Ohio Senate Moves To Curb Collective Bargaining
The Wall Street Journal reports:
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.
Mr. Kasich believes it would help local governments control labor costs, spokesman Rob Nichols said.
Ohio's labor leaders, while noting the narrow passage in the Senate, weren't optimistic about stopping the bill in the House.
"We're expecting it to pass," said Jason Perlman, a spokesman for the Ohio AFL-CIO. But, he added, "We are hopeful those in the Ohio House will see this bill is nothing more than an attack on the middle class."
Republican lawmakers say worker pay and benefit cuts are needed to offset projected budget shortfalls. "If we're going to grow in Ohio, we cannot raise taxes," Republican state Sen. Keith Faber said Wednesday.
William Batchelder, Republican Speaker of the Ohio House, said a House committee will begin holding extensive hearings on the bill next week. "I think the bill has a good chance of passing. What form it will take I would have to say will be unclear," he said.
U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis criticized the moves in Ohio and other states to curtail bargaining rights. "Some state leaders have gone too far," Ms. Solis said Wednesday night, in a conference call with thousands of activists from the Communications Workers of America. "Budget sacrifices are one thing, but demanding workers give up their rights as union members is another."
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