SOURCE: www.afscme.org
Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee regarding Ohio SB 5, legislation to silence the voice of public service workers and limit their right to collective bargaining
Washington, DC — “This bill is a reprehensible attack on the middle class and the rights of Ohio’s workers. It undermines our basic American values by attacking the right of Ohio workers to have a voice on the job. Throughout this debate, Governor Kasich made it clear that he was not interested in finding solutions to problems. Instead, he has divided Ohio as he rewards the corporate CEOs and Wall Street money men who financed his political campaign. It is clear that he is working for them, not for the working men and women of Ohio. More than 65,000 Ohioans signed petitions opposing SB 5. They were delivered to the House committee, but the embarrassed leadership had them removed before passing this political measure that hurts middle class Ohio families.
“John Kasich and his cronies want a future where public services are starved, collective bargaining is a thing of the past, and powerful corporate interests keep their tax loopholes at the expense of everyone else. Well, Ohio families have had enough of politicians who do nothing to protect or create jobs, while working overtime to eliminate the ability of workers to help solve problems and come up with solutions that work. This bill eliminates the ability of workers to negotiate on issues such as health care, outsourcing, and even staffing levels on nursing shifts, firefighting crews and in squad cars. That is just not right. Ohio’s working men and women will fight to restore the basic values that have guided Buckeye communities for generations. We will stand with them as they pursue a Citizen’s Veto. We will go to the ballot and defeat these proposals there.”
AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations – from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers – AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.