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Ear to the Ground

First Wisconsin, Now Ohio

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Posted on Mar 1, 2011
Wikimedia Commons / ErgoSum88

All that talk about Wisconsin being a potential test case for the rest of the country might be right, as now Ohio’s Senate is preparing for a vote this week that could end collective bargaining for public-sector workers in the name of—you guessed it—austerity.  —KA

The New York Times:

“This is going to get passed and people will sit back and say, ‘What happened?’ ” said Mark Horton, a retired firefighter who is treasurer of the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters. “Once it’s done, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.”

Unlike similar legislation in Wisconsin, which exempts police officers and firefighters, the Ohio bill includes them, making the measure particularly contentious. The bill is expected to be taken up by the Ohio Senate as soon as Thursday.

But Republicans say legislation that seeks to eliminate long-held union prerogatives are part of broader austerity measures intended to reduce crippling budget deficits, of which public employee pensions have played a growing role.

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By purplewolf, March 3, 2011 at 5:27 pm Link to this comment

With all this anti-union actions going on, don’t these Repugs realize that with less income that people earn, the less taxes collected ? Unless they raise taxes to cover the losses they are creating right now with all of this union busting.Unions have helped assure that people will get paid a fair wage for their days work. If the unions are busted we can look forward to less income,unhealthy and unsafe working conditions,lower wages and no benefits or very few and far.

We will be going backwards rather than advancing. With less income, people will have to cut back on everything they would purchase normally which means the rich, who feed off of the working people in so many ways would also have less coming in for their overflowing bank accounts. How many people will be able to afford those 40K electric cars when they work at McDonald’s? Not many. We will be lucky to keep a roof over our heads and feed our families. Forget about anything else.

Thank you GOP/T.P.er’s and the rest of those who cater only to the rich in this country.

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Leefeller's avatar

By Leefeller, March 3, 2011 at 4:27 pm Link to this comment

Several years back I traveled through Ohio, it may be a beautiful state, but the state of Ohio seemed tired and the economy appeared very stagnate back then, in 2006. I suspect Ohio… may be the future rest of us!

\

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By rollzone, March 2, 2011 at 4:17 pm Link to this comment

hello. Ohio has been in the worst way for the longest
time (not factually: actually). they now require
dramatic and drastic reversals of most policies
regarding regulations and taxation. there no longer
exists a work environment, it is on life support. it is
a beautiful state, and a return to sound economics
would be very welcome. public sector workers are the
only ‘well paid’ employees in some districts.
everything has to take a huge jolt to bring their
economy back to life. this is a step in the right
direction.

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PatrickHenry's avatar

By PatrickHenry, March 2, 2011 at 6:41 am Link to this comment

NY Times

Another change would prohibit all public employees from striking, a right that public sector unions say is their only tool for getting a fair deal in labor disputes. The bill would impose fines and imprisonment for violators.

Fines and imprisonment for chooseing not to work.

Civil wars have started over less.  Beware of what may lead out of this.

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