With the recent political victories favoring Ohio unions, union leaders believe that a progressive wave is sweeping across the state.
Demonstrating nearly universal pro-labor sentiment, Dayton, Toledo and Cuyahoga Falls all elected labor-supported candidates as mayor with Cuyahoga Falls ousting former Republican Mayor Don Robart after three decades of service.
Dealing a significant blow to the extreme right, voters in Cincinnati also overwhelmingly struck down a Tea Party backed initiative that would have shut down public workers’ pensions and replaced them with 401k funds.
“It’s refreshing to see Ohioans turn out in support of labor movements across the state,” said Pat Sink, Ohio’s IUOE Local 18’s business manager. “Our goal is to maintain this level of support so that we can continue to keep Ohio on the right track for the future.”
A welcomed departure from the uncertainty of recent years, this progressive trend has many labor groups optimistic about the state’s future.
Following the colossal failure of the Ohioans for Workplace Freedom Election Day signature push, labor groups believe that voters are showing their support regarding the anti-labor sentiment that’s been prevalent in recent years.
“Voters are letting their voices be heard,” said Sink “I think the Right to Work fight has reached a turning point that will be hard to ignore.”
On Election Day, Keep Ohio’s Heritage, the IUOE Local 18 advocacy group, organized professional signature gatherers to counteract Right to Work advocacy group Ohioans for Workplace Freedom’s efforts to force a ballot initiative in 2014. Due to these efforts, the labor group was able to sway roughly 75 percent of potential signees at polls across the state, including several showing substantial Tea Party support.
Even with this success, Ohio unions and their supporters continue to apply pressure to opponents and are gearing up for a legislative session that could be heavily focused on Right to Work measures.
Opponents of the Right to Work laws, sometimes called “Workplace Freedom” in Ohio, contend that the initiative’s true purpose is to kill unions and worker protections, leading to a weaker middle class.
Stripping workers of their rights and freedoms would allow business owners to lower worker pay, reduce worker benefits and ignore worker rights.
To keep voters well informed on the dangers of Right-to-Work Keep Ohio’s Heritage has been running ads on cable and network television designed to educate voters on the issue.
For more information on the Right to Work and “Workplace Freedom” movements, please visit the website, www.protectohiosmiddleclass.org
Direct link: https://prnewschannel.com/2013/12/02/election-results-signal-turning-tide-in-ohios-right-to-work-fight/SOURCE: Keep Ohio's Heritage
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