Ohio Right to Work Amendment: Right Policy, Wrong Time
by BytorIt’s been over two weeks since Ohioans rejected the reasonable government union reforms in Issue 2. Big Labor poured over $30 million into a campaign to persuade voters to stay with the status quo. But they also rejected a whopping 78% of school levies that requested additional funds to pay for the ever increasing costs of public union benefits. So in the end, the unions convinced voters that laying off more public workers is preferable to asking them to contribute a bit more to their own benefits.
Not two days later, there was already talk of a new union related referendum. Chris Littleton held a press conference to announce an initiative to amend the Ohio Constitution to make Ohio a “right to work” state.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The group of conservatives and Tea Party activists that won a landslide victory on Tuesday with Ohio’s “healthcare freedom” amendment wants to come back to voters with a new proposal — a “right-to-work” initiative.
Dubbed the “Ohio Workplace Freedom Amendment,” the issue would place into the Ohio Constitution a ban on requiring Ohioans to join a union as a condition of employment.
Littleton was also one of the key organizers behind Issue 3, which won easily, with fully 66% of voters rejecting forced healthcare in Ohio, despite an energized and mobilized Democratic turnout against Issue 2. It was a remarkable effort that several of us at 3BP were involved with, as well. A true grassroots only effort, there was no TV advertising on either side, and certainly almost no money behind the campaign. Littleton and the countless others are to be commended for their work. One might think that such a resounding victory means that we should forge full steam ahead on getting the right-to-work amendment on the 2012 ballot. One would be wrong.
Now, make no mistake, we agree 100% that Ohio would be better off if its citizens were not forced into unions as a condition of employment at thousands of employers across the state. Governor John Kasich is tirelessly working to make Ohio more attractive to business, and to lure more employers to Ohio. It’s the reason he was elected, and in less than a year, he is already off to a great start, with several announcements of the creation of new permanent jobs coming in just the last week. No doubt about it, Ohio becoming a RTW state would make that job orders of magnitude easier to accomplish.
But now is not the right time. Putting this issue on the 2012 ballot could be a disaster.
Ohio conservatives, we must put our focus for 2012 solely on defeating Barack Obama and Sherrod Brown. In this election, we must focus on the national issues of our federal government’s hyper-spending and crushing debt. The only way to change the disastrous course we are currently on is to put the Senate under Republican control, and to put a Republican in the White House. That must be our first priority, not state-level issues. That is where all of our resources must go.
It’s not just a matter of divided attention, either. The placement of another union related issue on the ballot could tip the scales in favor of Obama winning Ohio, and thus winning reelection. Yes, we believe that placing the RTW referendum on the 2012 ballot could actually result in the reelection of Barack Obama, even if the amendment was approved. How? You just watched it happen with Issue 2.
Unions have at their disposal hundreds of millions of dollars that they forcibly take from members to enact their political agenda. We saw them pour $30 million into a campaign to fight legislation that only affected public-sector unions. What do you think they will do against a proposed law that would affect ALL unions in Ohio? The out-of-state money will come gushing in even heavier. And it will give discouraged and apathetic Democrats a reason to go out and vote.
Consider this: right now our chances of beating Obama in Ohio look promising. His disastrous presidency and ridiculous policies have not worked. Currently, his approval rating in Ohio is at 41%, with 49% disapproval. But what’s most important here is the enthusiasm gap. Ohio voters were asked if they were more or less enthusiastic about voting in the 2012 presidential election, compared to past presidential elections.
Of the Ohio Republicans, 41% say they are more excited, while only 15% said they are less so. We’ll call that a +26 on the “enthusiasm index”. How do Ohio Democrats feel about voting next year? Much less excited. Only 22% are more enthusiastic, while 25% as less so, for a -3 on the index. That’s a total difference of 29 points! That’s excellent news for not only the GOP nominee, but for Josh Mandel, as well. A victory for Mandel over Sherrod Brown very well could mean the difference in the U.S. Senate.
