I appreciate you ignoring me again, as you have insistently throughout the entire hearings, 65,400 people are being ignored today.
Watch It:
Related:
State Representative Bob Hagan (D-Youngstown), a longtime supporter of collective bargaining rights, blasted the Chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee in the Ohio House this morning on releasing copies of amendments to the Columbus Dispatch before elected Representatives.
"In the 25 years that we have been here, I have never seen anything like this," Rep. Hagan stated. "We have no idea what your amendments are, we have not worked with you throughout this process because you have not allowed us to work with you through this process. ... [W]hen the press has to opportunity to see exactly what will have an impact on 11 million Ohioans [before elected representatives] it is in insult, not only to the members of this minority but to the people of the State of Ohio. I am outraged I have to see it in the press. I am outraged that I have to see the changes that will have an incredible impact on so many people being passed about before any member of this committee can ever even digest what we are doing."
Rep. Hagan was referring to a story this morning in the Columbus Dispatch that laid out the proposed amendments to SB5 being brought by the Republican Majority of the Commerce and Labor committee.
One of the biggest problems with SB5 is that when a contract dispute is unsettled, it allows management to choose whichever offer they want, which will most likely be their own. The amendments don't change that system and in fact make it worse.
Under the proposed amendments:
Public safety forces: Gets rid of binding arbitration and outlaws strikes. Management gets to make the final decision on which contract offer to accept. AND to make sure management makes the (far) "right" choice, if the governmental body was to choose "the costlier" of the two offers (management and employees), they would have to then take the contract before the voters for approval.
State workers: Final contract would be chosen by the Controlling Board, chaired by Kasich's handpicked Budget Director and filled with Chairs of the House and Senate finance committee, 2 Majority Party and 2 Minority Party General Assembly Members, leaving an assumed final vote total of 5-2 against labor.
Local Government Employees: If a union and a local body could not agree to a contract, the last offer from management would go into effect without even a vote from the School Board, Council, or Trustees, effectively rewarding management for not negotiating in good faith.
Watch It:
Boxes filled with signatures delivered to committee hearing legislation to strip workers of bargaining rights
COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democrats today delivered petitions with over 65,000 signatures of Ohio citizens opposed to Senate Bill 5, legislation which would take away the rights of middle class workers by virtually eliminating collective bargaining. The signatures were taken to the members of the House Commerce and Labor Committee at the start of today's hearing on the bill.
"These 65,000 signatures represent thousands of Ohioans who oppose Senate Bill 5 and what it will do to working families and Ohio's economy," said Rep. Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights), Ranking Minority Member on the Commerce and Labor Committee. "These are the names of Ohioans who couldn't be here today, but still want this committee to know that they do not support the rights of workers being taken away."
The petitions were loaded in boxes and wheeled into the committee room for members to examine. Committee Chair Joseph Uecker (R-Miami Township) quickly ordered that the documents be removed and taken to his office. Rep. Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown), also a member of the committee, challenged Rep. Uecker to read the petitions and consider the objections of tens of thousands of Ohio workers.
Related:
Updated With Video: 65,414 Petitions Opposing SB 5 Removed From House Committee Hearing Room
65,414 Ohioans signed petitions opposing SB 5.
They were delivered to the House committee and Republicans were embarrassed and had them removed.
First, they lock the people out of the Statehouse and now they are ignoring the public speaking in a loud and resounding voice that they oppose this attack on workers' rights and fairness.
Update: Democratic Rep. Kenny Yuko talks about petitions his caucus delivered with more than 65,000 signatures from people who oppose SB5.
Liberal groups unleash new ad targeting Wisconsin GOP recall targets:
Progressive groups are going up today with a compelling new ad that features ordinary Wisconsinites making the case for the recall of multiple GOP state senators, and while the national media has largely stopped covering this story, the minute-long spot succeeds in capturing the grassroots energy and drive that continues to make it so interesting and remarkable.
Watch It:
Data Released by Policy Matters Shows that Women and African Americans More Likely Employed in Public Sector Occupations
COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democratic Members from the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) and House Democratic Women's Caucus were joined by Policy Matters Ohio at a Statehouse Press Conference today to express their concerns over data which shows that Senate Bill 5 (SB 5), the anti-working family legislation, will disproportionally impact women and minorities. A study completed by Policy Matters Ohio, a non-partisan policy research institute, with assistance from the Economic Policy Institute shows that taking away the rights of workers to bargain will not only hurt women and minorities, it will also hurt Ohio's economy.
Speaking on behalf of the OLBC, State Representative Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) said, "Senate Bill 5 will harm all public sector workers and in particular the 18.5 percent African American public sector employees who are struggling to provide for their families in the wake of the economic recession and rising food and gas prices."
According to research from Policy Matters Ohio, women and African Americans are more likely to be employed in public sector jobs in Ohio. While more than 15.4% of all Ohio workers are employed in the public sector, the research concludes that women and African Americans are more likely to be employed in these public positions. Out of 709,731 public sector workers in 2008-2010, 407,681 or 57% are women. The study also breaks down the demographics of public sector workers and shows that women and African Americans are employed at higher percentages than typical in the Ohio labor force. In 2008-2010, 17.6% of working women in Ohio were employed in public sector jobs, which is nearly 15% higher than is typical in the Ohio workforce. Approximately 18.5% of working African Americans were employed in the public sector. For working African American women, nearly 20% were employed in public sector jobs.
The most direct attack on Ohio's middle class in a generation, SB5, is scheduled to go up for a vote this Tuesday.
Families and workers from across the state will be out in force at the Statehouse this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Show our lawmakers we will not be silenced and we will not have our rights taken from us.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Rally at the Statehouse Against SB 5!
West Lawn
9am - 2pm
4pm - 6pm
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Rally at the Statehouse Against SB 5!
West Lawn
9am - 2pm
4pm - 6pm
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Rally at the Statehouse Against SB 5!
West Lawn
9am - 2pm
4pm - 6pm
These will be outside events, so please dress accordingly. Consider bringing your own food and water or be prepared to purchase them from local businesses.
Last week Governor Kasich unveiled his budget proposal, which relies on massive cuts to balance the state budget. Gov. Kasich is attempting to balance a projected $8 billion budget deficit on the backs of Ohio's children, seniors, sick and our hard working middle class.
Join One Ohio Now and others from all over Ohio on Tuesday, April 5th at the Statehouse to send a message to Gov. Kasich and Ohio's general assembly that they need to find a middle ground instead of reducing vital services and programs that will further hinder Ohio's economic vitality.
Tuesday, April 5th at 12pm
Ohio Statehouse
1 Capital Square, Columbus, OH 43215
(North Plaza/Broad Street)
Please let us know that you're coming.
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, where he had gone to stand with sanitation workers demanding their dream: The right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life. The workers were trying to form a union with AFSCME.
Beginning with worship services over the April 1 weekend, and continuing through the week of April 4, unions, people of faith, civil and human rights activists, students and other progressive allies will host a range of community- and workplace-focused actions.
Join us in solidarity with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and dozens of other states where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for: the freedom to bargain, to vote, to afford a college education and justice for all workers, immigrant and native-born. It's a day to show movement. Teach-ins. Vigils. Faith events. A day to be creative, but clear: We are one.
Ohio will be the focal part of a broad-based campaign by FreedomWorks to target what the group considers "the rampant abuse of power that organized labor has engaged at the state and federal level to impact elections and the public policymaking process."
FreedomWorks said the budget for the first phase of the campaign is $5.6 million. The campaign will include "organized grassroots rallies and protest activities to counter union events, in addition to paid TV and online video ads," the group said.
The campaign will begin in Ohio, followed by Wisconsin, Tennessee and other states.
Below is a quote and story on Republican Mayor of Strongsville Tom Perciak. Strongsville is a city of 45,000 and is the largest city in Rep. Mike Dovilla's 18th House District.
As for Mayor Perciak, the City of Strongsville was a big campaign stop for Kasich and the statewide GOP ticket. They rented the Rec. Center for a big rally last fall.
In 2008, McCain and Palin were there for a Rally......this makes it at least interesting that this mayor would make a statement against SB5.
Will Rep. Dovilla listen to the Mayor of the largest city in his district and vote against SB5?
Mayor discusses city's accomplishments, future goals in address
The mayor has been silent on the topic of Senate Bill 5, the controversial legislation that would limit collective bargaining rights for public unionized workers. He gave his opinion on the issue during the State of the City.
"I gave this a lot of thought," he said. "We are talking about the rights of human beings to negotiate salaries. The only thing I will say about Senate Bill 5 is that it has serious shortcomings. As proposed it is not to the benefit of the average worker here in the state of Ohio. I am asking the governor to take another look at this proposed Senate Bill 5. Keep in mind we are affecting our families not only here in Strongsville, but across the entire state."
On April 4, 1968, 43 years ago in Memphis, a long struggle for human rights and human dignity ended in the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but it brought economic justice and the respect that all people deserve to 1,300 city sanitation workers.
On April 4 this year, the anniversary of Dr. King's death, labor unions, civil rights organizations, and religious leaders will stand together across this country for the same human rights and human dignity for working men and women. We will remember the courage and determination of Dr. King and those workers who endured assault and arrest as they walked a picket line for two months. We have stood together as one with public workers across this country whose bargaining rights are under attack, with private workers who can't get bargaining rights, and against those politicians and their allies who want to silence our political voice.
On April 4, 2011, on the job, in our schools and in our communities, we will remind our elected officials that workers rights are human rights, and that those rights will not be destroyed.
We are one. We are everywhere.
Watch It:
Wisconsin Anti-Union Law Temporarily Blocked By Judge
MADISON, Wis. -- A Wisconsin judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking the state's new and contentious collective bargaining law from taking effect, a measure that drew tens of thousands of protesters to the state Capitol and sent some Democrats fleeing to Illinois in an attempt to block a vote on it.
The judge's order is a major setback for Walker and puts the future of the law in question.
Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi issued the order, which was requested by that county's District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, a Democrat. Ozanne filed a lawsuit contending that a legislative committee that broke a stalemate that had kept the law in limbo for weeks met without the 24-hour notice required by Wisconsin's open meetings law. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the measure and Gov. Scott Walker signed it last week.
Secretary of State Doug La Follette planned to publish the law on Mach 25, but the judge's order will prevent that from happening, at least for now.
Assistant Attorney General Steven Means said the state will appeal the ruling, but he didn't say when. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said in a statement that the governor was confident the bill would become law in the near future.
It's reckless.
From Wisconsin to Ohio to the Halls of Congress, Republicans are attempting to grab power from unions that stand up for workers. Like Governor Walker in Wisconsin, Governor Kasich has pointed to "fiscal" reasons as justification for taking away the voices of those who teach our children, safeguard our families, and keep our communities running.
Please sign my petition to Governor Kasich to tell him that he should be focused on getting people back to work instead of attacking our teachers, fire fighters, police officers, nurses and other workers.
It wasn't the workers in Ohio or in Wisconsin or anywhere else who gambled with our economy and caused the economic downturn. It was reckless politicians and greedy corporate interests.
