Unions Target New Ohio Law

November 4, 2011

Wall Street Journal

By KRIS MAHER

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Labor unions are making their biggest campaign stand of 2011 in Ohio, hoping to steal momentum from efforts nationally to scale back union rights by decisively defeating a law here limiting public-employee bargaining.

But supporters of the measure, including Republican Gov. John Kasich, are fighting to defend it as the right move for Ohio, and it isn't clear if the law's defeat would have the broader implications unions envision. Various recent polls have given opponents of the law a lead of more than 10 percentage points leading up to Tuesday's vote.

The law, known as Senate Bill 5, prohibits public-employee unions from bargaining over health care and pensions, and bans strikes. It also requires public employees to pay at least 15% of their health-care costs and ends arbitration for contract impasses by letting local elected officials choose between their own last offer and the union's. It also makes it harder for unions to collect dues from workers who opt out of the union.

The law was passed by the legislature and signed by the governor earlier this year. Opponents secured enough voter signatures to force a public vote before the law took effect.

Organized labor is spending $25 million to defeat the measure as it tries to build momentum in the swing state going into 2012 and avoid the disappointment that followed Wisconsin's adoption of a similar law. The AFL-CIO, which is spearheading the effort, said more than 4,000 volunteers and dozens of paid staff are on track to make 1.2 million phone calls and knock on 600,000 doors over the final days to build opposition.

"If we have a good, solid victory it's going to send a message to the radical right that swept into office last midterm election," said Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which has spent $2 million on the Ohio fight and is launching a four-day bus tour Saturday. "It's going to say you've overreached." Several state Republican lawmakers have broken rank and criticized parts of the law, listed on the ballot as Issue 2.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kasich is appearing at rallies across the state to defend the law, saying it would help fix the state's finances without raising taxes or cutting services. Building a Better Ohio, a business-supported group that backs Senate Bill 5, has raised more than $7.5 million to buy ads and staff phone banks. Among other conservative groups supporting the measure, the state arm of Americans for Prosperity has spent about $100,000 on radio ads, town halls and a mobile phone bank.

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