Ohio's Senate Bill 5 - A Devastating Blow to the Middle Class

Tomorrow, I will go to the Ohio Statehouse to protest with thousands of other teachers, police, firefighters and other public employees the proposed Senate Bill 5 that will outlaw collective bargaining.  As I stated in my letter to my State Senator, Kevin Bacon:

As an educator, I strongly oppose Senate Bill 5, which targets Ohio's teachers through elimination or erosion of healthcare benefits, retirement benefits, seniority, due process rights, and successful collective bargaining practices.  Teachers and other public employees are being erroneously blamed for state budget deficits, and these Senate Bill 5 actions will only serve to harm the health of our state economy and our Ohio citizens.

In a tough economy, we have to focus on the essentials of providing Ohio’s college students with a high quality education that prepares them for good jobs.  I urge you to maintain Ohio's collective bargaining law, which has helped public employees provide high quality services to our schools and communities for decades.  Collective bargaining helps educators advocate for the classroom conditions, tools and support we need to be effective in preparing students for successful careers.

My experience has been that collective bargaining is a constructive tool, not a barrier either for educators or their employers. We are using bargaining for positive change to shape working conditions and improve learning conditions, communicate about issues and tap into educator knowledge, skills and experience.  Collective bargaining and teachers should not be the scapegoat for budget deficits.  In fact, many right-to-work states have much higher state budget deficits than Ohio does.

Legislation undermining collective bargaining rights will upset Ohio's balanced framework in which public employees and their employers have worked to fulfill their mission with mutual respect and genuine collaboration.   Studies show that similarly educated public employees make less than their private sector peers, even accounting for benefits.  Further, a January Quinnipiac poll showed that Ohio voters oppose limits on collective bargaining by public employees by 51% to 34%.

Please keep your focus on job creation and Ohio's economy and oppose Senate Bill 5.  The bill’s sponsor is unable to give an estimate of what cost savings this bill will actually create, while data from other states indicates no positive effect on budget deficit and job creation from the elimination of collective bargaining.  Rather than creating jobs in Ohio, this legislation will hurt local communities stifling job growth.

Ohio needs your astute leadership now to promote quality teaching and a healthy economy.  Oppose Senate Bill 5. 

Workers in Wisconsin are just one step ahead of workers in Ohio, yet this bill is on the fast track in Ohio.  If you want more information about what is happening with this bill, I strongly urge you to view the Plunderbund blog (see my links to the right) or the Ohio Education Association (http://www.ohea.org/).