Add your name to our petition telling Governor Kasich that he should focus on creating more jobs and growing our economy instead of undermining our workers and the middle class.
It was the union movement that built the middle class - and it is the middle class that makes this country great.
Thank you for all you've done and continue to do,
Betty Sutton
Credit Roger Sommer
Senate Bill 5 Rally Draws Hundreds in Strongsville
Nearly 1,000 people gathered in Strongsville in a steady, cold rain today to rally against Senate Bill 5, one of 13 such protests held simultaneously throughout Ohio.
Protesters on the City Commons chanted "Kill the bill" and held signs reading "Workers' rights are human rights" and "It's about freedom" for passing motorists on routes 42 and 82 to see.
Photo Gallery: Senate Bill 5 Rally in Strongsville
Nearly 1,000 people protested the controversial bill.
Opponents of Senate Bill 5 offer their thoughts on the issue
The human cost of public sector workers losing their collective bargaining rights in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Watch It:
Ronald Reagan kicks off his presidential campaign with a Labor Day speech at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey. Delivered 1 September 1980.
Watch It:
Not only did St. Ronnie support collective bargaining, but he also raised taxes, opposed anti-gay discrimination, and withdrew troops from the Middle East.
He wouldn't stand a chance in today's Republican Party.
Join state elected representatives, Mike Foley, Michael Skindell, Nicki Antonio, as well as local elected officials in support of our teachers, police, firefighters and other union members in the public and private sector from throughout the 16th district and beyond.
The event will be held at a town hall style meeting to oppose Senate Bill 5. Come and discuss possible strategies to stop passage of this damaging piece of anti-worker legislation.
Learn what our future holds and what needs to be done to protect our rights, our jobs and our families.
When: Sunday, March 13th, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Stamper's Irish Pub, 21750 Lorain Road, in Fairview Park.
Representative Dennis Kucinich, attacked Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for his trashing of workers' rights. The Governor signed a bill that eliminated most collective bargaining rights for public employees. This "Speak Up For Workers' Rights" rally happened after a massive protest at Wisconsin's State Capitol.
Watch It:
Thousands of courageous nurses, firefighters, faith and labor leaders, senior citizens, students and agricultural supporters cheered on the Tractorcade rally yesterday involving more than 30 tractors circling the square outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, WI.
HT: SEIU: (photos by Jeff Miller for SEIU)
Thousands of protesters, unionists and supporters of the American worker descend on Ohio's capitol city in opposition of Governor Kasich's SB5 anti-collective bargaining bill.
Watch It:
The Portsmouth Daily Times Reports:
Although many political indicators are suggesting that Senate Bill 5 will easily pass the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio AFL-CIO assures concerned workers that it will not be the end of the road for the controversial bill. If the legislation passes, the organization will attempt a referendum that will allow voters in November to decide whether the bill will be made law.
The GOP-backed SB 5 that would restrict the collective bargaining rights of about 350,000 teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees squeaked through the state Senate on a 17-16 vote. Six Republicans sided with Democrats against the measure. The bill now heads for consideration in the Republican-controlled Ohio House of Representatives. If the bill is passed by both the House and Senate, it will be delivered to Gov. John Kasich to sign into law.
But the new law will not take affect for 90 days, during which petitions for referendum can be accepted to delay the law until voters can decide in November.
"We're already gearing up in anticipation that the Republicans will pass it in the House. We hope that they won't, but if they do -- yes, absolutely we will take it to a referendum," said Austin Keyser, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers No. 575, and Secretary General of the Shawnee Labor Council.
The petition campaign will be coordinated by the Ohio AFL-CIO, and requires 230,000 signatures but their goal will be 500,000.
"All the polls show that Ohioans don't support this in general. There might be small pieces of it that some people might support, but in general this is just bad public policy," Keyser said.Read The Full Story at The Portsmouth Daily Times
Related:
Video: Sherrod Brown: Ideological Mission In Wisconsin and Ohio And The Coming Referendum
Senator Sherrod Brown speaks about the ideological missions in both Wisconsin and Ohio and winning the coming referendum.
Watch It:
Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states around the country are considering legislation that would abolish or sharply limit public employees' collective bargaining rights. Women who work in state and local government work in fields critical to our communities, such as teaching, nursing, and social work, as well is in jobs such as police officer, firefighter, and janitor. Child care workers and home health care workers also have secured collective bargaining rights in some states.
Collective bargaining helps ensure that these jobs providing important community services also provide decent wages, benefits, and working conditions. Women who are members of unions or covered by union contracts earn more than their non-unionized peers and experience a smaller gender wage gap. Collective bargaining has helped women achieve economic security for themselves and their families. In workplaces across the country, collective bargaining has allowed women to obtain better working conditions. Moreover, when workers in positions like nursing or child care achieve better working conditions, this often benefits the women and families who rely on the services they provide, by reducing employee turnover and enhancing their ability to do their job.
Attacks on public employees' rights to collectively bargain directly threaten working women and the public services they provide.
No NFL football games next year?
That's the way it looks. New proof has come to light that the NFL's owners have been planning a lockout since 2008. A Federal Judge in Minnesota last week ruled that the NFL's owners had improperly negotiated their billion-dollar contracts with the networks. They could have gotten more money out of the networks, but decided to settle for less to create a $4 billion war chest to fund a lockout. The case included this quote from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: "We need to realistically assume we're locking out in 2011." Ouch.
Jerry Jones' words are now public, but we need you to make sure that your voice is heard as well. Tell the owners to take a lockout off the table by signing this petition:
While a lockout still looms on the horizon, there is some good news. Yesterday at midnight, the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the owners and the players was scheduled to expire. It didn't. Both sides stepped back from the brink and agreed to postpone the expiration for one week.
Over this next week, you can let Browns owner Randy Lerner, Bengals owner Mike Brown by signing the petition:
It's important, though, to remember there's more at stake than just football. If the players are locked out, 150,000 workers across America will suffer. Cities across America stand to lose $4.5 billion.
IAFF President Schaitberger and thousands of fire fighters and supporters marched in Columbus, OH in opposition to SB 5.
Watch It:
Michael Moore reacts to Wisconsin Republicans ramming through a union busting bill through the state senate and exoriates the unconsionably rich on Wall Street who trying to increase their wealth by destroying America's middle class with Republican backing.
Watch It:
Refuting his previous statements that SB 5 would have three weeks of hearings in the Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) said today the House might vote next week on a management-friendly rewrite of a public employee collective bargaining law.
"I hope to have it out here next week at some point," he told reporters after today's House session. The Commerce & Labor Committee is conducting its second hearing on the measure today.
"I have not done a head count. I would be surprised if there were not enough votes here," Rep. Batchelder said. The GOP holds a 59-40 majority in the chamber.
Photo: Patrick G. Ryan/NEA
From Our Friends at The National Education Association:
Facing a full Congressional hearing panel, in front of a packed house, Ohio teacher Courtney Johnson took a seat Tuesday and methodically laid out how attacks on workers' rights and cuts to education will affect her students.
"Ever-deepening cuts to our public schools send the dual messages to our kids that, one, it is not a priority that they get educated; and two, that we have given up on finding better solutions to our problems," Johnson told the 23 members of Congress. "Many of us are not willing to send those messages, and I know that we are not alone. Just watch the news and you will see Americans are not ready to give up on our kids."
Clad in red as part of the national Wear Red for Public Ed on Tuesday movement, Johnson spoke eloquently and passionately about how teachers' working conditions are students' learning conditions. The English teacher at Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School in Columbus, Ohio, is a member of the Ohio Education Association.
She spoke at a hearing called by the House Democratic Outreach and Steering Committee, which focused on the recent surge of attacks on workers' rights across the country. Johnson joined three expert panelists and four other public employees from Ohio and Wisconsin, all testifying about how legislation such as Ohio Senate Bill 5 and attacks on collective bargaining will hurt the economy and public education in the long run.
Ohio firefighters are taking the fight against Senate Bill 5 to the airwaves and to major newspapers all across the state.
In commercials to be broadcast across the state, dramatic images of massive fires and life-saving rescues by firefighters and paramedics are interspersed with news clips featuring conservative pundits criticizing unions and firefighters.
The compelling images are designed to get the public thinking about the vital, risky work carried out by safety forces every day, and to then call on their state representatives to vote against the collective bargaining bill.
"Quite frankly, the governor may be talking about the state of the state," said Mark Sanders, President of the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters. "I can tell you the state of the state will be unsafe under the provisions of Senate Bill 5."
Sanders and representatives of state troopers, police, firefighters and paramedics held a joint news conference to launch the print and broadcast campaign. The international president of the Association of Professional Firefighters came to Columbus to help kick-off the statewide effort.
The media blitz is the first salvo fired in what promises to be a national battle to fight bills aimed at collective bargaining. The union leaders say they will fight legislation in statehouses and at the ballot box, and if need be they will help promote voter referendums.
Here is the first ad from the campaign:
Americans Oppose Republican Attack on Unions in Poll
Americans reject Republican efforts to curb bargaining rights of unions whose power they say is dwarfed by corporations, a Bloomberg National Poll finds.
As battles rage between state workers and Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio, 63 percent don't think states should be able to break their promises to retirees, and respondents split over whether governors aim to balance their budgets or weaken unions that back Democratic foes, according to the poll conducted March 4-7.
The poll shows that political challenges to government workers are failing to draw broad support from a public more concerned about unemployment than government deficits. Respondents are divided over whether public employees should sacrifice to help states ease their fiscal crises: About half say governors are unfairly targeting unions and 46 percent say public employees should be willing to accept benefit cuts. The fracture largely reflects party lines. [...]
Overall, poll respondents with a favorable view of unions outnumber those with an unfavorable view 49-to-40 percent. Even with the attention received by both Wisconsin Governor Walker and New Jersey's Christie, at least half weren't sure how they viewed either politician.
A majority says unions are appropriate for firefighters, nurses, teachers, prison guards and police officers. Respondents were divided only over whether custodians and office workers also should be unionized.
Poll respondent Margaret Coakley, 72, a retired psychiatric social worker from New York who lives in New Harbor, Maine, says politicians are wrong if they blame public employees for the financial ills of their state.
"It's outrageous they're pointing to public employees now," she says. "That's not where the problems are."
Watch It:
Workers Rally at the Ohio Statehouse on March 8, 2011 as John Kasich delivers his first State of the State address.
View Slideshow:
Workers protest outside the Ohio Statehouse as John Kasich delivers his first State of the State address.
Watch It:
On Friday, Isthmus newspaper and the Wisconsin Associated Press filed a lawsuit against Gov. Scott Walker over his office's failure to respond to open records requests regarding emails received by his office.
"The governor said he had gotten more than 8,000 emails as of Feb. 17, with 'the majority' urging him to 'stay firm' on his budget repair bill," says Isthmus News Editor Bill Lueders. "We're just trying to see these largely supportive responses."
The lawsuit, filed in Dane County court, names as defendants Gov. Walker and the office of the governor.
