Ohio Senate Introduces Bill to Limit Collective Bargaining for Public Employees

Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | Feb. 9, 2011 | Joe Guillen

[SgtHooper]

The Columbus Dispatch and the Cleveland Plain Dealer report that Ohio lawmakers introduced a GOP-backed bill yesterday that would eliminate collective bargaining for all state workers, potentially one of the first major changes to public-sector union law in the state in nearly 30 years. Collective bargaining would be abolished for state workers and reformed for employees of local governments under the proposed bill, which would also overhaul policy governing teachers' contracts and benefits, bargaining timelines, layoff procedures, and binding arbitration rules for police and firefighters. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and other supporters say the reforms will give state and regional governments the flexibility needed to respond to the state's economic crisis through expected budget cuts and layoffs. Union representatives and public workers packed the statehouse yesterday, claiming that the bill doesn't help fix the state's budgetary woes or increase jobs and calling the proposal a direct attack on their livelihoods. Legislators from both parties promised to hold future public hearings to hear from all sides before anything is finalized.

[SgtHooper]

Now this will be interesting.

[rawhide]

Interesting. One thing I notice is the democrats always screw things up, by promising things that cannot be promised, then the republicans have to go in there and fix things; and then they are made to look like the bad guys.

[JPG]

Promises were made that cannot be kept. There is no more money. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. The Unions can sue, cry, bitch and moan but the fact still remains...we are collectively broke.

[Mr. K]

jUST OUTLAW THEM

GOVERNMENT WORKERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO LOBBY FOR MORE GOVERNMENT MONEY

[Mr. K]

If anything, the government workers unions shoul have to ask the TAXPAYERS for more money- not other government employees.

[Da Coyote]

Earth to Ohio,

The only thing more corrupt than a union is ....

Well, there is nothing more corrupt.

[re_nortex]

Collective bargaining would be abolished for state workers and reformed for employees of local governments under the proposed bill, which would also overhaul policy governing teachers' contracts and benefits, bargaining timelines, layoff procedures, and binding arbitration rules for police and firefighters.

This is a good first step. The next thing to end the tyranny of unionism would be to make RIGHT TO WORK the law. Given a choice between liberty vs. forced unionism, freedom triumphs every time.

When I lived in Pennsylvania, against my will, I was coerced to join a vile labor union in order to work. I'm proud to say that I led the successful campaign to decertify the union in my workplace. The owner was happy and we employees found work more rewarding since the needless intermediary of union thuggery was banished.

Labor unions have a sordid history of undesirables, foreigners, internationalists, demonRATS and Marxists at the helm. Sam Gompers, E.V. Debs, Bill Haywood, Morris Hillquit as well as up to the present day likes of Andy Stern and Richard Trumpka are all anti-American garbage.

Unions are business killers and thus are job killers.

[Loud Mime]

....a president who supports corrupt unions

[RobbyS]

Promises were made that cannot be kept. There is no more money. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. The Unions can sue, cry, bitch and moan but the fact still remains...we are collectively broke. ,p> We see an interesting experiment going on. Ohio is doing it one way, New York, another, Illinois another, California and Texas again, doing different things. We will see which states are in better shape by the fall of 2012. No doubt that the Obama administration prefers the California style of government for the whole country. If Texas/Ohio/Florida are in decent shape and the others not, then that will be an interesting thing for the Republican candidate to take to the country.

[MCF]

Yep, they’re the bartenders of politics. Make you feel all happy while taking your money. Only to wakeup hung over and broke.

[therightliveswithus]

This is nice. Hopefully it’ll get through

[OldDeckHand]

"Now this will be interesting."

Yes, it will. This is the first of several steps that Kacich and the OH GOP will have to successfully complete if they have any real hopes of turning the Ohio economy around. After this, they have to pass a right to work law. That is the only thing that will stabilize the OH industrial base, and perhaps then give it an opportunity to start growing again.

OH, because of the deathgrip the unions have on it, can't even compete with the Carolinas and GA, let alone Mexico or China.

[Trust but Verify]

The new gov of Wisconsin is expected to do the same thing.

[Da Coyote]

You must be referring to the dung beetle in chief.

[IronJack]

This should spread like a prairie fire. These deadbeat trough-feeders are a disease and their unions nothing short of extortionists.

[Elle Bee]

"Stroke of the pen. Law of the land. Kinda cool." --Clinton presidential aide Paul Begala, July 1998

President Kennedy’s Executive Order 10998, allowing Federal unions, is what opened the door for public sector unions at the state and local level, which is leading to bankruptcy from bloated public sector salaries, benefits, and retirement plans. Businesses that offered plans like many governments have would go bankrupt. Gov’t entities will, too, eventually, but it will be much more painful.

When collective bargaining was brought into American schools in the 1960s, it was a revenue stream and power base for Big Labor. Suddenly, union bosses became more interested in building political muscle than educating children.

At that point the battle between unions and school boards became more focusing on salary, benefits, pensions and working conditions for adults, and less about students.

Kids are only pawns in the self-serving union game.

This is why unions should again be outlawed for public employees.

All government unions should be banned. The idea that government workers need protection from guess who?? THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, is ridiculous. remember, teachers are government employees. Ban government unions.

.

[2nd amendment mama]

they’re the bartenders of politics. Make you feel all happy while taking your money. Only to wakeup hung over and broke.

That's an awesome analogy!!!

[Navy Patriot]

All government unions should be banned.

Exactly, Occam's Razor, most simple solution is most likely the correct solution.

[Pontiac]

Collective bargaining would be abolished for state workers and reformed for employees of local governments under the proposed bill, which would also overhaul policy governing teachers' contracts and benefits, bargaining timelines, layoff procedures, and binding arbitration rules for police and firefighters.

Legislators from both parties promised to hold future public hearings to hear from all sides before anything is finalized.

I’ll bring the popcorn.

This ought to be more fun than a cage match.

[traditional1]

Kasich is off to a real good start, IMHO. Ohio has lost its auto, steel, and most manufacturing businesses, yet the FOOLS of the UAW, USW, etc., and now the TONS of civil servants and teachers (SEIU, AFSCME, NEA, AFT, etc.) have picked up the slack of extorting taxpayer money for themselves and to channel to Democrat campaigns through their Unions, to elect Democrats who give them more handouts, and require ZERO accountability or performance.

I know many Civil Service employees who are totally inept, but were hired for purposes of Diversity, and/or, because they knew someone, and they CANNOT be fired, but merely re-assigned and continue at no loss in salary, and mega-benefits with annual raises.