Officials push repeal of Ohio Senate Bill 5

Councilman D. Michael Collins says that the city strike of 1979 occurred because workers lacked adequate bargaining rights. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Opponents of a new state law that severely restricts collective bargaining for state employee unions leveled a broad attack on Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-controlled state legislature Thursday in Toledo.

State Rep. Matt Szollosi (D., Oregon), Toledo city Councilman D. Michael Collins, and members of Toledo Firefighters Local 92 criticized Mr. Kasich's budget, other Republican initiatives, and Senate Bill 5 as an attack on the middle class and on the working class.

Mr. Szollosi said the claims that Senate Bill 5 is intended to give local governments more flexibility to manage their work force is a "guise" to consolidate political power. He linked it with Mr. Kasich's proposed $55.6 billion, two-year budget and with bills to change election laws and the prevailing wage law for construction work.

"[The] purpose is to weaken traditional political adversaries of Governor Kasich and the Republican majority, particularly in the House," Mr. Szollosi said.

He denied that Democrats were backing the rights of the unions to promote their own political might.

"We have a system of collective bargaining in place that has proven to work," Mr. Szollosi said.

Mr. Collins, a political independent who was a police officer and a former president of the Toledo police officers' union, said the city employee strike of 1979 turned Toledo into an "inferno" because employees did not have adequate bargaining rights to protect them from "abusive" management prior to 1983, when the state collective-bargaining law was passed.

"Binding arbitration is what's held the state together since 1983 and brought civility to the bargaining table," he said.

Public safety unions, under existing law, are prohibited from striking but may seek arbitration to resolve negotiation deadlocks. Senate Bill 5 abolishes binding arbitration and prohibits public employee unions from striking.

State Rep. Matt Szollosi (D., Oregon) says at Toledo Firefighters Local 92 Union Hall that Senate Bill 5 is a swipe against the middle class. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Advocates of Senate Bill 5 have said binding arbitration typically favors the union side in contract disputes.

Mr. Szollosi said Mr. Kasich's proposed budget wipes out a potential $8 billion deficit by pushing the burden on to school districts and local governments. He said he would have delayed a scheduled 4.2 percent decrease in the income tax rate, eliminated some tax loopholes, and considered video lottery terminals at horse racetracks to raise the necessary revenue.

The news conference was held in the union hall of Local 92 with about 23 union firefighters in conjunction with We Are Ohio, a coalition of labor and Democrats collecting signatures to put a referendum of Senate Bill 5 on the November ballot.

Dan Desmond, Local 92 vice president, opened the news conference by saying that firefighters put their lives in danger to protect the public and have accepted concessions to help governments through the recession.

Rob Nichols, a spokesman for Mr. Kasich, said the bill preserves the right of unions to collectively bargain. Mr. Nichols denied the Republican agenda is to deal a political blow to the Democratic Party.

"This has nothing to do with politics. This has everything to do with saving our cities and allowing them to manage their costs amid shrinking resources," he said. "When people see this is merely an effort to restore some balance to the public and private sector we're confident that they will see the tools in Senate Bill 5 as very useful for their local government," he said.

Contract Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.