Do we really want to give Democrats a reason to be excited about 2012? Do we really want to give the Ohio Democratic Party and national unions another vehicle with which to fire up their GOTV machine for President Downgrade? We don’t!
Don’t get me wrong. Despite the results of Issue 2, I believe that the RTW amendment has a good chance of passing in Ohio. Issue 2 failed partly because Senate Bill 5 was a big, complicated and confusing bill. Most Ohioans didn’t understand it and it was so big that it was easy for unions to spread misinformation about it. Because, seriously, who was actually going to sit down and read through its hundreds of pages? By contrast, the Right-to-Work amendment is short and simple. You either agree that every person should have the choice on whether to personally join a union or not, or you don’t. It fits on one page and that’s it, just like Issue 3 was. It’s hard to argue against that, just like it was hard to argue against whether you should be forced to buy health insurance.
My point is, that whether the RTW amendment passed or failed, it will certainly drive more Democrat-friendly voters out to the polls, at the exact wrong time for America. As America’s foremost bellwether state, we are used to having an enormous amount of influence in presidential elections. No Republican has ever been elected without winning Ohio. That influence we have as a state also comes with consequences and responsibilities. To do anything to jeopardize Barack Obama’s glorious defeat in Ohio would be foolish.
We cannot support putting the Workplace Freedom Amendment on the ballot in 2012. It would be the best news Obama got out of Ohio in a long time. If asked to sign the petition, politely decline and tell the person to come back for your support in August, beyond the July deadline to put the referendum up in 2012. Let’s put America first, kick Obama and Brown out of office, and then come back to fixing Ohio in 2013. We can wait the extra year. We can’t risk 4 more years of what Obama/Brown are doing to America and Ohio.
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Cross-posted on Third Base Politics
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62 Comments
Wow. I never realized John Kasich ran the steeplechase. That had to hurt.
I guess it makes sense to wait a year, but I think Kacish needs to hit back at these people after the Issue 2 failed. It changes the narrative, keeps the union thugs on the defensive, and is ultimately the right thing to do.
As an Ohio resident and private sector employee, I would LOVE for the state to be RTW.
Maybe then I would actually want to stay here.
Ahh. I see. So we need to cower in fear of possible and potential election results and not actually advance the policy (policies) we know to be correct.
Using that "logic" no Republican or conservative would ever do anything.
Would Reagan have said "oh we should wait because it could be bad in the next election" or would he have gone out and explained to the people exactly why it made sense and gotten it done.
Balls, people.
I see your point – but – I think "right to work" is the civil rights issue of our time. I hope to see "right to work" legislation on a federal level so no federal money goes to any enterprise that requires workers to join a union or pay a union. I hope to see much more information on where these union funds go and what the union agenda really is. I've looked for books on union issues and can't find much – there needs to be much more information on union tactics and the realities of cities, school systems and businesses that are dominated by unions.
Makes good sense to me, I won't sign the referendum. Four more years of Olinsky scare the hell out of me.
I personally feel he is right on this. I think this would cause more of the union people to go to the polls to vote and their dead relatives too. Otherwise they might keep their lazy butts in bed because they are so turned off by Obama.
We do need to concentrate on defeating Obama and the PIECE OF CRAP NAMED SHERROD BROWN. I am in no way trying to say Sherrod Brown is a bigger piece of crap than Obama, I am just trying to point it out to anyone who is unfamiliar with THE PIECE OF CRAP SHERROD BROWN.
sorry Bytor,
it's NEVER the wrong time to STOMP OUT A UNION !!!
it WILL happen !
I'm not up on the Ohio constitution; but, if the governor has the right of executive order, he could use that authority to have all public service unions pay more into their medical and retirement plans, or he could disband public sector unions. BO uses executive order all the time at the national level to skirt congress.
I admit that it would be better to go for a RTW amendment after the 2012 elections. That way BO, holder, and his the other trolls would be gone.