Isthmus made its request by hand-delivered letter on Feb. 18, a day after Walker referred to these 8,000 emails and about an hour before he held another press conference saying the number had since swelled to 19,000, again mostly positive. The paper followed this with two communications with Walker spokesperson Cullen Werwie (the second of which, on Feb. 24, was also sent to Brian Hagedorn, the governor's legal counsel). Both asked for an update on the status of the original request.
The Associated Press, through reporter Todd Richmond, emailed its request for the referenced 8,000 emails on Feb. 18. Richmond followed this on Feb. 25 with an email to Werwie and Hagedorn inquiring as to the status of his request and asking that it be expanded to include "all emails the governor has received that mention the budget repair bill."
As of today, the governor's office and his legal counsel have not responded to these requests for records, or provided information on their status.
In Ohio, 90% of the contacts with Gov. Kasich's office and State Legislators ran 90% against destroying collective bargaining for public workers and while they at least told to truth about the overwhelming lack of public support for SB5 they went ahead and voted it out of the Senate 17-16 anyway.
When Republican Governor Scott Walker attacked state workers and threatened to call out the National Guard if they protested, it sparked a popular uprising in Wisconsin.
And now the extreme proposal to take collective bargaining rights away from public employees is temporarily blocked as a result of mass protests.
With great courage and personal sacrifice, the Wisconsin State Senate Democrats are stopping Gov. Scott Walker's anti-worker bill from becoming law.
Instead of caving to the opposition, their elected representatives are fighting with them.
In fact, Democratic state senators boldly left the state in order to deny Republicans the quorum they need to pass Governor Walker's radical anti-worker, anti-union bill. As long as every Democratic state senator refuses to go to the capitol, a vote cannot be held.
They have been away from their families, their friends and their daily lives for a week now. They are under intense pressure to walk away from this fight, but they are continuing to stand up for what is right.
Let them know that you support them.
Thank them for their courage, their leadership -- their guts.
Click here to send your message of Support to the Wisconsin 14!
"blue-collar states with much to be proud of"
I used to live in Wisconsin, and now I live in Ohio, where I grew up. It makes me so sad that both of these noted blue-collar states with much to be proud of are stuck in the same situation. I sure hope you can find a way to get your governor to compromise, because here the governor has a "get on the bus, or we'll run you over with it" mentality. Best of luck to you!
- Rachel, Columbus, OH
"the first to really stick to what you believe"
You are all truly heroes. The first time in my life (54 yrs) that a unit of Democrats held their ground against Republicans. This is huge to me. Just when I started to lose all the hope of Obama's words you brought them back. Yes we can. I know you are going through alot of flack but know you are so admired by millions. You are the first to really stick to what you believe. And we all know the Republicans would not back a Democrat for anything. You are working for the people, no question. You are all my Heros
- Sandy, Massillon, OH
"please accept my gratitude"
Dear Wisconsin Senators,
As a former high school teacher, I know very well what could be lost by denying teachers and public workers their right to collective bargaining. Please accept my gratitude for your courage,
generosity of spirit and willingness to endure hardships to protect the rights of your fellow citizens.
Bill, Cincinnati, OH
Click here to send your message of Support to the Wisconsin 14!
Click here to send your message of Support to the Wisconsin 14!
For anyone who still thinks the inspiring actions in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana are just about public employees in those states, here's a moving dose of reality.
People in every walk of life and every part of the country -- even other countries -- are expressing heartfelt gratitude to the 14 Democratic state senators who left Wisconsin Feb. 17 rather than allow Gov. Scott Walker to pass a sham budget bill taking from state and local workers the right to bargain for good middle-class jobs.
Gov. Walker and state Republicans may be sending them $100-a-day fines and arrest warrants, but take a look at some Facebook and phone messages real people are sending the brave Wisconsin 14:
Click here to send your message of Support to the Wisconsin 14!
On Saturday, March 12, farmers from across the dairyland will bring tractors and solidarity to the WI capitol to fight for labor rights and a just state budget.
Rural communities will be disproportionately hurt by the cuts to education and badgercare, and farmers in Wisconsin stand with state workers, and all working and middle class families in the state.
The event is sponsored by Family Farm Defenders, Wisconsin Farmers Union and Land Stewardship project.
There is an event page on Facebook.
Cleveland - National civil rights activist and leader, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and Lee A. Saunders, Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, will be in Cleveland on Monday, March 7 to speak out against the assault on public services, including such measures as SB 5 and efforts supported by Gov. John Kasich to undermine working families and public workers.
Rev. Sharpton and Saunders, a Cleveland native who was elected AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer in July 2010, are travelling together to different cities and states across the country to fight against the coordinated attack on public services.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Event: Breakfast Meeting
Time: 8:00 - 9:30AM
Place: Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church, 1161 E. 105th Street, Cleveland
Participants: Rev. Al Sharpton, Lee A. Saunders, local clergy, labor leaders
Event: News Conference concerning State SB 5
Time: 12 Noon
Place: Cleveland City Hall Steps/Rotunda
Participants: Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Cleveland City Council Members, Rev. Al Sharpton, Lee A. Saunders
Event: Town Hall Meeting
Time: 5:30 PM
Place: AFL-CIO Laborer Hall, 3250 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland
Participants: Rev. Sharpton, Lee A. Saunders, community activists, labor leaders
Michael Moore marched with the Wisconsin protesters yesterday and spoke at their rally. He gave a wonderful speech called "America Is Not Broke", and we all should memorize it so that the next time a Fox News-loving person starts spouting the party line, you can set him or her straight.
"America is not broke. Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages and settle for the life your great grandparents had. America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it is not in your hands."
He then called the great conservative redistribution of America's wealth a heist:
"It has been transferred in the greatest heist in American history from the workers and consumers to the banks and portfolios of the uber-rich. Right now, this afternoon, just 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans combined. Let me say that again, and please, someone in the mainstream media, just repeat this fact once. We're not greedy. We'll be happy to hear it just once. 400 obscenely wealthy individuals, 400 little Mubaraks, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer bailout of 2008 now have more cash, stock, and property than the assets of 155 million Americans combined."
"I have nothing more than a high school education, but Gov. Walker, back when I was in school, every student had to take one semester of economics in order to graduate, and here is what I learned. Money doesn't grow on trees, unless it's a palm tree. It grows when we make things. It grows when we have good jobs with good wages that we use to buy the things that we need, and guess what? That creates more jobs.
"It grows when we provide an outstanding education system. An educational system that then grows a new generation of entrepreneur, inventors, scientists, thinkers. The people who will come up with the next great idea for this planet, and those ideas create jobs, and the jobs produce tax revenue, but the few who have the most money don't want to pay their fair share of the taxes."
Moore spoke about how the rich tax dodgers crashed our economic system. "They'd rather invest it in a gambling casino known as Wall St. betting for or against the stock market or against your home mortgage, and the entire population suffers because that wealth has been removed from circulation. What's so cynical about this is that the very people who don't pay their taxes crashed our economic system. They created the unemployment which has cost us tax revenue and states like Wisconsin have ended up with a so-called budget crisis, but Wisconsin is not broke."
"What are three biggest lies of the last decade? Let's repeat them. Number one, Wisconsin is broke. Number two, there's weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and number three, the Packers needs Farve to win the Super Bowl. The nation is not broke, my friends. There's lots of money to go around, lots, lots. It's just that those in charge have diverted that wealth into a deep well that sits in their well-guarded estates. They know. They know. They have committed crimes to make this happen."
Watch It:
HT: Crooks and Liars
Recent events in Wisconsin have inspired people across Ohio. Will you show your solidarity with Wisconsin and the 14 Wisconsin Democratic Senators who are stopping this!
The 14 Wisconsin senators in hiding are being threatened and fined just for doing the right thing. Many haven't seen their family and friends for weeks. We're partnering with organizations across the country to get your letters of support directly to them.
Help the Wisconsin 14 stand strong by writing a note and we'll make sure it gets to them.
People in central Ohio will also have a unique chance this afternoon to thank Wisconsin in person.
If you can't make it out, please write a letter at www.weheartwisconsin.com. Ohio and Wisconsin are trial attacks on the middle class. If it passes in Wisconsin it will spread like wildfire to the other states.
In 2007, Australia's Manic Studios produced a short film titled, "What Have Unions Ever Done For Us?" which satirically portrays a handful of employers asking that question and realizing that unions have actually done a lot for the average person in their country.
Although the film deal's with Australia's unions and not the United States, many of the rights mentioned by the mock executives -- like workers' compensation and expanded health care -- are exactly the same.
Watch it:
Citizens and Organizations across Ohio were shocked when the Ohio Senate and Department of Public Safety locked the public out of the Statehouse on Feb 22nd. Thousands of hard-working taxpaying Ohioans were literally left out in the cold, while Republican Legislators were being treated to a high-class luncheon sponsored by lobbyists.
Were you left out in the cold while Republicans were being wined and dined inside?
Share your story and help move our lawsuit forward!
The right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in our Constitution and is not up to the whims of a State Senator or unelected representatives of the Governor.
This past Monday, ProgressOhio.org, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Rep. Teresa Fedor, and multiple citizens who were locked out on the 22nd filed suit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to ensure that Ohioans are never locked out of the Statehouse again while the business of the people is happening inside.
We have started this ball rolling, but we need your help to keep the pressure on!
Were you locked out of the Statehouse on February 22nd? Did you wait in line and never get inside? Could you see the empty lobby but were left out in the cold?
We need your story for the lawsuit.
Click here to share your story and join in the fight!
Our 1st Amendment rights are not up to Governor Kasich or Senator Neihaus. We already know that Senate Republicans will use every trick in their book, including removing their own members from committees, to pass their anti-worker agenda. Let's keep them from throwing our Constitutional rights from the window of the bus.
Share your story and stand up for your rights!
Click here to send your story to ProgressOhio and make your voice heard.
Do you know someone who was denied entry that day to the Statehouse? Please forward this link to them so they can submit their story.
For Richer and Poorer - Teachers and Wall Street
When will America's teachers follow the lead of Wall Street and start making some sacrifices for the children?
Jon Stewart & Company go to town on the blatant hypocrisy and utter foolishness of Wisconsin's class war on teachers.
For Richer and For Poorer (Part 2)
Sets the record straight on Ohio Dept. of Administrative Services ClaimsColumbus - As the ranking Democrat on the Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee, State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) is urging Ohioans to take a closer look at the so-called Senate Bill 5 savings memo released by the Office of Collective Bargaining and the Department of Administrative Services.
"The memo fails to calculate the real-life impact that SB 5 will have on Ohio families," said Senator Schiavoni. "The memo does not take into account the money that this bill takes away from our public employees. The less money they have to take home, the less they have to spend in our local economies."
The memo claims that the state would have saved more than $75 million in 2010 by eliminating Step Increases for state workers. The memo neglects to point out that in the biennial budget (HB1) there was a step freeze that already saved the state this money. Through the existing collective bargaining process, public employees have already made this concession.
The memo also suggests that state employees increase health insurance premiums to 20% potentially saving the state more than $25 million. The amended bill reduces employee premiums to 15% and eliminates these potential savings.
