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Ohio Locals Help Mobilize Thousands To
Stop Bad Bill

July 1, 2011

In May, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law a bill that bans public employees from striking and restricts collective bargaining for more than 350,000 state workers, police officers, teachers and others. Workers across the state were enraged.

Columbus Local 683 Business Manager Mario Ciardelli and his members joined thousands of union workers, religious groups and community organizations under the umbrella of We Are Ohio, as a petition campaign was launched calling for a referendum to repeal Senate Bill 5. Activists needed 230,000 signatures to put the measure on this coming November’s ballot. The petitions needed to represent at least three percent of the voters in 44 of the state’s 88 counties. They had 90 days to get the job done. Ten thousand petitioners fanned out to make it happen.

On June 29, We Are Ohio sponsored a parade in Columbus to present petitions to the secretary of state.  Ciardelli expected about 400 supporters to show up. But, Ciardelli, who had attended nine rallies opposing the bill and stood in line for hours to attend a senate hearing, was shocked to see throngs of Ohioans crowding into the capital city. He says:

Between three and four thousand people gathered on a field. The parade was so long that I couldn’t see the lead truck. I was marching in front of more than 100 of our supporters on motorcycles.

Even more impressive than the turnout, says Ciardelli, were the number of petitions presented—nearly 1.3 million. The number of petitions presented sets a state record.

For Ohio’s IBEW locals, the fight to repeal SB 5 has been an opportunity to awaken and activate members and retirees. Hamilton Local 648 Business Manager Frank Cloud says his members joined the Butler County Democratic Party on walks, helping boost petition totals.  Says Cloud:

This isn’t just about public sector workers. The governor has already started attacking project labor agreements and the trades. The bill would drive wages down and there would be less money for local governments to spend. It’s a race to the bottom.

Other provisions in SB 5 would limit what public employee unions can negotiate, require them to pay 15 percent of their health care premiums and prevent unions from collecting “fair share” fees from workers who do not join the union.

Toledo Local 245 Business Manager Larry Tscherne assigned local leaders to attend training sessions on laws and regulations governing petitioning for referendums. He addressed the local’s retirees club asking for help and received an enthusiastic response.  Says Tscherne:

The momentum that we had with the petitions and the enthusiasm we’ve seen not just from members of our local but from the community are unprecedented.  You can’t go down the street without seeing bumper stickers on cars saying, “No to SB5!”

Cincinnati Local 212 joined with the city’s AFL-CIO central labor council to host more than 300 activists for training on the SB 5 repeal. Business Manager Scott Smith, whose local’s jurisdiction extends into Kentucky and Indiana, identified the local’s 950 Ohio members, tapping 10 members to work on the petition campaign. They carried petitions to job sites and the local’s apprenticeship training center, and they registered voters at local festivals and community centers. Says Smith:

I don’t think most citizens who voted for Kasich expected him to do what he is doing. It becomes personal for people when the men and women who teach their kids come under attack from the governor.

We Are Ohio is planning to hold “thank you” parties around the state to show appreciation for the hard work of 10,000 volunteers. On July 21, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka will be holding a meeting in Columbus to pledge the federation’s support for the repeal of SB5.Training sessions will start in late July and August to train activists on how to keep the movement alive until November.

On Aug. 20, We Are Ohio will hold a huge rally at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus.Says Local 245 Assistant Business Manager Ken Erdmann:

We are expecting to have around 100,000 folks pass through during the dawn-to-dusk event. Nationally recognized speakers and bands will perform. Efforts to include senior citizens, bikers, church groups, and civic groups are underway. Exhibits will be set up to show off what labor unions in Ohio do.

Tscherne is confident that SB 5 can be defeated, but he knows that a protracted campaign is difficult. He says:

To win, we have to continue our momentum from now until November.