Ohio Unions Deliver Stunning Defeat to Republicans

[Better Believe It]

Ohio Unions Deliver Stunning Defeat to Republicans
By Dan La Botz
November 9, 2011

Ohio’s unions won a tremendous victory on Tuesday when their efforts succeeded in turning out voters who by a 61 to 39 margin defeated Issue 2, thus overturning anti-union Senate Bill 5.

The unions’ victory was an equally devastating defeat for Republican Governor John Kasich, who personally led the campaign for Issue 2, despite his 36 percent approval rating in recent polls.

Senate Bill 5 was voted up soon after Kasich took office in January. Legislators passed it in March, despite demonstrations by thousands of public employees and private sector workers at the capitol in Columbus. SB5 affected about 400,000 public employees, limiting their ability to bargain collectively, collect dues, and strike. The law also established “pay for performance” and required workers to pay 15 percent of their health care. Workers were furious.

The We Are Ohio coalition spent $30 million, including big investments from national unions, on a campaign that involved thousands of members from AFSCME, teachers unions, firefighters, and many other public and private sector unions who canvassed neighborhoods and phoned voters. Teachers unions in Ohio levied additional dues to help pay for the campaign.

Read the full article at:

http://labornotes.org/2011/11/ohio-unions-deliver-stunning-defeat-republicans

[peace13]

1. Cracks me up that the unions did it all by themselves!

I for one have never been a union member but signed their petitions, donated and voted to remove this abortion of a law from our books. These union folks need to wake up and realize that they had a little help from their friends!

Hope they back single payer heath care for all next time around so they don't have to depend on their contract for coverage! Let's get with it 'for the good of the order' guys!

[Better Believe It]

2. They contributed far more money and volunteers than any other organizations that I'm aware of.

So I wouldn't belittle the labor movements highly effective campaign to get the measure on the ballot and to win it at the ballot box.

[peace13]

4. Not belittling it.

It was still votes we were counting right? The people had to stand with the unions! No standy, no votey, no victory.

[Better Believe It]

5. OK Good to hear that.

[patrice]

3. Yyyyeeeeee!!! Hhhhaaaaa!!! for worker solidarity! Standing in support of Honeywell workers Saturday!