A Legislative Service Commission fiscal analysis on SB 5 concluded that there was not enough information available to provide accurate savings amounts. This critical piece of information was omitted from the original DAS Memo. Instead, DAS tried to calculate local government cost savings.
"I was especially disappointed that DAS never came before our committee to defend their questionable conclusions," said Schiavoni. "DAS speculates local government savings even though local government employees do not always receive step movements or longevity pay. It is nearly impossible to calculate any local savings under SB5."
The always outstanding Rep. Tim Ryan appeared tonight on The Rachel Maddow Show.
Rep. Ryan:
This is about busting the backs of the unions and continuing to divide the American workforce . . . "
Watch It:
Rachel went on to do a second segment about John Kasich, "John Kasich Republican of Fox News", in which she goes on to decimate SB 5 showing why it's another "budget battle" thats not about the budget.
It's must see TV . . .
Watch It:
Polls Show Strong Support for Collective Bargaining Rights
Columbus - Yet another national poll today shows that Americans do not support partisan legislation such as Senate Bill 5 that would take collective bargaining rights away from police officers, firefighters, teachers and other public employees. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 62% oppose efforts to strip government workers of their rights to collectively bargain.
"The public sees Senate Bill 5 for what it really is--a highly political assault on the rights of middle class workers," said Senator Cafaro. "I am grateful that six republicans in the Ohio Senate joined with Senate Democrats in opposing this deeply flawed legislation. If it wasn't for last minute chicanery, the bill would not have even reached the floor of the Senate for a vote."
The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll also points out that 77% percent of Americans believe public employees should have the same rights to negotiate over health care, pensions and other benefits as workers in the private sector.
"Senate Bill 5 would turn our public employees into second class citizens," said Senator Cafaro. "The sad truth is this legislation would leave public employees with fewer rights to negotiate on issues such as safety equipment than their counterparts in the private sector."
The findings of the Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey are backed up by other recent public opinion polls. A USA Today/Gallup poll puts support for public employee collective bargaining rights at 61% and a New York Times/CBS News poll has the number at 60%.
Ohio took its first step Wednesday toward passing sweeping legislation that would curtail collective bargaining rights for public sector workers by banning strikes and putting the power of breaking labor impasses in the hands of local elected officials.
Amid boos and shouts of "shame on you," the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate voted 17 to 16 for Senate Bill 5, with 6 Republicans voting against it.
Opposition From The Left:
Watch Democratic State Senator Nina Turner as she makes her impassioned plea against SB 5.
Watch It:
Game On Gov. Kasich!
Following the 17-16 vote to send S.B. 5 to the Ohio House, State Sen. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) addressed S.B. 5 opponents gathered for a vigil at the Statehouse.
A fired up Skindell calls for 70,000 to protest Gov.Kasich next Tuesday when he delivers his first State of the State Address.
John Kasich will deliver his first State of the State address at noon on March 8.
The speech will be given in the Ohio House chambers
Watch It:
Leaders of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, the Ohio State Troopers Association, the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters, and the entire Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus held a press conference today to speak out against the newly amended Senate Bill 5.
Jay McDonald of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police said this "bill is worse today than it was two days ago." The amended Senate Bill 5 does not allow public safety workers to negotiate for safety equipment or employment terms. Public Safety leaders also released an example list of health and safety subjects over which local, non-safety forces were previously able to bargain over, as well as comparisons between the current collective bargaining law and the changes under the amended Senate Bill 5.
Larry Phillips of the Ohio State Troopers Association stated how collective bargaining has enabled the OSTA to negotiate for safety equipment including bullet proof vests and fire protection for cruisers. In 2006, two State Troopers died when the gas tank on their cruiser exploded in a collision. The Troopers Association pushed for three years to get fire suppression in the cruisers and were rejected by management but were finally able to get the proper equipment through collective bargaining.
Jay McDonald of the Ohio FOP continued to explain that the FOP has negotiated for equipment after tragedies involving police officers across Ohio. "Those who say that this bill will not impact our ability to protect members' safety are wrong."
Mark Sanders of the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters put it bluntly, "Senate Bill 5 risks Firefighter and Citizen lives." He went on to explain that the negotiations for safety equipment have saved money by reducing injuries on the job.
Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro summed it up by saying that the changes incorporated into Senate Bill 5 will impact Ohio in a way "that's a matter of life and death, putting Public Safety and our communities at risk."
Mark Sanders concluded, "The Senate has forgotten Ohioans today. Despite all their rhetoric, they have turned their back on Ohioans and it's a disgrace."
The big Tea Party Rally at the Statehouse today was another epic flop.
Here's the rally info from the Ohio Liberty Council:
Please join Americans for Prosperity, the Ohio Liberty Council member groups, and other liberty organizations from across Ohio this Wednesday at the Statehouse for a rally in support of Senate Bill 5. Senate Bill 5 will significantly reform Ohio's outdated collective bargaining laws and give Ohio flexibility to efficiently and effectively manage its workforce.
What: Rally in support of Senate Bill 5
When: This Wednesday, March 2, 11:30 am
Where: West Lawn of the Statehouse in Columbus
These images were taken at 11:45 am this morning 15 minutes after "the rallies" start:
No need for crowd estimates, there were 41 Tea Party Supporters at the "Rally", I counted them individually. Notwithstanding the media was there to interview them.
Interesting that the women in the second picture specifically did not want their faces displayed and so held their signs up to cover their faces.
Republicans in the Ohio Senate care more about 41 people who won't show their faces than they care about 8, 500 yesterday who were proud to.
This morning's line to receive vouchers to attend today's Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee hearing potentially including a vote on SB 5 was filled with No on SB 5 advocates.
Should the bill get to the Senate floor for consideration on Wednesday, limited vouchers are available for seats both inside and immediately outside of the Senate chamber. Vouchers for those interested in attending will be given to attendees on a first come, first served basis.
The line for seating will begin at 11 a.m. on the North Plaza located on the Broad Street side of the Ohio Statehouse, and ticket distribution will begin at 12:30 p.m.
Session is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. No attendance will be granted to the session without a voucher."
Approximately 15,000 people took part in a worker's rally at the Ohio Statehouse to protest Senate Bill 5. The legislation would take away collective bargaining rights for public employees and is a direct assault on Ohio's middle class.
Capri S. Cafaro is the Ohio Senate Minority Leader for the 128th General Assembly.
Senator Joe Schiavoni represents the 33rd Senate District encompassing Mahoning, Carroll and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
Watch It:
Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) said today that a new version of Senate Bill 5 is a bad idea that has only gotten worse. The Senate majority presented a substitute bill in the Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee that would still take away the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
"The amended bill still strips public employees of any means to effectively bargain and would put them in jail if they strike," said Senator Cafaro. "Senate Bill 5 turns collective bargaining into a one-sided conversation where management always gets the last word."
Even though the committee hearing was delayed until the afternoon, Senate Republicans did not provide Democrats with a summary of the amended bill until the hearing began.
From Our Friends At New Left Media:
Over the last two weeks, tens of thousands of workers and their supporters have flooded the Wisconsin and Ohio state capitols, pushing back on their newly-elected Republican Governors' attempts to revoke collective bargaining rights for public workers.
Other than the flashes of anger Ohio crowds showed when they were curiously shut out of their statehouse, the protests have been entirely peaceful, even jovial, with the Wisconsin capitol having an atmosphere similar to a pep rally.
WI Gov. Scott Walker and OH Gov. John Kasich have claimed budget crisis as the impetus for their efforts, but their accounting is spurious, and unions have already agreed to reductions in pay and benefits. Wisconsin public workers have yielded to all of Walker's fiscal requests, making Gov. Walker's insistence that he must cut collective bargaining rights to cut the deficit even more dubious.
Many of those we interviewed, including union leaders, did not believe that the revocation of their rights was necessary to balance budgets, but was rather part of a coordinated effort to dismantle unions and reduce their large financial and organizational contributions to progressive politics.
As Governors Walker and Kasich hold staunch, refusing even to negotiate, the protests in Wisconsin and Ohio continue, joined by thousands of others from states across the nation.
Watch It:
Amended bill still goes too far by taking away collective bargaining rights
Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) said today that a new version of Senate Bill 5 is a bad idea that has only gotten worse. The Senate majority presented a substitute bill in the Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee that would still take away the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
"The amended bill still strips public employees of any means to effectively bargain and would put them in jail if they strike," said Senator Cafaro. "Senate Bill 5 turns collective bargaining into a one-sided conversation where management always gets the last word."
Even though the committee hearing was delayed until the afternoon, Senate Republicans did not provide Democrats with a summary of the amended bill until the hearing began.
"Senate Republicans gave us a 99 page document one minute before the hearing and expected us to ask questions about it," said Senator Schiavoni, the ranking member on the committee. "That's ridiculous. But, that's what they did with the original bill. Polls show the public doesn't want to strip public employees of their right to collectively bargain. We are wasting time on this bill when we should be working to create jobs."
Today's committee hearing took place against the backdrop of a "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class." An estimated 15,000 Ohioans showed up at the Ohio Statehouse to protest against ending public employees' right to collective bargaining.
Senate Democrats have requested the opportunity for more witnesses to testify on the amended bill. However, the chairman has not announced if additional testimony will be allowed when hearings resume Wednesday morning.
Cleveland Heights school teacher Tamar Gray speaks out on Ohio Senate Bill 5.
Watch It:
Thousands of Ohio working families converged on the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday, March 1 for a "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class" which is continuing all day.
The massive rally, organized by the middle class Ohioans from all across the state, comes in response to the recently-proposed Senate Bill 5, a blatant assault on middle-class working families--one in a series of attacks on the middle class across the country.
Watch A Slideshow of images from the Rally:
Thousands of Ohio working families converged on the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday, March 1 for a "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class" starting 10:30 a.m. and continuing all day.
The massive rally, organized by the middle class Ohioans from all across the state, comes in response to the recently-proposed Senate Bill 5, a blatant assault on middle-class working families--one in a series of attacks on the middle class across the country.
This video shot at 9:30 this morning gives you an approximation of how many people were there an hour before the event was schedule to begin.
Watch It:
Thousands of Ohio working families will converge on the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday, March 1 for a "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class" starting 10:30 a.m. and continuing all day.
The massive rally, organized by the middle class Ohioans from all across the state, comes in response to the recently-proposed Senate Bill 5, a blatant assault on middle-class working families--one in a series of attacks on the middle class across the country.
Watch Live:
Presented By Fight For A Fair Economy
Thousands of Ohio working families will converge on the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday, March 1 for a "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class" starting 10:30 a.m. and continuing all day.
The massive rally, organized by the middle class Ohioans from all across the state, comes in response to the recently-proposed Senate Bill 5, a blatant assault on middle-class working families--one in a series of attacks on the middle class across the country.
The event will open with the Pledge of Allegiance led by American veterans and the rendering of honors by a color guard unit during the national anthem.
