Ohio Bill Will Kill Collective Bargaining for State Employees

Congratulations to Ohio State Senator Shannon Jones for introducing Senate Bill 5 to End Collective Bargaining in Ohio.

Section 1. It is the General Assembly's intent that sections of the Revised Code be amended, enacted, or repealed to prohibit the state and state employees and state institutions of higher education and their employees from collectively bargaining, to abolish salary schedules for public employees and instead require merit pay, and to make various other changes to the Collective Bargaining Law.

Finally!

I have been waiting for states to do this.

Bear in mind AFSCME has already organized a massive call-in to protest the bill. I found out about the proposal from "Craig" who sent me this email.

Hello Mish,

Due to some mix-up in email addresses I get all the AFSCME email propaganda (I am not an AFSCME member nor do I live in Ohio)

If you don�t already know about it, I thought you might find this bill pending in the Ohio state senate interesting.

Been a long time reader of your blog. Thanks for the good work.

Craig

More Good Ideas From Shannon Jones

Senator Shannon Jones has many other good ideas as well. A December 21 Columbus Dispatch Article on Collective Bargaining itemizes them nicely.

Allowing state workers to unionize "hamstrings us in our ability to manage our costs," Jones said. Eliminating collective bargaining "means we can start having real discussions about merit. People should be paid and promoted based on merit."

"If we're going to have collective bargaining in the state, we must have a system where we encourage people to bargain in good faith and they have equal ability to gain and lose," Jones said. "The way the system is set up as it relates to safety forces in particular, they hold a lot of power over these local communities."

Other changes Jones is considering:

• Eliminate from state law automatic pay increases for longevity, known as steps. Jones said these could still be negotiated.
• Require more accurate disclosure of pay raises to the public, including step increases. "You shouldn't be able to say you didn't get a raise when it's a raise we called something else," Jones said.
• Eliminate the law that gives teachers 15 sick days per year. This would be negotiated, Jones said.
• Prohibit schools and local governments from picking up any part of an employer's pension contribution.
• Prohibit employers from paying more than 80 percent of the costs of health-insurance premiums.

Shannon, if somehow you see this, we salute your common-sense proposals. Here's another one for you: Pass a bill prohibiting union dues from being used for political purposes. Better yet, eliminate public unions entirely. They certainly do not serve the public.

Phone Your Senators

The email Craig passed along directs members to an AFSCME e-Action Network that will forward you to to your state senator after a brief bit of pro-union propaganda.

To call in, you will need to know your senator's name. Here is an Interactive Map of Ohio Senate Districts that will help find the name if you do not know it.

After you determine your senator's name, please click on the above AFSCME link, enter your phone number, and you will get a callback in 10 seconds. Disregard the propaganda and request your senator to vote Yes on Senate Bill 5.

Tell your senator that collective bargaining drives up costs and it is time for merit pay. While you are at it, ask for a bill that will stop union dues from being used for political purposes.

It is a scam in and of itself that public unions can waste taxpayer dollars with organized call-in processes like these. It shows you just what you are up against. However, as long as the procedure is out there, it makes sense to voice your opinion too.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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