I don't know Ohio politics as well as the author, but I do understand raw numbers. First of all, if "no Republican has won the presidency without winning Ohio," then you can expect the same big money to flood the state whether the amendment is on the ballot or not. So let's set that aside. The obama disapproval numbers bode well for the Republican. The enthusiasm gap is absolutely tremendous. Couple that with the 65% win against the mandate. If a "simple bill" like that brought out that kind of majority, it makes sense that another simple, RTW bill would do the same, in fact, INCREASING the likelihood of a Republican win. Or do you think the plurality that would support RTW legislation would also pull the lever for obama? That's not likely.
Like I said, I'm not an Ohioan, so I'll defer to those who are. But simple reasoning tells me this amendment AND a Republican win is entirely feasible.
Husk, Team Parasite, aka OWS called for a boycott of retailers on Black Friday, shouldn’t you be crapping in a park or something. Just kidding. Sadly Kasich didn’t fail, he was trying to save their sorry butts, now they’ll just get fired, I guess that’s better?
The right to work is a human right.
No surprise that leftists want to take away our human rights. They don't believe we have a right to work, no right to life, no right of free speech, no right to practice our religion, no right to freedom…..
The state is broke and taxes are at an all-time high. Yet the voters chose to continue things as they are. I don't get it. I guess the old saying that you get the government you deserve is true.
In other Ohio Newz:
(From the masthead at the top of the homepage here) http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/o...
It is the perfect time for this ballot intiative. With very high turnout expected for the presidential election having this on the ballot would allow more people than usual to vote on it. And isn't the idea of a constitutional republic to have the people decide?
I've lived in states with both unions and right to work. Both have their benefits, and both have their drawbacks, but I prefer the freedom of a RTW state any day. And I dont have to see you union president drive up in an Audi wearing Armani.
Off topic:
Yet this is the biggest news I've read in a long time. It is a bombshell, and will certainly fuel the fire of a topic we have discussed here, almost since day one http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2011/11/2... .
And of course, the DaytonDailyNews trots out the "heart strings" story.
"Centerville resident Tommy Whiteman, 29, saw an ad for Assurance on television about six months ago, applied online and had his phone within a week.
Whiteman was diagnosed with cancer when he was 12. His cancer has been in remission since 1996, but the treatment caused a host of health problems that left him unable to work.
With four children under age 9, regular doctor’s appointments and occasional calls for an ambulance, Whiteman said being without a phone “would be kind of a scary situation.” But on a fixed Social Security income, he said his regular cellphone is frequently turned off when he can’t make the payments."
With a story like that, what else can we say? "Free cell phones for everyone." (Paid for by taxpayers)
According to Kasich, the vote will have no impact on Ohio's budget.
My only comment is, with the ability to pump out four chil'rens, he wasn't that gawddamned sick.
I'd like to know if all four of the nits were to the same woman, or if they were to multiple mommas?
If ya cain't feed 'em, don't breed 'em.
If ya cain't afford your own cell phone, you damn sure cain't afford four rugrats.
How do you think you increase a "fixed SS income?" More chil'en. Bigger fix.
Ok.
Now I understand.
That is how they get raises.
Pump out another nit.
Johnnie, I think the joke is on US, and the "fix" is in.
What does that have to do with people being let go? If the budget stays the same but public unions demand even higher benefits (or even the same inflated benefits) then that means layoffs. What don't you understand about budgeting?
Good, now he can get a job as a work from home customer service representative and make some money! Right?
Thomas Jefferson is credited with saying, “The government you elect is government you deserve.”
Go ahead, big brain, argue with Jefferson. Actually I think Mencken improved upon the quote: "People deserve the government they get, and they deserve to get it good and hard."
The vote will have no impact on Ohio's budget, but Teachers/Public Service Employee's are paid out of local budget's not the state budget.
Oh, that's right, fiance and economics + libtard.
Gotta' agree, Tony. This is precisely the reason why the left wins in so many instances. 'Cause they don't let up on the pressure.
“Any work we have done in the past is done on the back of the research grants we get – and has to be well hidden,” Jones writes in another newly released email. “I’ve discussed this with the main funder (U.S. Dept of Energy) in the past and they are happy about not releasing the original station data.”
