OHIO LEGISLATURE Unions back bill to keep jobs

The measure against outsourcing is expected to get bipartisan support.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Several labor organizations are backing a measure unveiled Wednesday that would prohibit Ohio from contracting with vendors that have not certified the job will be performed by American workers.
The bill, to be introduced by state Rep. James P. Trakas, an Independence Republican, would also seek damages against vendors who violate a prospective "outsourcing" clause of state contracts and would ban companies from receiving public subsidies if the business has a history of outsourcing or plans to outsource jobs.
"I don't think it's the role of state government to incentivize jobs overseas," Trakas said. "We've got to be able to stand up for our citizens."
Opinions from labor
"We feel it's long overdue," said Ron Alexander, president of the 37,000-member Ohio Civil Service Employees Association.
Alexander said he thinks about 4,000 state jobs have been outsourced since March 2001. He said he doesn't know how many state vendors outsource jobs currently but indicated that they could include "human resource" jobs and some call centers.
"We're very appreciative that labor is involved with this effort," said Tim Burga, legislative director of the Ohio AFL-CIO, an umbrella group that represents about 750,000 union members statewide. "It's ... time we get a handle on this."
The proposed bill would also establish "clawbacks" to recapture public subsidies from businesses that outsource jobs and would require companies to provide advance notice to workers whose work they intend to ship overseas.
The proposal would also require telecommunications companies to disclose information that would allow consumers to determine the location of the call center and would ban the transfer of consumer financial or credit information to a foreign country without the consent of the consumer.
Bipartisan support
Trakas' bill could also get Democratic backing.
"I think we can all agree that spending our tax dollars on corporations who export our jobs overseas isn't a wise use of taxpayer money," said state Rep. Dan Stewart, a Columbus Democrat who said he'll co-sponsor Trakas' bill.
Attempts in legislation in other states to further require contracted work to be done by employees in those states has met opposition, so a similar provision will not be included in Trakas' proposal, state officials said.
Gretchen Hull, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, which does some of the purchasing for the state, said the department declined to comment on the proposal because it hadn't seen it.
But Hull said so-called "Buy Ohio" and "Buy American" preferences have been a part of the department's purchasing for several years.
Senate plans
In the Senate, minority Democrats say they plan to offer a package of legislation soon to address outsourcing of jobs.
State Sen. Kimberly Zurz, a Summit County Democrat, is expected to introduce what Democrats call a "comprehensive job outsourcing" bill next week.
State Sen. Marc Dann, a Trumbull County Democrat, is expected to offer an outsourcing amendment to a bill headed for a Senate vote.
Dann's planned amendment would ban businesses from relocating any jobs from a project site in Ohio to another state while receiving tax credits from Ohio, minority Democrats say.