Congratulations to Ohio State Senator Shannon Jones for introducing Senate Bill 5 to End Collective Bargaining in Ohio.

Section 1. It is the General Assembly's intent that sections of the Revised Code be amended, enacted, or repealed to prohibit the state and state employees and state institutions of higher education and their employees from collectively bargaining, to abolish salary schedules for public employees and instead require merit pay, and to make various other changes to the Collective Bargaining Law.

Finally!

Hello Mish,



Due to some mix-up in email addresses I get all the AFSCME email propaganda (I am not an AFSCME member nor do I live in Ohio)



If you don’t already know about it, I thought you might find this bill pending in the Ohio state senate interesting.



Been a long time reader of your blog. Thanks for the good work.



Craig

More Good Ideas From Shannon Jones

Allowing state workers to unionize "hamstrings us in our ability to manage our costs," Jones said. Eliminating collective bargaining "means we can start having real discussions about merit. People should be paid and promoted based on merit."



"If we're going to have collective bargaining in the state, we must have a system where we encourage people to bargain in good faith and they have equal ability to gain and lose," Jones said. "The way the system is set up as it relates to safety forces in particular, they hold a lot of power over these local communities."



Other changes Jones is considering:



Eliminate from state law automatic pay increases for longevity, known as steps. Jones said these could still be negotiated.

Require more accurate disclosure of pay raises to the public, including step increases. "You shouldn't be able to say you didn't get a raise when it's a raise we called something else," Jones said.

Eliminate the law that gives teachers 15 sick days per year. This would be negotiated, Jones said.

Prohibit schools and local governments from picking up any part of an employer's pension contribution.

Prohibit employers from paying more than 80 percent of the costs of health-insurance premiums.

Pass a bill prohibiting union dues from being used for political purposes. Better yet, eliminate public unions entirely.

They certainly do not serve the public.

Phone Your Senators

After you determine your senator's name, please click on the above AFSCME link, enter your phone number, and you will get a callback in 10 seconds. Disregard the propaganda and request your senator to vote Yes on Senate Bill 5.



Tell your senator that collective bargaining drives up costs and it is time for merit pay.

While you are at it, ask for a bill that will stop union dues from being used for political purposes.