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End collective bargaining? Friends and foes sound off
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
Business leaders, school officials and others are urging lawmakers to move quickly on legislation reforming collective bargaining.
About 15 proponents of the reforms testified Tuesday to members of the Senate’s Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee.
“Please keep in mind that all of the citizens that are impacted by this legislation are not with us in the hearing room today,” said Chris Kershner, vice president of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, speaking on behalf of metro chambers throughout the state. “If these changes are not enacted quickly, legislators will have to look to other means to recoup these escalating costs, which may involve additional burdens on Ohio’s citizens.”
“I have always struggled with some aspects of collective-bargaining laws, which in my mind restrict the ability of school districts to reward and retain the best and most effective staff members while also restricting a district’s ability to make sound financial decisions,” added Don Horstman, superintendent of Kalida Local Schools.
Tuesday’s hearing was the second for Senate Bill 5, which would eliminate collective bargaining among state employees. Current collective-bargaining agreements would expire at the end of their current terms, and future employee pay rates and raises would be based on merit, not seniority.
Local governments, including school districts, would still be allowed to use collective bargaining, though public employers in fiscal emergencies could modify, terminate or renegotiate agreements.
SB 5 also would require increased disclosure of compensation outlined in collective bargaining agreements and labor negotiations. Public employers would be allowed to hire permanent replacement workers during a strike, and layoffs would be based on factors other than employees’ length of service.
Gov. John Kasich supports the changes.
As was the case during a hearing last week, hundreds of union representatives packed the Statehouse to oppose the bill.
Most listened to testimony broadcast over loudspeakers in the Statehouse Atrium outside the hearing room, loudly cheering or jeering throughout the session.
“There has to be other cuts they can make that don’t affect the working people,” said Toni McCoy, a nurse and union member from Deshler in northwest Ohio. “We need our unions, we need our bargaining. Without that, we really don’t have much left.”
One Democratic lawmaker echoed those sentiments during questioning of proponents.
“Statewide, over the past six years, everybody’s been going freezes and pay decreases,” said state Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd. “State union members have actually saved $250 million in the state in the last budget with cuts and concessions. … The bill that we currently have in front of us will destroy jobs. It’s a job-killing bill.”