The event will also include testimony against Senate Bill 5 and Gov. John Kasich's attacks on the middle class from workers and their families, members of the business community, public and private sector workers, current and former members of the military and more.
Musicians, including the rock group the Street Dogs, which features members of the renowned punk band the Dropkick Murphys, a bag pipe ensemble of firefighters and other local musicians, will perform as well.
The Columbus Dispatch Reports:
As votes near, the offices of Ohio Senate Republicans are getting slammed with voicemails and e-mails.
E-mails about Senate Bill 5 have been coming in so fast, Senate staff members said yesterday, that they haven't been able to count them. One office reported receiving more than 10,000, some from as far as Scotland and Germany.
Voicemails are pouring in, too. With many of the senators' phones directly forwarded to voicemail, the calls are being burned onto compact discs for interns to listen to and log. The discs each contain from 400 to 800 calls.
The state phone system stops counting voicemails after it hits 94. Then, the recording changes to say, "You have hundreds of voicemails."
"That's very depressing to hear first thing in the morning," one staff member said.
Erik Mikkelson, an aide to state Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, said the calls and e-mails are running about 90 percent opposed to the legislation. He said about 1,000 new e-mails arrive each day.
"We're trying to respond to them, but if I did, I'd be here 28 hours a day," he said.
In the office of Sen. Jones, the bill's author, staff members began answering calls again yesterday after sending them directly to voicemail for more than a week.
Jones was on the phone much of the day, talking to constituents and other parties about the legislation.
"You have a lot of people and a lot of misinformation and that causes a lot of questions," she said. "I've been working the phones, and we've tried to get as many e-mails and letters responded to as quickly as possible."
Bacon's staff of two was losing its battle to keep up with phone calls and e-mails.
"There are 2,100 e-mails in my inbox," said Laurel Ullman, Bacon's legislative aide.
Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said he did not know how many calls, e-mails and letters the governor' office has received about the bill, but "it has generated a significant amount more traffic than most other issues."
Nichols said "a fair number more" of the correspondences have been from people in opposition to the bill rather than from its supporters.
A few Tea Partiers showed up at the Statehouse on Feb 22
From the Ohio Liberty CouncilPlease join Americans for Prosperity, the Ohio Liberty Council member groups, and other liberty organizations from across Ohio this Wednesday at the Statehouse for a rally in support of Senate Bill 5. Senate Bill 5 will significantly reform Ohio's outdated collective bargaining laws and give Ohio flexibility to efficiently and effectively manage its workforce.
The Senate may vote on Senate Bill 5 as early as this Wednesday. We are still a few votes short on passing it, and we must continue to have our voices heard.
I sure hope Jack Painter the wealthy corporate lawyer and tea party poster boy comes back so we can get an indepth interview with him.
Meet attorney Jack Painter, who lives in the high-income neighborhood of Indian Hill near Cincinnati. He's the head of the Indian Hills Tea Party, on the Advisory Board of the Cincinnati Tea Party, and on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Liberty Council which has claimed as its mantle as being the statewide organization of the so-called "Tea Party" movement. Oh, and he's a contributor to Andrew Breitbart's "Big Government" website, too.
Watch It:
As debate rages in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states over limiting the power of unions, a new CBS News/New York Times survey finds that many Americans are siding with organized labor.
A majority of Americans say they oppose efforts to weaken the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions and are also against cutting the pay or benefits of public workers to reduce state budget deficits, according to the poll.
As labor battles erupt in state capitals around the nation, a majority of Americans say they oppose efforts to weaken the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions and are also against cutting the pay or benefits of public workers to reduce state budget deficits, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. [..]
But the nationwide poll found that embattled public employee unions have the support of most Americans -- and most independents -- as they fight the efforts of newly elected Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio to weaken their bargaining powers, and the attempts of governors from both parties to cut their pay or benefits.
Americans oppose weakening the bargaining rights of public employee unions by a margin of nearly two to one: 60 percent to 33 percent. While a slim majority of Republicans favored taking away some bargaining rights, they were outnumbered by large majorities of Democrats and independents who said they opposed weakening them. Those surveyed said they opposed, 56 percent to 37 percent, cutting the pay or benefits of public employees to reduce deficits, breaking down along similar party lines. A majority of respondents who have no union members living in their households opposed both cuts in pay or benefits and taking away the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
Related:
Public Overwhelmingly Backs Collective Bargaining Rights for State Workers
Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro today sent a strongly worded letter to Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus regarding his commentary in an article published in the Sunday Columbus Dispatch.
Niehaus had said, "they (the Democrats) abandoned the legislative process on this bill."
Cafaro counters that the bill was written in secret and witheld from the minority until the first hearing upon it. She states, "If any fingers should be pointed in regards to "abandoning the legislative process" they should be directed at the Majority Caucus who have dictated the tems and timing of this ill-conceived proposal".
Read Minority Leader Cafaro's Letter Below:
President Barack Obama says public employees should not have their rights infringed upon as states look for ways to cut spending.
Speaking to the nation's governors, Obama says he understands the fiscal challenges facing cash-strapped states and says everyone should be prepared "to give something up".
But he says that shouldn't mean public employees are "vilified" during budget debates.
Obama's comments come as Republican governors Walker in Wisconsin and Kasich in Ohio back bills that would end collective bargaining agreements for public employees.
From AP, here is an excerpt of the President's remarks to the National Governors Association this morning:
Those of you in this room are on the front lines of this budget challenge. As the Recovery Act funds that saw you through the last two years are phasing out - and it's undeniable that the Recovery Act helped every single state represented in this room manage through the recession - you face some very tough choices on everything from schools to prisons to pensions.
I also know many of you are making decisions regarding your public workforce, and I know how difficult that can be. Freezing the salaries of federal employees for two years isn't something I wanted to do, but I did it because of the very tough fiscal situation we're in. Everyone should be prepared to give up something in order to solve our budget challenges, and I think most public servants agree with that. In fact, many public employees have already agreed to cuts in several of your states.
But let me also say this: it does no one any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or their rights are infringed upon. We need to attract the best and the brightest to public service. These are times that demand it. We're not going to attract the best teachers for our kids, for example, if they only make a fraction of what other professionals make. We're not going to convince the bravest Americans to put their lives on the line as police officers or firefighters if we don't properly reward that bravery. So yes, we need a conversation about pensions and Medicare and Medicaid and other promises we've made as a nation.
But as we make decisions about our budgets going forward, I believe everyone should be at the table, and the concept of shared sacrifice should prevail. If all the pain is borne by one group - whether it's workers, or seniors, or the poor - while the wealthiest among us keep getting tax cuts, we're not doing the right thing. I think that's something Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree on.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich seeks to eliminate collective bargaining rights for state workers. He claims this change is necessary to bring Ohio's budget under control.
But a simpler explanation is that he's deeply conservative, doesn't like unions, and sees a budget crisis as a perfect opportunity to get rid of them. The public, he reasoned, would take his side against the "greedy" unions.
That doesn't seem to be happening.
In a just-released USA Today/Gallup poll, an overwhelming majority (61-33) say they would oppose a bill in their state to take away public union bargaining rights as Kaisch aims to do in Ohio.
Gov. John Kasich should wake up and realize that what he's trying to do is a bridge too far in the public's eyes.
Sure, public workers should be willing to make some sacrifices in a budget crunch--we all should be willing to--but taking away their bargaining rights is not fair and the public knows it.
Ohioans overwhelming rejected the idea of eliminating collective bargaining for teachers, nurses, firefighters, and other public service in an online poll conducted by the Columbus Dispatch earlier this month.
The poll followed another recent Dispatch online poll where Ohioans rejected the idea of passing a right to work for less law - a measure that hopes to destroy unions and a voice on the job workers by taking away the requirement all workers in a unit to pay their fair share of dues or fees if the workers in their unit have voted to have a union - by a huge majority.
This Newsweek article speculates that John Kasich's plan was to fire up his base with his non-negotiative style of attacking unions and workers in Ohio so that he could raise his profile before the 2012 Presidential Elections.
His plan may be going to backfire for him and the Republican party in a big way.
.....
What Kasich didn't mention is what everyone in Ohio politics has spent the past week whispering about: the possible payoff for the governor himself. As chairman of the House Budget Committee in the mid-1990s, Kasich fought a similar battle over government spending and won; he helped pass the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which led to the first federal surpluses in decades. Two years later he was forming a presidential exploratory committee and jetting off to Iowa and New Hampshire (he pulled out soon thereafter), and associates think that Kasich still aspires to higher office. "John Kasich, from the time he was the son of a mailman to the governor of a state, believes there is a bigger future for John Kasich," says Scott Borgemenke, the former chief strategist for Republican lawmakers in Columbus. "Do I think John Kasich is going to retire after being the governor? I don't." Green adds that the Ohioan may be angling for a vice-presidential nomination this time around. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if that kind of calculation has crossed his mind," he says.
In the end, Seitz and his fellow skeptics may get their wish. Unlike the Wisconsin bill, which outlaws collective bargaining for benefits but permits it for wages, Ohio's original proposal simply eliminated the practice altogether. But late last week lawmakers decided to exempt salary negotiations from the ban. Kasich says he prefers the new version and wants to "end the strident partisanship." If he compromises on collective bargaining after taking such a hardline stance, he could wind up looking relatively reasonable and engendering enough goodwill to pass the rest of his painful cuts. Still, there's a chance the damage has been done. Asked to predict what will happen next, Seitz offers up a little history lesson. Legend has it that "Custer charged into the Battle of Little Big Horn without waiting for support because he thought a smashing victory over the Indians would garner him a nomination for president," Seitz says. "It didn't work out so good."
There are signs, however, that Kasich's bold move may not be worth the political backlash it inspires. Already, leaders of major public- and private-sector unions nationwide have agreed to set aside their longstanding divisions and coordinate a campaign to counter anti-union legislation. That's good news for Democrats, who managed to rack up $600 million in union donations in 2008 and 2010--election cycles when the groups weren't working together. "I don't think they realize how big of a hornet's nest they poked," says Dennis Willard, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. If the Ohio bill passes, the pushback will only intensify. In that case, according to Ohio Democratic chairman Chris Redfern, Democrats will place a repeal provision on the 2012 ballot and spend the next two years mobilizing and uniting the base in opposition to the new law (and the party that passed it). "That is the great fear the Republican Party has right now," Redfern says. To get a sense of why, consider some recent election results. In 2006, Democrat Sherrod Brown won by clobbering incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine 68 percent to 32 percent among union households; four years later, when Democrats were demoralized, Republican Rob Portman shrank that gap to a mere 4 percentage points and came out on top. In other words, the better a Democratic candidate does with Ohio's 685,000 union members, the more likely he is to win. "Victory is not as useful for mobilizing as defeat," says Green. "A ballot initiative can change the nature of the electorate by bringing people out to vote who wouldn't normally turn out."