Oh, boy, Cowboy, this makes my blood boil. And to think that Al "Flim Flam" Gore convinced millions of American lemmings to put money in his overstuffed pockets makes me even madder. These "people" need to go to prison for a really long time.
Speaking of "the fix is in," did you read through some of the comments from this article? I'm convinced that with the Trillions that are on the line with the AGW hoax, the culprits are paying thousands of people to troll these "climategate" stories, and to deny every bit of evidence that the "science" and "scientists" are bogus. There's just no way that so many people could be that stupid.
I have to disagree, Bytor! Apart from the fact that pressure should never be taken off the subject, after all, that's what the left does with great effectiveness, a huge portion of their resources will be directed to getting Zero and Dims re-elected.
As you have already noted, little money was spent to get some of the resolutions passed during the last go round in Ohio. Do you think maybe it was because the unions used up their resources in just the fight over issue 2?
They are going to be stretched pretty darn thin next year and I think it would be an excellent opportunity for RTW to breeze on in! But, what do I know?
The Focus should NEVER be on Party First. If you believe the Right To Work should be the status quo you should vote that way.
It is the Party First Politics that has this Republic all messed up.
Get yourself over to http://wattsupwiththat.com/ , Cowboy, for some real eyeopeners!
It appears that the warmistas are beginning to back off in droves!!
I wonder when Algore's trial will begin. I find little difference between him and Madoff!
Frankly, they should suspend the trial, and commence with a Public Hanging.
Yes. Just like your call to lynch members of the CBC a few weeks ago. Congratulations, Mr. Racist.
Your question is so stupid I thought it was meant as a joke. My suggestion: Ask for a "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations" for Christmas…along with a nice dictionary to help wiff yer spewlin.
Langone: Recovery to Begin Once Obama Ousted Tuesday, 22 Nov 2011 12:40 PM By Forrest Jones
http://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/Langone-Recov...
"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves."
George Washington
And just like you not to recognize hyperbole unless a lefty says it, Helen.
Sure there is, John. People generally behave no better than cows when someone fires a pistol!
And the warmistas are trying to hide the smoking gun behind their backs!
This latest batch of e-mails shows that they can't hide the smoke for long!
I find this revelation particularly funny http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/11/24/caribou-sup... One comment had me in tears!
It covered all state employees, too.
According to Kasich, this bill did not affect the state budget. As a result, there will be no layoffs at the state level. Whether there will be at the local level, remains to be seen.
Cool. The comment I liked was this:
"The caribou probably failed to respond to an online survey. Hardly the scientists fault if the caribou are not going to cooperate. Bloody denialist caribou…"
Regardless, the Ohio Budget was not affected by the vote, but local communities will face budget shortfalls. Teachers / Firefigters will be facing layoffs around Ohio.
Alright Ohio…fight on…fight on…for freedoms and liberties…to NOT have to join a union and/or pay dues to the Democratzi 'loons' that they may not agree with!
BANISH THE UNION ‘GOONS’ – BOTH PUBLIC & PRIVATE
IS YOUR STATE “RIGHT TO WORK”? – http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm
MICHIGAN SEIU STEALING MEDICAID PAYMENTS FOR UNION DUES!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4g9ILNUr_8&fe...
GET YOUR UNION DUES REFUNDED IF THEY ARE NOT USING THEM PROPERLY…Republican Saul Anuzis (a former member of the Teamsters) announced the launch of a new website specifically designed to give union members assistance in getting refunds for the portion of their dues used on politics. It is not “anti-union,” it is a site with one purpose—to help union members who do NOT want their dues money used on politics, regardless of party.
http://www.unionrefund.org/
HuskyLurvsBarry'sOdor has no understanding of budgets…he's a Leftist scrote…
Screwing taxpayers is as far as he goes…
That's what they voted for…that's what they deserve…
I would be campaigning tirelessly to shove this straight up the Left's backside…
"Who Dares, Wins…"
Look at this way…the policemen/firemen are part of your "first responders" group, like the military, and maybe they might get a bit of a pass on the union…at least for the time being…
But for someone putting on lug nuts…and his overlords in the union leadership breaking the backs of the taxpayer…this should be a no brainer choice…
And after you look at your children's test scores, you'll want to put the teachers in with the lug nuts…
Since Kasich said the rejection of SB5 will not affect their budget on the state level, no taxpayers are "getting screwed".
