Today workers representing We Are Ohio and our 1.3 million supporters continued their call on Governor Kasich, Senate President Niehaus, and Speaker Batchelder to repeal all of Senate Bill 5, the unfair and unsafe bill that hurts us all. We Are Ohio called on these leaders to first repeal all of Senate Bill 5 to ensure a fresh start to the process. A total repeal prior to future discussions is needed due to the lack of trust resulting from the numerous political tricks these leaders played to pass Senate Bill 5 including:
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- Removing legislative members from committees;
- Locking Ohioans out of the Ohio Statehouse;
- Denying Ohioans their right to testify on the bill;
- Trying to split the referendum into pieces on the ballot;
- Trying to confuse voters by ignoring the constitution on the question of whether it should be a yes or no vote.
Glenn Szatala, a firefighter in Sandusky, said, “The message of wanting to talk doesn’t mean anything without the repeal. We had a chance in the legislative process and now that’s over. Unless there is repeal, we’re not interested.”
“When we wanted to sit down and have conversation, there was no interest by the Governor,” said Brad Strong, a teacher from Mansfield. “Then it was railroaded through the legislature with backroom deals and political games. Now he sees Ohio doesn’t want SB5 so he wants to sit down, which makes me feel I can’t treat this idea as a serious conversation.”
Mike Bammann, a retired police officer from Mansfield, added, “The opportunity to sit down at the table was given to the Governor in January. We have long past that time and he made it law. Anything short of repeal would be ignoring the voice of the public of Ohio.”
“I’m happy that the Governor realizes that Senate Bill 5 was fundamentally flawed, but thousands of middle class Ohioans were at the State House and literally begging for a compromise in February, said Jeana Campolo, a Direct Care Worker at the Mount Vernon Developmental Center. “When we were there pleading with Governor Kasich to negotiate, he told us to ‘Get on the bus, or he’ll run us over with it.’ How am I supposed to trust him to sit down and negotiate in good faith when he has shown such little respect for us in the past?”
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Van Jones Invites Ohio to the Stand Up for Ohio Festival to Rebuild the American Dream, 20 August 2011, Noon to Dusk
We Are Ohio is a citizen-driven, community-based, bipartisan coalition that has come together to repeal SB 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety. We Are Ohio includes public and private sector workers and employees, police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, pastors, small business owners, Republicans and Democrats, local elected officials and business leaders, students, Moms, Dads, family members, and your neighbors. For more information, visit <weareohio.com>. Cf. Darrel Rowland, “Poll Shows Senate Bill 5 Could Be Repealed” (Columbus Dispatch, 18 May 2011); “Ohio Gov. John Kasich is sinking slowly into the quicksand of voter disapproval, with a 50-35 percent thumbs down on job approval, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. This is down from a 49-38 percent job disapproval May 18. Opponents of Gov. Kasich’s legislation to limit collective bargaining for public employees retain a 56-32 lead in the expected November referendum, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds” (“Ohio Gov’s Low Approval Slips Further, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Support For Photo Id To Vote Almost 4-1,” 20 July 2011); Dave Poklinkoski, “Let’s Learn the Right Lessons from Wisconsin” (Labor Notes, 17 August 2011);“We Are Ohio Sends Response to Governor, Senate President and Speaker of the House” (18 August 2011); Kenneth Quinnell, “Now That He’s Losing, Kasich (Kinda) Supports Compromise” (Crooks and Liars, 19 August 2011).
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