That possibility is making some of Kasich's Republican colleagues uneasy. Last week, The Columbus Dispatch spoke to eight state GOP senators who either "would not express support for the bill or have stated varying degrees of discomfort with it." Bill Seitz of Cincinnati is one of them. "We need to be careful that we do not turn this into an overreaching effort that jeopardizes our chances," he tells Newsweek. "We have a history in Ohio, when the legislature overreaches and the public snaps back, you end up losing everything. I would prefer a more consultative process."
Ohio's middle class is under assault. Gov. Kasich and his political allies are pushing a partisan agenda that does nothing to create jobs. The keystone of this assault is Senate Bill 5, a bill that would gut workers' voice on the job in the hopes of dismantling unions in Ohio entirely.
With protests quickly sweeping the state, ProgressOhio has launched a website SB5ohio.com to keep up with the latest news and events on Senate Bill 5.
The site has details for townhalls, protests and concerts being held across the state concerning the controversial bill, which seeks to remove basic workplace rights for many hundreds of thousands of middle class Ohioans.
Over 10,000 teachers, nurses, firefighters, bus drivers and other public service workers along with students, faith leaders, small business owners and community members from across the state converged on the Statehouse last week to oppose Senate Bill 5 and Kasich's broader agenda to attack the middle class.
This Tuesday, the Ohio State Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee is expected to vote on Senate Bill 5 and we plan to be there to tell them to vote NO on Senate Bill 5 and ask them to focus creating jobs, not attacking workers.
Rev. Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is one of America's foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. A longtime figure in the social justice movement, he was with Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his final march which was for sanitation workers in Memphis.
Rev. Jackson was in town last week both in support for Martha Harris and for the SB 5 protests and he dropped by ProgressOhio to record this brief message to all Ohioans and specifically to our public sector workers in their current struggle against SB 5.
Watch It:
Our ProgressNow affiliate in Wisconsin One Wisconsin Now sends over this video of over 100,000 people protesting at the Wisconsin State Capital today.
On a snowy Wisconsin Saturday over 100,000 union members, working families, community members, faith leaders, activist groups and concerned citizens gathered in Madison to tell Gov. Walker to stop the attacks on the middle class and kill the bill.
Despite the weather today's rally was the biggest in the thirteen days of protests. The people of Wisconsin will continue to fight for their rights. It is time for our elected officials to show leadership, come to the table and move Wisconsin forward.
Watch It:
Will you stand up for Ohio's working families this Tuesday March 1st at the Statehouse? Join Us!
SB5 is nothing more than a cog in the GOP's attempt to create their vaunted "permanent majority" . . .
The Real Political Math In Wisconsin
The real political math in Wisconsin isn't about the state budget or the collective-bargaining rights of public employees there. It is about which party controls governorships and, with them, the balance of power on the ground in the 2012 elections.
For all of the valid concern about reining in state spending -- a concern shared by politicians and voters of all labels -- the underlying strategic Wisconsin story is this: Gov. Scott Walker, a Tea Party-tinged Republican, is the advance guard of a new GOP push to dismantle public-sector unions as an electoral force.
Key Quote:
The GOP strategic aim is simple enough. If they can abolish union collective-bargaining rights, they can undermine the automatic payment of dues to the public-employee union treasuries. Shrinking those treasuries and reducing the union structure and membership will make it harder for Democrats and their allies to communicate directly with workers.
And under the infamous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, unions -- like corporations -- are free to spend as much as they want directly advocating for a candidate. That makes the math even more urgent as the 2012 election season approaches.
Read The Whole Piece By Howard Fineman At The Huffington Post
Hundreds of workers, students and community members gathered at the State House to rally against Senate Bill 5, a measure that would strip hard-working nurses, teachers, firefighters and other public service workers of their rights in the hopes of destroying unions, and Gov. Kasich's partisan assault on Ohio's middle class.
The event was part of a National Day of Action in all fifty states being held in solidarity with workers and community members in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states who are opposing legislation, like SB 5, that is anti-worker and anti-community.
Watch Slideshow:
While the Wisconsin Professional Police Association called on the governor today to keep the capitol building open and allow the peaceful protesters to remain, in Ohio State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), two Ohio citizens who were not let in to the Ohio Statehouse earlier this week, and ProgressOhio have to file suit to avoid another statehouse lock out at the upcoming rally and protest on Tuesday March 1st.
Videos of this week's Statehouse Lockout:
Ohio Firefighters join together with their union brothers and sisters in a chant of "Whose House? Our House!" after being locked out and left on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse on February 22nd, 2011 in protest of Senate Bill 5, pushed by ex-Lehman Brothers employee John Kasich.
Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro, House Minority Leader Armond Budish and Democratic state Reps. Bobby Hagan, Matt Lundy and Teresa Fedor criticize the decisions to lock the Statehouse doors to thousands of protestors.
Watch It:
State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), two Ohio citizens who were not let in to the Ohio Statehouse earlier this week, and Brian Rothenberg from ProgressOhio announced today that they are filing a suit to avoid being shut out of the statehouse in the future. Teachers Hazel Hicks and Mark Baumgartner joined Rep. Fedor and Brian Rothenberg in filing the suit, which will allow for quicker legal action in the future if citizen-access to the statehouse is denied again.
Watch It:
Gov. John Kasich is promoting a plan for "charter universities" that would exempt colleges from multiple state regulations as long as they meet certain conditions, while continuing to receive taxpayer money.
Details on the idea have not yet been released and it has not been formally proposed by Kasich. But several states, such as Virginia, have allowed universities to opt out of their current system to improve financial flexibility and reduce the burden of state contracting, purchasing, collective bargaining and other laws.
Much like public charter schools, universities probably would get less taxpayer money. UC, for example, currently gets about $211 million a year through the State Share of Instruction, the main Ohio subsidy.
Just this week the Ohio School Facilities Commission repealed policies requiring the payment of prevailing wages and the use of project labor agreements mandating the employment of union workers.
The Columbus Dispatch Reports:
In another blow to organized labor and the legacy of former Gov. Ted Strickland, the Ohio School Facilities Commission today repealed policies favoring unions for school-construction projects.
The commission, now controlled by appointees of GOP Gov. John Kasich, unanimously approved a resolution stating it no longer would approve contracts in which those bidding for projects were required to designate who would do the work, how much they would be paid or other mandates.
The move reverses policies enacted under the former Democratic administration that allowed districts to require the payment of prevailing wages and the use of project labor agreements mandating the employment of union workers.
With protests quickly sweeping the state, ProgressOhio has launched a website SB5ohio.com to keep up with the latest news and events on Senate Bill 5.
Currently the site has details for 17 different townhalls, protests and concerts concerning the controversial bill, which seeks to remove basic workplace rights for many hundreds of thousands of middle class Ohioans.
The most recent update to the site is news that The Street Dogs, a Boston-band fronted by the founding singer of the legendary Dropkick Murphys, will be performing for thousands of protesters outside the Ohio Statehouse at 1pm. this Tuesday, March 1st.
The band recently performed at the on-going protests outside the Wisconsin Statehouse.
Interested Parties Meeting with the Attorney General on Monday
COLUMBUS - State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), two Ohio citizens who were not let in to the Ohio Statehouse earlier this week, and Brian Rothenberg from ProgressOhio announced today that they are filing a suit to avoid being shut out of the statehouse in the future. Teachers Hazel Hicks and Mark Baumgartner joined Rep. Fedor and Brian Rothenberg in filing the suit, which will allow for quicker legal action in the future if citizen-access to the statehouse is denied again.
"In my 34 years of service to this state and country, I have never seen citizens denied access to their government like I saw on Tuesday here at the Ohio Statehouse," said Rep. Fedor. "Hundreds of citizens - teachers, firefighters and police officers - were denied the right enter the statehouse and voice their concerns about a bill that would have far reaching effects on their families and their communities. Today we stand together to make sure this never happens again."
Also on Friday, the Office of the Attorney General offered to meet with Plaintiffs to review last week's events and discuss the case moving forward.
Brian Rothenberg of ProgressOhio said, "Any agreement we reach by law or negotiation must state that the doors of the Statehouse will never be locked during business hours; all people must be treated equally; the same standards must apply to every event; and excessive permit costs must not be used as a way to disenfranchise citizens."
This Saturday, February 26, 2011 come to the Ohio Statehouse to rally with teachers, workers and activists to show support for Ohio's working families. We will be opposing the attacks on the middle class happening at our statehouse.
We need to tell the Ohio Senate to vote "no" on Senate Bill 5: a job-killing bill that's aimed at public employees, including firefighters, nurses and teachers. The only way we can defeat this political attack is stand with workers to make sure our voices our heard.
Come join us this Saturday! We will meet at the statehouse lawn to hear real stories about how Senate Bill 5 will affect Ohio workers and then hit the streets to spread the word to our neighbors.
Rally and Neighborhood Walk
When: Saturday, February 26th at Noon
Where: State House, West Lawn. Corner of S.High and East Broad, 43215
Parking: On Street or at Statehouse
Becky Williams, President SEIU1199 WVKYOH Speaks to The Media About SB 5
Labor Leaders from across Ohio came together today for a Press Conference on Senate Bill 5, which would strip collective bargaining rights from public employees.
Joseph Rugola, Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, Pat Frost-Brooks, President of the Ohio Education Association, Sue Taylor, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Becky Williams, President of SEIU1199, blasted the sponsors of SB5 for acting unilaterally without regard to the concerns and interests of the workers they are effecting.
Sponsors of Senate Bill 5 announced they would be taking amendments to the bill yesterday but they had to be submitted by noon today. Labor Leaders called them out for limiting any sort of negotiation or conversation on this bill and announced to the press that they would not be offering amendments. Twenty four hours, they said, is not enough time to try and fix all the problems in this 500 page bill. Labor leaders went on to state that they have been trying over and over again to meet with Gov. Kasich or the bill sponsors, but they refuse to sit down and talk.
Further, leaders today called out the bill sponsors and John Kasich for misleading the public on the roll of Public Employee Unions in the budget process. Unions across the state have been working with state and local government for a decade to decrease costs, said OAPSE President Joe Rugola, well before the stock market crash of 2008.
Taking away the right to shared decisions between management and employees will not end the budget crisis, but it will destroy thousands of jobs across the state at a time when everyone from Gov. Kasich to the bill sponsors keep talking about the need to create jobs in Ohio. Senate Bill 5 is not about money, it's about power, union busting, and political strategy built on breaking the backs of the middle class.
Labor Leaders also released a list of concessions recently made by member unions across Ohio to further prove that Labor is read to come to the table to negotiate on costs, but will not give away their right to negotiate.
Watch It:
A list of some of the recent Union concessions is below:
The conservative attack on the middle class is in full swing, but if we stick together, we can stop them in their tracks.
Come join your State Representative and other legislators from across the Cleveland area at a Town Hall meeting on the anti-middle class Senate Bill 5!
Town Hall Meeting on Senate Bill 5
Sunday, February 27 - 2 p.m.
P.J. McIntyre's Irish Pub
17119 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
Our voices are being heard in the Statehouse and across Ohio but we have to keep up the pressure. Come meet with local State Legislators to hear the latest from Columbus on SB5 and to share your story about why a strong middle class is important to you.
