By Nelson Cary on Posted in LegislationOpponents of Senate Bill 5, the law that would reform Ohio’s public employee collective bargaining rules, have cleared the first hurdle in getting a referendum on the ballot in November 2011. The first step required opponents to submit at least 1,000 signatures in support of the referendum to the Secretary of State. Opponents were also required to… Continue Reading
By Nelson Cary on Posted in Legislation,SERB On March 31, 2011, Governor Kasich signed Senate Bill 5 into law. Governor Kasich’s signature ends the legislative process that began earlier this year. As is usually the case, the bill changed significantly from the beginning to the end of the process, starting out by eliminating bargaining entirely for certain state employees. The legislative… Continue Reading
By Nelson Cary on Posted in Legislation,SERBToday, the Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee considered amendments to Senate Bill 5. According to a report in The Columbus Dispatch, some of the changes considered include: Giving public employees the right to refuse to pay "fair share" fees to unions. Making some changes to impasse resolution mechanisms, primarily by providing an option of a public referendum on… Continue Reading
By Nelson Cary on Posted in Legislation,SERBSenate Bill 5, the legislation that would substantially reform the public employee collective bargaining system in Ohio, has passed the Ohio Senate. It now moves on to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration. The bill that passed in the Senate was significantly different from the bill originally introduced by its sponsor, Senator Shannon Jones… Continue Reading
By Nelson Cary on Posted in SERBThe headline on our last post certainly seems apt now. A battle truly has erupted — and not just here in Ohio — over the issue of public sector employee collective bargaining rights. Wisconsin also confronts the issue; coverage of that dispute is easy enough to come by, but here is a recent example. Michigan, however,… Continue Reading
By Nelson Cary on Posted in SERBOn February 9, 2011, Senator Shannon Jones (R – Springboro) introduced Senate Bill 5. It contains significant changes to Ohio’s State Employment Relations Act, the law that governs public employee labor/management relations. Labor unions decried the proposal, and hundreds of union members appeared at the initial hearing of the bill. The law amends several provisions of the Ohio… Continue Reading
By Nelson Cary on Posted in SERBIn a press conference yesterday afternoon, Governor-Elect John Kasich discussed Ohio’s public sector bargaining process. The comments suggest that change may be on the horizon when it comes to binding interest arbitration for certain public employees. Ohio law presently limits the right of certain employees to strike. These employees typically hold safety sensitive positions, like police… Continue Reading
