Ohio voters overwhelmingly reject governor's attempt to strip bargaining rights
Voters in Ohio have overwhelmingly approved a referendum to repeal Senate Bill 5, a controversial bill signed into law by Gov. John Kasich. The bill was designed to silence the voices and strip away the collective bargaining rights of public workers.
Ohioans reacted to the politically motivated attack by taking matters into their own hands. More than 10,000 volunteers collected 1.3 million signatures to trigger a citizen veto process to put a referendum of the unpopular law on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Bipartisan coalition defeated SB5
Ohio voters came together and formed We Are Ohio, a citizen-driven, community-based, bipartisan coalition to stop Senate Bill 5. Members of both the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association played a critical role in We are Ohio's success, pounding the streets, knocking on doors and phone banking their way to repeal of SB5.
"Policy makers behind Issue 2 must respond to the results of this election with fairness for public employees and commitment to safety and service toward our communities," said Ohio Education Association President Patricia Frost-Brooks, whose union represents 128,000 educators. One out of every four volunteers who hit the streets to campaign against Issue 2 belonged to the Ohio Education Association.
The Ohio Federation of Teachers, led by president Sue Taylor, was a prominent partner in the statewide coalition working to repeal the law as well. "Ohioans said loud and clear that taking away the rights of workers does not solve our state's economic problems," she said.
Volunteers spent countless hours to defeat bill
The Cleveland Teachers Union phone bank made well over 300,000 calls. Volunteers like Joanne Qunnie, a paraprofessional, put in countless shifts. Linda Golba, a retired teacher, gathered thousands of signatures. And Annette Chase, a full-time teacher, worked up to 20 hours a week making sure that her fellow Ohioans knew what was at stake.
"Issue 2 was a purposeful attack on teachers," said Courtney Johnson, a high school English teacher in Ironton, Ohio. Johnson became one of the faces of the We Are Ohio campaign to defeat Issue 2. "They said this was about the budget, but it was never about the budget. This was about taking away the rights of middle-class Ohioans."
Kindergarten teacher Theresa Foster, who identifies herself as a staunch Republican and whose husband is serving in Afghanistan, says that Issue 2 was not about politics. She said it was about power, political payback and very bad policy.
"Attacking educators and other public employees is not what I expected and it's not what the Republican Party stands for," said Foster, who teaches at Glendening Elementary School in Groveport, Ohio. Foster was outraged by how elected leaders in her own party tried to pass such an extreme law that it caused her to go door to door to campaign against Issue 2. "I took a pay cut like many educators and have shared in the sacrifices. I'm disappointed in the leaders of my party, and I'll be watching them from here on out."
A wake-up call for politicians
"Ohioans said loud and clear that they would not turn their backs on the people who watch theirs," said AFT president Randi Weingarten. "The historic citizens' veto was a victory for all Ohioans, and for all Americans who care about democracy and fair play."
"This decisive vote should be a wakeup call for politicians who go too far or who are considering following in the footsteps of Gov. Kasich," concluded NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "They'll have to think twice before launching politically motivated and unfair attacks on public workers. There is a price to pay for turning your back on the middle class."
Watch a video of NEA and OEA members in action.
November 09, 2011