Join State Representatives Mike Foley, Nickie Antonio, Sandra Williams, Timothy DeGeeter, State Senator Mike Skindell and hundreds of your closest friends THIS SUNDAY, February 27, at 2 p.m at P.J. McIntyre's Irish Pub, 17119 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44111.
Columbus - As the ranking Democrat on the Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee, State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) has requested that more hearings be scheduled for Senate Bill 5. The additional hearings will give the public the opportunity to testify on the anticipated substitute bill.
In his letter to the committee's chairman, Senator Schiavoni said, "I understand that some may feel that the bill has already received a considerable amount of testimony, but these sections of law have been in effect for over 27 years. It would be unjust for us to vote this bill out of committee with the 20 hours of public testimony we've heard to date and without additional feedback on the substitute bill."
State Senator Joe Schiavoni Bacon Letter
At the time of release the notice for next week's hearing on S.B. 5 had not released.
Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure early Friday morning before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening.
The vote ended three straight days of punishing debate in the Assembly. But the political standoff over the bill - and the monumental protests at the state Capitol against it - appear far from over.
The Assembly's vote sent the bill on to the Senate, but minority Democrats in that house have fled to Illinois to prevent a vote. No one knows when they will return from hiding. Republicans who control the chamber sent state troopers out looking for them at their homes on Thursday, but they turned up nothing.
John Kasich's war on Ohio unions was given a boost yesterday when the Ohio School Facilities Commission today repealed policies requiring the payment of prevailing wages and the use of project labor agreements mandating the employment of union workers.
The Columbus Dispatch Reports:
In another blow to organized labor and the legacy of former Gov. Ted Strickland, the Ohio School Facilities Commission today repealed policies favoring unions for school-construction projects.
The commission, now controlled by appointees of GOP Gov. John Kasich, unanimously approved a resolution stating it no longer would approve contracts in which those bidding for projects were required to designate who would do the work, how much they would be paid or other mandates.
The move reverses policies enacted under the former Democratic administration that allowed districts to require the payment of prevailing wages and the use of project labor agreements mandating the employment of union workers.
The commission hired Richard M. Hickman Jr. as its executive director. Hickman, assistant director of the Department of Administrative Services, headed the commission from June 2005 to February 2007.
His salary has not been set but will not exceed $110,000 a year.
Brown Hears from Teachers, Nurses, Firefighters, University Workers, and Faith Leaders on Efforts to Repeal Their Collective Bargaining Rights
COLUMBUS, OH -U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) received testimony today from working Ohioans to hear their thoughts about efforts that would repeal their collective bargaining rights. Brown was joined by teachers, nurses, firefighters, university workers, and faith leaders who are willing to share sacrifice in order to address the state's fiscal crisis but are not willing to cede their collective bargaining rights.
"Balancing our state's budget will require shared sacrifice. State leaders should be looking at the tough budget choices ahead, rather than engaging in a political attack on collective bargaining rights of teachers, fire fighters, and police officers," Brown said. "Let's instead work together and address a primary cause of our state's budget crisis: years of economic downturn and lost state revenue due in large part to trade agreements that shipped jobs overseas. Let's pursue real reform that promotes our state's competitiveness rather than ideological attacks aimed at dividing working people."
There are roughly 360,000 public sector workers in Ohio represented by 3,290 collective bargaining agreements. According to the Economic Policy Institute, on an annual basis, fulltime state and local workers and school employees are undercompensated by 6.0 percent in Ohio, in comparison with otherwise similar private?sector workers. Ohio's state and local governments and school districts pay college?educated workers 25 percent less in total compensation, on average, than private employers.
Brown released a 'Dear Colleague' letter he plans to send to his fellow U.S. Senators urging them to join him in visiting with public employees in their states and listening to their thoughts and concerns about efforts aimed at abolishing collective bargaining.
Full Text of the letter is below.
On one hand John Kasich keeps saying that Senate Bill 5 is about balancing Ohio's budget deficit while with the other he hands out huge salaries to his staff of insiders and cronies. Yesterday he announced that Ohio Casino Commissioners will receive $60,000 per year for part time work.
The Columbus Dispatch Reports:
Gov. John Kasich yesterday selected four Republicans, two Democrats and an independent to the Casino Control Commission, which is getting a late start after the GOP-controlled Senate rejected former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland's nominees to the commission in December.
Commission members, who will earn $60,000 a year for part-time work, must act fast to hire a staff and draft rules governing the operations of casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo.
In Ohio, teachers salaries start at $33,671 and teacher salaries average $50,314
Firefighter salaries average $42,000 when jobs are available.
And Police salaries average $47,000 across the state.
How can SB 5 be about the budget when Gov. Kasich keeps handing out money on anything he touches like he's printing it in the Statehouse basement and a top assistant for Gov. John Kasich makes triple what firefighters are paid?
Columbus City Council President Andy Ginther Speaks Out Against SB 5
COLUMBUS - State Representative Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus), State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) and other local elected officials today joined representatives of Columbus Police, Firefighters and Teachers to call for the defeat of Senate Bill 5, legislation which attacks middle class workers by significantly reducing collective bargaining rights for public employees.
"This is real and this is ugly," said Rep. Heard. "It's about dismantling the working class in Ohio. In a time of recession why would we further tax the people who support us the most."
"We are standing up for the middle class," said Sen. Tavares. "All workers in Ohio should have a voice at the table. Neither government nor business can produce anything, services or widgets, without the worker. "
The state lawmakers were joined at Columbus Fire Station #1 by representatives of Columbus police, firefighters and teachers to oppose SB5. Also calling for the defeat of the legislation are members of Columbus City Council and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
"The collective bargaining law has created a collaborative environment between the teacher unions, the superintendent, and board of education," said the Columbus Education Association President Rhonda Johnson. "This fosters a stronger focus on the kids and creates better teaching and learning conditions for Columbus City Schools."
The legislation is pending in the Ohio Senate, where thousands of workers came from across the state to attend recent hearings and express their opposition to the bill.
Firefighters Local 67 President Jack Reall speaks out on the disastrous consequences of SB 5 on Firefighters at today's press conference.
Watch It:
Ohio Gov. John Kasich traveled to Northeast Ohio to talk about job growth, but his visit was overshadowed by hundreds of protesters.
Kasich was there to serve as the keynote speaker for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Tuesday night, union leaders and supporters lined the streets outside the Canton Civic Center in opposition to Senate Bill 5. Opponents say the bill would essentially strip state employees from their collective bargaining rights.
"The collective bargaining process is most important tool that allows us to dictate wages, benefits, pensions. It's all going to be taken away," said steelworker Keith Strobelt.
"There's no sense in cutting collecting bargaining. It's going to destroy people's lives," said teacher Betsy Lavinder.
Watch It:
Ohio Firefighters join together with their union brothers and sisters in a chant of "Whose House? Our House!" after being locked out and left on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse on February 22nd, 2011 in protest of Senate Bill 5, pushed by ex-Lehman Brothers employee John Kasich.
Watch It:
Shortly before today's news conference with Senate Minority Leader Cafaro and sponsor of Ohio's collective bargaining law former State Senator Gene Branstool, Senate Republicans announced they are making at least two changes to SB 5. One outlaws strikes by all public employees the other would allow state employees to bargain over wages but nothing else.
"It's unfortunate that Senate Democrats had to learn about these changes through the press, but that is indicative of the way this bill has been put together," said Senator Cafaro. "We should scrap Senate Bill 5 and start over again."
Watch it:
Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard), former State Senator Gene Branstool and State Representative Matt Szollosi (D-Oregon) today urged the Ohio Senate to scrap Senate Bill 5. The legislation attacks middle class workers by eliminating collective bargaining for state employees and severely limiting negotiating rights for teachers, firefighters and police officers.
"We can't grow Ohio's economy by destroying jobs and attacking the middle class," said Senator Carfaro. "Senate Bill 5 simply goes too far. Public employees in Ohio didn't cause our budget problems and they shouldn't be blamed for something that's not their fault."
Senator Branstool was the sponsor of Ohio's collective bargaining law when it passed the General Assembly in 1983. He says the law has worked well by establishing balance and fairness in negotiations.
"To throw away public employees right to collectively bargain after 27 years of labor peace in Ohio would be a giant step backward," said former Senator Branstool. "Our public employees provide a great service to the people of this state and they deserve better."
"Senate Bill 5 is an attack on the middle class and will undo years of improved training and productivity among public employees," said State Rep. Matt Szollosi. "Our teachers, police, firefighters and other public employees are also our neighbors, friends, family members, coaches and volunteers. They are part of the fabric of our communities. This bill is unnecessary and won't fix Ohio's budget problems."
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made the following statement yesterday after spending three and a half hours greeting workers and union members who gathered in 26 degree temperatures around the Ohio State Capitol -- where Kucinich served for two years as a State Senator 17 years ago -- to protect their right to organize.
"This is a defining moment in the history of our state that will determine the rights of workers for years to come. The hundreds of workers who I personally spoke to feel betrayed. The federal government has no hesitation to hand out billions to Wall Street, but when it comes to workers there is an effort in Ohio and other states to destroy the right to bargain collectively," said Kucinich.
"This is the beginning of a long and drawn out battle between state government's corporate philosophy and the workers," added Kucinich. "I am proud to stand on the side of the workers."
Watch Rep. Kucinich today on FOX News:
Rev. Jesse Jackson Offers His Support To Protesters At The Statehouse Last Night
Columbus, OH - Rev. Jackson will join faith leaders, elected officials, union and community leaders for a rally at 11am at the Teamsters building at 555 E. Rich Street in downtown Columbus to fight back against SB 5, legislation that will weaken the middle class and put Ohio schools, safety, and communities in jeopardy.
The rally is being organized by the Citizens Betterment Committee (Pastor's Conference, IMA, Baptist Ministerial Alliance), Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio AFL-CIO, and ProgressOhio.
What: Rally For All Workers, Ours Schools, and Our Community
Who: Rev. Jesse Jackson
Faith leaders
Union leaders
Community leaders
When: Wednesday, February 23, 11AM
Where: Teamsters building
555 E. Rich Street
Columbus, OH 43215
This video from the Ohio Senate Democrats gives additional perspective on the days events as Ohioans were for the first time ever in anyone's memory locked out of the People's House.
Featuring interviews with Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro and Senator Joe Schiavoni at the State Capital in Columbus, Ohio On February 22, 2011.
Watch It:
Ohio workers today, locked out of their own statehouse today as they tried to rally for the freedom of public employees to bargain for middle-class jobs, stood outside the capitol building singing, "God Bless America" (video). This from the ground in Columbus:
Unfortunately our legislators have silenced the voices of the Ohioans they were elected to represent. Testimony before the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee has been limited to those who met an invisible deadline that was never publicized. And while thousands are still standing outside in cold in peaceful protest, only 1,200 have been allowed access to the Statehouse.
These actions can only be seen as an effort to silence the voice of working families and push through legislation without having a fair and open debate.
Watch It:
Thousands of Ohio citizens were locked out of the Statehouse today when they arrived to protest SB 5.