Here is an article from the Cincinati newspaper which supported SB5: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?... Read and weep.
Anytime taxpayers are paying for the Socialist State, they are getting screwed…the question is, SHOULD THEY BE THE ONES PAYING FOR IT…??
Kasich has it WRONG…wrong, wrong, wrong…!!
I'm not into parsing like you are…they (taxpayers) are paying for it, and they shouldn't be…
That would be true IF the Democrats could restrain themselves from voting illegal aliens, convicted felons and every name in the cemeteries and quit shuttling the homeless around to vote for your candidates in multiple precincts and paying them off with a pint of Ripple and a pack of cigarettes.
Police and firefighters should NOT be excluded from ending unionism. NO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE should be permitted to belong to a union—period—and they weren't until JFK allowed it by…brace yourself…Executive Order. Even FDR thought it was an inherently bad idea because there is NO ONE between those paying the bills and those demanding the money except the very politicians who take from the producers and "redistribute" their money to the union members, hoping to get SOME of that tax money back in the form of contributions after being suitably "laundered" by the union leadership.
The law doesn't require an employee to join a union. Compulsory membership is something that is bargained into a lawful contract like any other condition of employment, such as continued training, professional association membership, or being required to purchase and wear a uniform.
I hate unions as much as the next red-blooded conservative, but the government has absolutely no right to interfere in a lawful contract between two private parties! Union membership is less than 9% now anyways. Most people will live, work, and die without ever joining a union. I'm not willing to let the state intrude on my freedom of contract just to stomp out the last vestiges of a movement that will be dead in 20 years anyway!
I live in Louisiana, which is a Right-To-Work state. I had been blissfully unaware of unions for most of my life. There are unions in Louisiana, but I have never worked in an industry which involves them, but have known 3 or 4 folks who are members.
My only real exposure to a labor union was when our local grocery store was shut down (closed, driven out of business) because union people came into town and coerced some of the employees to unionize, and then they went on strike and then they all lost their jobs because they caused the business to fail. They walked a picket line for months, which people were apparently afraid to cross. Or wouldn't cross because they supported the union. Why they would support them, I have no idea. Everyone lost in that situation. It was the most STUPID activity I've ever seen, and it soured me on unions completely.
In the last several years, I have spent a great deal of time learning about various aspects of the history of our country, with a lot of focus on Communists and their influence on our society.
Naturally, while reading about Communism in America, unions always come up, as the labor union movement was apparently started by the Communist Party of the United States, or some such similar group.
Now that I have been learning about labor unions, I am BEYOND GRATEFUL, that I am able to apply for jobs, take jobs, get promotions, get offered a different job, find a new job, etc. without the SHACKLES of union membership. The money I make is mine (except what is removed from pay by greedy federal, state and local governments), I have ZERO pressure in regards to politics. I live without the pressure of impending strikes, fear of speaking my mind, etc. There are no union meetings, no controversy over union pensions which mysteriously disappear, with union leadership unwilling to provide any paperwork.
It would be so nice if someone could make a short video detailing a day in the life of a Union worker, versus a non-Union worker.
Someone please do that.
I know we have extremely talented people who frequent this site. (extremely smart and talented)
Doesn't prove much, libtard. Down at that end of Ohio, all those suburban districts mentioned in that article are heavily conservative, including Westchester (which is Boehner's district). Why would it be surprising that cities and townships that are consistently republican/conservative areas are financially stable and prepared?
Read and understand. Northern & Eastern Ohio are the liberal parts of the state, not Cincinnati.
Can't the legislature pass, and governor sign, right to work legislation? Why does it have to go on the ballot?
