by James Parks, Mar 9, 2011
Ohio’s working people served notice that they are more energized than ever to defeat S.B. 5, Gov. John Kasich’s anti-worker bill that takes away bargaining rights from public employees. The state Senate passed the bill by one vote in a last-minute, dirty-trick maneuver, and the state House began hearings yesterday.
Working families’ determination was evident yesterday as thousands of protesters converged on the steps of the state Capitol to protest Kasich’s State of the State address.
Over the weekend, union members hit the streets to educate other Ohio residents about the bill. AFSCME Ohio Council 8, OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11 and OAPSE/AFSCME organized door-to-door canvasses in Canton, Dayton, Toledo and Westerville. The Ohio Education Association also held postcard writing events across the state on Saturday and Monday, and nearly 200 workers and community members turned out for a rally against S.B. 5 in Portsmouth organized by the Shawnee Labor Council.
