Right-to-work bill gets initial hearing
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
Dozens of union members and supporters packed two Statehouse hearing rooms and hallways in a show of opposition to right-to-work legislation being considered by state lawmakers.
At issue is House Bill 377, which would bar mandatory union membership or dues payments.
Comparable law changes have been proposed in past general assemblies and a stalled constitutional amendment petition effort.
Proponents have said repeatedly Ohioans shouldn’t be forced to join unions or make payments to those groups.
Opponents have said repeatedly that right to work would hurt unions, leading to lower wages and less protection in Ohio workplaces.
Gov. John Kasich has not pursued right to work in Ohio to date, saying on multiple occasions he doesn’t see the need for the law changes at this time.
On Tuesday, many of the same positions were reiterated during the initial hearing on HB 377 before the Ohio House’s Commerce and Labor Committee.
Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr., R-Mount Lookout, said 25 other states already have adopted right to work, including Ohio’s neighbors Indiana and Michigan.
The legislation, he said, would make the state more attractive to companies considering relocations and expansions and would ensure Ohioans have the freedom to choose whether to become union members.
Brinkman said right to work would push unions to better represent their members, having to compete to solidify their ranks.
Democrats on the committee, however, voiced opposition to the bill, noting safety, income, discrimination and other workplace concerns.
Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, cited statistics showing right-to-work states having lower wages and income, fewer job-based benefits and higher poverty rates, among other issues.
She used an analogy of people wanting the benefits of membership of a YMCA or chamber of commerce without paying any dues for the privilege.
“That’s what you’re asking the union to do – to represent and protect people, offer them ... negotiated health care benefits, and do it without a member paying,” Lepore-Hagan said.
There’s no indication the right-to-work bill is on a fast track toward passage.
Rep. Ron Young, R-Lake County, who serves as chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee, indicated the legislation would be subject to multiple hearings and a lengthy process before any potential vote.