The collective bargaining reform law SB5 is a constructive attempt, albeit a modest one, to address the inherent problem that unionization of government employees and the resulting excessive cost it has brought to state and local governments in Ohio.
Now that SB5 has been signed into law, the second round over this reform begins in earnest, namely the fight over the repeal initiative.
Big Labor should have little trouble in getting the required number of signatures on its petition for repeal, so the question is: Will SB 5 be able to withstand a statewide referendum at the ballot box? Maybe yes, maybe no. But perhaps a more pertinent question would be: What happens if the repeal initiative is successful?
In that event that SB5 is defeated, those on the state and local government payrolls will undoubtedly celebrate. They will bask in the glow of having chased the big bad wolf from their door. And if distortions, threats, and obfuscations were needed to do the trick, then so be it.
But will the wolf be gone? Hardly.
Erasing SB 5 will not change the systemic imbalance that Ohio faces between government spending and revenues collected. Nor can a repeal boost the state’s economy in any way. Indeed, without SB5, the public-sector cartels will continue to stifle economic growth, and best that can be realistically hoped for is that the erosion of jobs, companies, and young people from Ohio remains steady.
A more likely scenario, however, is that a high visibility defeat of SB 5 will cement the image of Ohio as a hard core union state where meaningful labor reform is next to impossible. Let that happen, and the weakening of the Buckeye economy and overall standard of living will accelerate.
The dirty little secret that the pro-appealers won’t dare to mention between now and November is that their alternative to SB5 will have to be a combination of tax increase and layoffs of government employees. Since the likelihood for tax hikes at either the state or local level is marginal at best, the bulk of the budget balancing will then, out of necessity, have to come in the form of reductions in government manpower — significant reductions at that.
Up until now, the public-sector unions have tried to scare the public with over the top claims that SB5 will diminish government services. The irony here is that it is the repeal of SB5 that would do exactly that. For recall, it was the coercion of the Roosevelt Administration in preventing wages from falling during the Great Depression that drove unemployment to its heights. Repeal SB5, and this history will likely repeat itself
Collective bargaining works, believe me. The Governor wants to rip up all contracts that BOTH management & labor have agreed to over a 28 year period. Concessions HAVE been made, and will continue to be made by BOTH sides. You are very untrustworthy in your views in this article; we are all taxpayers, we do NOT wish to bankrupt budgets. I would be more than happy to speak to anybody about this issue. Thanks.
Collective bargaining works? for whom? the unions: yes…the taxpayer: no…..do you not find it a bit of a conflict of interest when unions contribute to the campaign of a politician who then, after getting elected, “negotiates” a contract with that same union?….do you not find it hypocritical that the leaders of the teachers unions make close to $200k when the avg Ohio teacher earns around $50K? Do you not find it odd that unions spend millions of dollars on political contribution, then complain that the teachers and schools are going with out necessary equipmment? could those millions of dollars not have been better spent helping the children of Ohio?
Campaign reform should certainly be fixed. Don’t you think somebody dropped a big bag of money into Kasich’s campaign, and may be rewarded by “privatizing the Turpike,” for instance……think about that for a minute.
And of coarse, you did not address the majority of Ohio Voter’s points. Why is that?
Mike E.- sorry, I was making an analogy and did agree with him about campaign reform. If you want my views on his other points, fine…Union dues from the employee could go into the school budget for equipment and books, for instance, if it was brought to the bargaining table. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, union workers ARE human and do make concessions. I know this firsthand, as a union rep myself….next point-if the rank & file in the teachers union don’t like their union heads making the alleged 200K, they can vote to lower that pay, it’s their union.
If you like SB 5, just wait to see whats next. Try no overtime pay, just take an hour off for every hour worked. The GOP is coming after the private sector next. Just watch and see or defeat the evil now!
Thus far all we’ve seen from Gov. Kasich are cuts and layoffs, unless you’re on his staff. Every school levy is a Kasich Tax. Huckuva job Gov.!
Everyone is overlooking the fact that the reason all state governments are in financial distress is due to the excessive welfare numbers bleeding us dry.