Public workers’ unions had input in state order

Both unions had donated to Ohio Democratic
campaigns.

COLUMBUS (AP) — A public employees union that plowed millions into Democratic campaigns last year helped craft a governor’s order that has since allowed it to organize thousands of home health workers paid through state programs.

Similar executive orders have been signed in three other states — Illinois, Iowa and Michigan — also led by Democratic governors.

Staffers of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, including his top lawyer, were coordinating efforts with the Service Employees International Union District 1199 as they were writing the order, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request. Strickland’s chief of staff, John Haseley, also received an e-mail from the union’s regional political director, Gloria Fauss, asking for the latest draft.

Home health care workers covered by Strickland’s order voted for SEIU representation late last month. The state is scheduled to begin negotiating their contract in February.

Another public employee union generous to Democrats— The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — was also included in the drafting process, records show. It asked for the order to apply to child care workers. The administration opted not to combine the two issues, but Strickland has said he intends to sign a second order regarding child care workers in the coming months.

Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey said the governor saw the order as bringing needed improvements to job conditions for the 7,000-worker independent home health care industry carrying out state programs.

“The development of this executive order was done through a consultative process, and that’s very common,” Dailey said. “We talk to lots of people when developing policy.”

SEIU donated $90,000 to Strickland’s gubernatorial campaign last year, a portion of the $2 million it has given statewide to Democratic Party committees and candidates since last year, campaign finance records show. AFSCME has given just more than $76,000 to Democratic candidates and committees since last year, including about $6,000 to Strickland’s campaign from its political action committee and executives.

In the e-mails, dealings between the unions and the administration appeared cozy. Strickland took office in January, marking the first time in 16 years that Democrats, historically pro-union, have controlled the governor’s office.

In one of the governor’s office e-mails, Kristen Rankin, the state’s chief labor lawyer, provided the governor’s two main lawyers, Kent Markus and Kimberly Cocroft, with a lengthy rundown of SEIU’s plans for organizing various categories of home health workers once the order was in place.

In an e-mail exchange later the same day, Cocroft told Medicaid Director Cristal Thomas that language had been added to the draft order giving unions a chance at organizing additional state workers as program definitions changed. She said SEIU “specifically asked” for the language and the governor’s office had accommodated.

Dailey noted, however, that the union did not get everything it wanted in the order. The directive neither forces workers to unionize nor requires them to pay dues for union representation they don’t want, he said.

“The governor believes that Ohio’s home health care workers are among the hardest working people in the state,” Dailey said. “He believes they deserve the same opportunity as their counterparts in the nursing home industry to speak with one voice [through a union] for improvements to working conditions, job safety, wages and benefits.”

SEIU spokeswoman Jennifer Farmer said it is not unusual for the union to provide input on state policy.

“SEIU has been involved in home health care for about 10 years, and we’ve offered input on this same issue in many other states,” she said. “We’re a recognized expert in this field and, to me, we are the logical entity to go to when writing such an order.”

Farmer said the union contributed to Strickland’s campaign because he shared their view on worker rights.

“We supported Ted Strickland because we thought his positions would be a benefit to the working families of Ohio,” she said, “and that has turned out to be true.”

Even those who did not vote for the union will be covered by the future contract, Farmer said.