Ohio Vote Puts Curbs on Unions in Reach
By KRIS MAHER And AMY MERRICK
WSJ
Ohio state senators narrowly approved a bill that would prohibit public-employee unions representing 400,000 state and local workers from bargaining over health benefits and pensions, while also eliminating the right to strike.
While national attention has focused for weeks on a similar battle in Wisconsin, the vote, by 17-16 in Ohio's Republican-controlled Senate, virtually ensured that the Buckeye State will become the first to strip collective-bargaining rights from public employees as states grapple with recent gaping budget deficits.
The move is especially significant because Ohio is larger than Wisconsin, and like its fellow Midwestern state, is both a stronghold of public-sector labor unions and a swing state politically.
The bill now goes to the House, where the Republicans have a 59-40 majority. If approved, as expected, it will move for signature to Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who supports the bill.
(More here.)
WSJ
Ohio state senators narrowly approved a bill that would prohibit public-employee unions representing 400,000 state and local workers from bargaining over health benefits and pensions, while also eliminating the right to strike.
While national attention has focused for weeks on a similar battle in Wisconsin, the vote, by 17-16 in Ohio's Republican-controlled Senate, virtually ensured that the Buckeye State will become the first to strip collective-bargaining rights from public employees as states grapple with recent gaping budget deficits.
The move is especially significant because Ohio is larger than Wisconsin, and like its fellow Midwestern state, is both a stronghold of public-sector labor unions and a swing state politically.
The bill now goes to the House, where the Republicans have a 59-40 majority. If approved, as expected, it will move for signature to Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who supports the bill.
(More here.)
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1 Comments:
It should be noted that six GOP senators joined 10 Democrats in voting against the measure.
Just to get the bill to a floor vote yesterday, Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, had to stack his deck -- replacing Republican members on two committees because they opposed the bill and could have blocked it.
Further, the Republican caucus, almost half of which are new members, never got a chance to discuss the measure and only a day to consider a 99-page amendment to the 475-page bill.
Ohio State Senator Bill Seitz of Cincinnati, who was one of the Republicans pulled from a committee, described the bill as a "heads I win, tails you lose solution." Seitz also said the bill is likely unconstitutional, "It's an unfair labor practice if they exercise their First Amendment rights to call up their councilman."
For more, read my commentary on the MN Political Roundtable.
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