Chanting, "This is Our House/ Let Us In" and "Kill the Bill", they were left out in the cold apparently by Republican lawmakers.
"This is the people's house. Ohioans came from all over the state today to make their voices heard," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said. "To make them stand in the freezing cold and snow today is an unfathomable and unprecedented step. Thousands and thousands of people were allowed in the Statehouse last week to voice their opposition to Senate Bill 5, and they must be let in today. I call on John Kasich to immediately instruct the Highway Patrol to open the Statehouse and let these people in."
Redfern is a former member of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. "I've seen more than 750 people in the Statehouse for a wedding," Redfern added. "We routinely received and approved requests from associations and organizations that numbered in the thousands. What is happening now is intimidation, plain and simple. The people's house has suddenly been closed."
Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro and Senate Democrats annouced a little after 3pm that they were going to Court to file an injunction to open the doors.
Watch It:
Thousands of Ohio citizens were locked out of the Statehouse today when they arrived to protest SB 5.
"Chanting this is our house let us in" and Kill the Bill" they were left out in the cold until possibly 3pm. when the committee hearing begins.
Watch the Slideshow:
While thousands of nurses, teachers, firefighters, and other public service workers and community members pack the Statehouse to protest Senate Bill 5 - a measure that would take away the rights of public service workers in a move to dismantle the labor movement in Ohio - a group of workers will deliver hundreds of witness slips to Senator Kevin Bacon's office to protest attempts to silence voices of opponents to the bill. The delivery of witness slips - which are required to be filled out by testifiers before submitting their testimony - will highlight the last minute announcement, Friday afternoon, from Committee Chairman Kevin Bacon to break with protocol and limit testimony to those who had been contacted by the Chairman's office prior to the Feb. 17 hearing.
Workers who were not able to testify last week because testimony in support of the legislation went longer than promised will deliver the witness slips and discuss their disappointment with attempts to silence the voices of opponents to Senate Bill 5 and Kasich's partisan agenda to weaken the middle class.
The witness slip delivery and major mobilization of thousands of workers, students and community members today come on the heels of large turnouts at the Statehouse last week and rallies, town halls and other events across Ohio to oppose Senate Bill 5 and Kasich and his political allies' assaults on working families in Ohio. Similar actions by workers and community members have also occurred in Wisconsin and Indiana over the past two weeks.
Thousands of workers and community members from across Ohio and other states will pack the Statehouse again this Tuesday to oppose Senate Bill 5 and call for an end to Kasich's anti-worker agenda. Workers and community members will also sign witness slips, which will be delivered to Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee members on Tuesday, to protest Friday's late afternoon announcement that the Committee is breaking with protocol and intends to limit testimony "to those individuals who had contacted the Chairman's office prior to the Feb. 17th hearing."
The major mobilization is expected to be much larger than last Thursday's turnout, where an estimated 4,000 people filled the Statehouse atrium, rotunda and West Lawn to oppose the measure.
Prior to the major mobilization, private sector unions members, including steel workers, auto workers, building and construction trades workers and others, held a press conference to oppose Senate Bill 5 and Gov. Kasich's partisan attacks on Ohio's working families.
Speakers at the conference called out Senate Bill 5 as a misguided measure that does nothing to create jobs and will hurt all workers in Ohio.
Speakers also discussed Gov. Kasich's broader assault on workers and how it will affect private sector workers.
The Toledo Blade Reports:
It was billed as a "town hall tour," but the nearly two-hour meeting of about 450 people expressing outrage about Senate Bill 5 pending in Columbus was a straight-out rally, with enthusiastic opponents repeatedly breaking out into chants of "kill the bill."
The "Working Families Town Hall Tour" at the Conn-Weissenberger American Legion Post on Alexis Road drew a full house despite icy roads. It was organized by Toledo-area Democratic members of the Ohio General Assembly to generate public awareness of the anti-collective-bargaining bill backed by Republicans and supported by Gov. John Kasich.
Watch It:
Fox News' Special Report portrayed legislation that would restrict the collective bargaining rights of public workers in Ohio as "the only way" to balance the state's budget.
However, even the State Senator who introduced the bill acknowledges that it will not "solve Ohio's immediate budget problems."
Watch It:
MCKELWAY: State Senator Kevin Bacon, whose committee holds hearings on this tomorrow, says that collective bargaining is so codified into law in the State of Ohio that it is virtually impossible for the state to balance its budget.
[...]
Well the man behind this bill, of course, is Governor John Kasich, who rejects all criticism that this is a union-busting bill. He says this is the only way that he can get this state out of an $8 billion hole.
KASICH: If we get that done we balance our budget, $8 billion in the hole, without a tax increase, and we've cut taxes on income taxes, that's going to send the message to the rest of the country that if they can do it there, they can do it in their state. And then maybe - guess what - they might actually be able to do something like this in Washington. We at least hope so.
In Fact, The Bill Has Nothing To Do With Ohio's Current Budget Deficit
Ohio Senator Shannon Jones Acknowledges Bill Will Not "Solve Ohio's Immediate Budget Problems." The ColumbusDispatch reported:
State Sen. Shannon Jones, R- Springboro, who is sponsoring the bill to eliminate collective bargaining for Ohio's state employees, acknowledged in testimony before a Senate committee that her bill would not "solve Ohio's immediate budget problems," but she said it would "make a significant difference in future budgets." [Columbus Dispatch, 2/20/11]
Dispatch: Jones "Not Pitching The Idea As The Solution To Ohio's Budget Woes." In December the Dispatch reported:
Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, plans to introduce a bill that would eliminate collective bargaining for state workers and weaken unions' bargaining power at the local level.
Jones said yesterday that she's not pitching the idea as the solution to Ohio's budget woes.
"Nobody disagrees with the fact that we are in a time of declining revenues," Jones said. "This is about giving management the ability to manage the largest cost in state and local government, and that is its work force." [Columbus Dispatch, 12/31/10]
An interview with a teacher at a protest in Columbus, OH on February 21st, 2011. Demonstrators came out to voice opposition to Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) which would threaten collective bargaining rights for state employees.
Via Sum Of Change
Watch It:
Today's must read of the day . . .
Wisconsin Power Play
by PAUL KRUGMAN
Why bust the unions? As I said, it has nothing to do with helping Wisconsin deal with its current fiscal crisis. Nor is it likely to help the state's budget prospects even in the long run: contrary to what you may have heard, public-sector workers in Wisconsin and elsewhere are paid somewhat less than private-sector workers with comparable qualifications, so there's not much room for further pay squeezes.
So it's not about the budget; it's about the power.
In principle, every American citizen has an equal say in our political process. In practice, of course, some of us are more equal than others. Billionaires can field armies of lobbyists; they can finance think tanks that put the desired spin on policy issues; they can funnel cash to politicians with sympathetic views (as the Koch brothers did in the case of Mr. Walker). On paper, we're a one-person-one-vote nation; in reality, we're more than a bit of an oligarchy, in which a handful of wealthy people dominate.
Given this reality, it's important to have institutions that can act as counterweights to the power of big money. And unions are among the most important of these institutions.
You don't have to love unions, you don't have to believe that their policy positions are always right, to recognize that they're among the few influential players in our political system representing the interests of middle- and working-class Americans, as opposed to the wealthy. Indeed, if America has become more oligarchic and less democratic over the last 30 years -- which it has -- that's to an important extent due to the decline of private-sector unions.
And now Mr. Walker and his backers are trying to get rid of public-sector unions, too.
There's a bitter irony here. The fiscal crisis in Wisconsin, as in other states, was largely caused by the increasing power of America's oligarchy. After all, it was superwealthy players, not the general public, who pushed for financial deregulation and thereby set the stage for the economic crisis of 2008-9, a crisis whose aftermath is the main reason for the current budget crunch. And now the political right is trying to exploit that very crisis, using it to remove one of the few remaining checks on oligarchic influence.
So will the attack on unions succeed? I don't know. But anyone who cares about retaining government of the people by the people should hope that it doesn't.
A group of dedicated protestors showed up today to voice their opposition to SB 5 on the sidewalk in front of the Ohio Statehouse.
Chanting "Hey Ho, SB 5 Has Got To Go" they braved the inclement weather conditions to show their displeasure with State Senator Shannon Jone's bill which is a direct attack on the middle class and nurses, teachers, firefighters, and other hardworking people who keep our communities safe and provide vital services in our state.
If these folks can protest in the cold and rain surely you can join us and thousands of concerned Ohioans at the Statehouse tomorrow.
View Slideshow:
Updated with Video:
Hundred's turned out in a hard cold rain to show their opposition to Senate Bill 5 the the anti-worker, anti-union legislation currently being debated in the Ohio Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee.
SB 5 would eliminate collective bargaining rights for all state workers, including faculty and staff at Ohio state colleges and universities.
Received these images from a reader of this morning's mobilization.
Ohioans overwhelming rejected the idea of eliminating collective bargaining for teachers, nurses, firefighters, and other public service in an online poll conducted by the Columbus Dispatch earlier this month.
The poll followed another recent Dispatch online poll where Ohioans rejected the idea of passing a right to work for less law - a measure that hopes to destroy unions and a voice on the job workers by taking away the requirement all workers in a unit to pay their fair share of dues or fees if the workers in their unit have voted to have a union - by a huge majority.
Here are some of the great comments left by some of the hundreds who voted no on the poll:
- This is a distraction from the real solution to restore the budget in Ohio. Potentially this will destroy hard working families with no immediate solution for new jobs. Elected officials have the role of preserving Ohio not pushing through laws that will ruin the education of children and destroy the security of neighborhoods.
- This "need" for cuts is just a veiled attempt by corporations and those who will do their bidding to break the backs of unions in the United States. It's a concerted effort that is happening elsewhere like Wisconsin right now. People choose to be represented by unions because of abuses that occur in the workplace. Now that right is under attack!
- This has absolutely nothing to do with helping Ohio's economy. The governor needs to look at why so many corporations have moved overseas, not pick on public service unions.
ProgressOhio's Executive Director Brian Rothenberg appeared on WCMH 4's The Spectrum with Colleen Marshall and Terry Casey yesterday.
Rothenberg discussed the GOP's extreme right-wing agenda including SB 5, PO's Petition to AG DeWine to drop attacks on health care reform and Gov. Kasich's now infamous "idiot" remark.
From The Spectrum:
We take a look at the heated collective bargaining hearings and talk to one of the state's top labor leaders. We also talk with the Franklin Co. auditor as properties come up for reappraisal.
Watch It:
Forum on Senate Bill 5 Today At YSU
At 4:30 p.m. today, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-33, will hold a forum at Youngstown State University on the merits of Senate Bill 5, a measure that would severely restrict the ability of unions that represent public-sector employees to bargain collectively.
"We must all stand together because this fight isn't just about police, firefighters, teachers and other public employees. It's about all of us. It's about whether or not we will be a state that stands up for the middle class. It's about stopping the dangerous agenda of those who would deprive regular Ohioans of the opportunity to provide a good life for their families," Strickland said.