Here's how that video looked when we had to have Union crew on some contracts where I worked. Our crew took a GREAT deal of pride in our reputation for getting the loads in and set up, the show run and the loads out with the people on their way in record time with an excellent safety record. When we had to run a show with Union crew (Disney required a percentage of the crew be Union, for instance), we had to do only one task. If we needed a task done with a wrench instead of the screwdriver, we waited for the screwdriver guy. Our shifts were fairly short, so we didn't take standard breaks, but worked in what we needed. The Union guys would stop whatever work was being done and go stand around. They worked slowly anyway. Their superior attitudes were weird. They always had to have a guy on the forklift. As though no one on our crew managed when they were gone. It was disgusting. Then they would be gone and we would get back to our work. My friend at the Post Office says she was literally intimidated into working less because it made "the boss expect more form everyone". No kidding. I know not all people are like that. However, when one knows they aren't rewarded for excellence, most choose the path of least resistance.
To the contrary–the state is far from broke. It is spending more in the current budget than it did under Strickland.The problem is republicans keep giving money back and then hard times come and the cupboard is bare. Seems to me that is pi..poor management. Anyone who has studied the history of unions knows they have nothing to do with communists and everything to do with upholding people's rights to dignity and fair treatment in the workplace. The right to work in RTW states is the boss's to let you work not your's. The main divide here is do you believe in the essential right of people to be able to make a living or don't you. If you don't, then letting employers run roughshod over you is your game. If you believe fairness and justice is important, then being able to speak up without worrying about getting fired for it is an essential right all workers should have.
Hi BigRock! Those are excellent segments to use in the video…
Maybe if others throw in, this thread will produce enough fodder for someone to pick it up as a project
I have a bunch of questions too which could be answered in the video… Like, when you are applying for a job which requires union membership… do you have to join the union first, or do you get the job and then immediately join the union?
I assume that membership depends on the Union. I am no expert. I just know that Unions are a great foil for sloth and mediocrity. I think you can get a job and then join SAG, or have someone get you in so you can accept their job offer. For the union at the place I spoke of, there was a jealously guarded waiting list of about two years that was or was not honestly kept. If you had a recommend, I “heard” the list got shorter, but that was just what everyone said.
Well a few of you asked for a union perspective, here it is.
I work for chrysler, I completely support my union and I am a republican. The government already has a right to work law. This law is to weaken an already weak force, the union. One person claimed union members were "lug nutters".. Personally id rather be a lug nutter than in the bottom class with no middle class existant. Lug nutter > 3rd world economy am I right? When I wasnt in the union I hated them just like most of you. Now that im in UAW685 I couldnt be happier. Job security and health benefits along with retirement. Why wouldnt you want this? Most of you are from the far right, some are jealous, others are ignorant.
To the person with their local grocery store closure-
Yes its horrible, a locally owned business collapsing but theres more than unions involved. That personally seems like they couldnt come to an agreement so went separate ways, yes people lost jobs, yes you lost a grocery store. However, unions take that chance everytime they stand up for what they believe is right. You die fighting for what you believe in. its a misfortune to both sides and the community amd im sorry.
-inflation
Unions have raised wages for all workers and increased sales prices. However deflating the ynions will not fix the problem. Compare it to have a car and all tires being flat. If you air up one tire(rtw law passing) will the car be good to go?? Of course not.
Use common sense people, quit thinking like parties and think about your future, not all of you will be working in the priv. Sector or completing college. Can you live and support youself, not including children or a family off 8$/hr with no retirement or healthcare?
I will be making a trip to my state house in indianapolis tomorrow to fight our own rtw bill.
Just remember there are otger solutions, instead of rtw pass exemptions with it such as if you do not pay union duea then the union is not legally obligated to protect you. Simple as that. you cant golf at a country club with paying club fees, if you dont like that then you take your golfing to a public course. It is the same with a union held job.
I also am sorry for my typos, I'm trying to do this with a very small screened phone and gloves.
Take care
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