Ohio labor groups celebrate as ‘Workplace Freedom’ amendment fails to make November ballot

In what many are hoping is a nail in the coffin of the Ohio Right to Work push, labor supporters across the state have been enlivened by news that the controversial “Workplace Freedom” amendment has been left off November’s ballot.

“While we’re not necessarily out of the woods, it’s a great feeling to know that we’re making significant headway against Right to Work,” said Pat Sink, IUOE Local 18 business manager. “Results like this really encourage us to stay vigilant and make sure this cancerous movement stays out of our state.”

“Workplace Freedom’s” stall apparently was a direct result of a lack of voter support.

Ohioans for Workplace Freedom, a Right to Work advocacy group, spent nearly two years gathering signatures in hopes of forcing a Right to Work amendment to ballot. Despite their best efforts, the group only gathered around 100,000, well short of the roughly 385,000 needed to force the issue.

Following the failure, Dispatch.com reports the activist behind the push has left Ohio altogether.

“I believe the takeaway from all of this is that Ohioans do not want Right to Work in their backyard,” said Sink. “They understand the issue and know what this type of legislation would do to the middle class.”

Sink, a veteran of Ohio’s Right to Work battle, believes that an increased focus on education and awareness has led to the state’s Right to Work downfall.

“It’s incredibly important that the average voter is aware of the underlying issues behind Right to Work,” says Sink. “Although the Republicans are using appealing names to describe the legislation, Ohioans are beginning to see the movement’s true intentions.”

Opponents of the recent Ohio Right to Work effort, including the “Workplace Freedom” bills, contend that the initiative’s true purpose is to kill unions and worker protections, ultimately leading to a weaker middle class.

By stripping workers of their rights and freedoms, business owners would be free to lower worker pay, reduce worker benefits and ignore worker rights.

Whether Republicans utilize “Paycheck Protection,” “Workplace Freedom,” or other Right to Work tactics, opponents remain dedicated to ensuring the voting public knows the underlying nature behind the GOP’s divisive agenda.

For more information about Right to Work in Ohio, please visit www.protectohiosmiddleclass.org