Tuesday, May 31, 2011
By Karl Henkel
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber may have some competition.
A group led by Doug Sollitto, president of Ohio State Penitentiary Chapter 5041, and Eric Kusky, president of Chapter 7820, are developing what they call an “anti-partisan” chamber in the wake of the regional chamber’s pro-Senate Bill 5 perspective.
The group would have access to a list of nonchamber members, and Sollitto and Kusky are developing an incentive program for non-members.
The two have mailed nearly 500 letters to members of the chamber asking that they rescind their memberships over the chamber’s backing of SB 5.
SB 5 curbs some collective -bargaining rights for public employees.
Since then, Mahoning County Chairman David Betras and most recently, Sgt. T.J. Assion of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141 have sought the chamber’s financial records, citing the political fervor of comments made by President and CEO Tom Humphries.
Two sets of letters and nearly 100 positive responses later, Sollitto and Kusky are planning more drastic measures, this time asking businesses to sign a petition seeking Humphries’ resignation.
In a recent interview with The Vindicator, Humphries said he has no intention of vacating his position and is moving forward.
“I’m not stepping down,” he said.
Response letters, many of which Sollitto forwarded to The Vindicator, came from local establishments such as Belleria Pizza in Hubbard and its President Michael Frasco, who called SB 5 “an assault on working families that will cause harm to the middle class.”
Frasco was just one of those who expressed dismay with the chamber’s management, including Humphries, who late last year publicly supported the bill.
Dave Green, president of United Auto Workers Local 1714, which has 1,400 active members at the Lordstown General Motors fabrication plant, said the goal is to get the chamber to understand the importance of the SB 5 referendum for labor and business, but also to provoke change.
“At some point, yes, the leadership is going to change,” Green said of the chamber.
There were some who have disagreed with what Sollitto and Kusky are doing, including Jack Kravitz, owner of Kravitz Deli in Liberty and Poland.
Kravitz, whose wife is a public employee, said the business has taken a neutral stance on SB 5 and doesn’t believe state employees or the chamber should be making political comments. He said it’s no benefit to the customer for him to make a political statement.
“Senate Bill 5 has nothing to do with corned beef sandwiches,” he said. ““It’s upsetting that they [Sollitto and Kusky] would send letters out about us.”
Sollitto, though, said his intentions are clear, and that he may stage informational pickets at remaining chamber businesses.
“I would think that the loss from what we’re doing outweighs the gains they have from the [chamber] perks,” he said.