Ohio voters reject GOP-backed union limits

In this Nov. 3, 2011 photo, opponents of Issue 2 await the arrival of Ohio Gov. John Kasich for a rally in Independence, Ohio. / AP Photo

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state's new collective bargaining law was defeated Tuesday after an expensive union-backed campaign that pitted firefighters, police officers and teachers against the Republican establishment.

In a political blow to GOP Gov. John Kasich, voters handily rejected the law, which would have limited the bargaining abilities of 350,000 unionized public workers.

Labor and business interests poured more than $30 million into the nationally watched campaign, and turnout was high for an off-year election.

The law hadn't taken effect yet. Tuesday's result means the state's current union rules will stand, at least until the GOP-controlled Legislature determines its next move. Republican House Speaker William Batchelder predicted last week that the more palatable elements of the collective bargaining bill — such as higher minimum contributions on worker health insurance and pensions — are likely to be revisited after the dust settles.

Ohio's union rights referendum: A swing state sets the stage for the 2012 election

Earlier this year, thousands of people swarmed the Statehouse in protest when the bill was being heard. The bill still allowed bargaining on wages, working conditions and some equipment but banned strikes, scrapped binding arbitration and dropped promotions based solely on seniority, among other provisions.

Kasich and fellow supporters promoted the law as a means for local governments to save money and keep workers. Their effort was supported by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business-Ohio, farmers and others.

We Are Ohio, the largely union-funded opponent coalition, painted the issue as a threat to public safety and middle-class workers, spending millions of dollars on TV ads filled with images of firefighters, police officers, teachers and nurses.

Celebrities came out on both sides of the campaign, with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and singer Pat Boone urging voters to retain the law and former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn and the Rev. Jesse Jackson urging them to scrap it.

Labor and business interests poured more than $30 million into the nationally watched campaign, with the law's opponents far outspending and outnumbering its defenders.

Opponents reported raising $24 million as of mid-October, compared to about $8 million raised by the committee supporting the law, Building a Better Ohio.

Tuesday's result in the closely divided swing state was expected to resonate from statehouses to the White House ahead of the 2012 presidential election.

Ohio's bill went further than a similar one in Wisconsin by including police officers and firefighters, and it was considered by many observers to be a barometer of the national mood on the political conundrum of the day: What's the appropriate size and role of government, and who should pay for it?

Kasich has vowed not to give up his fight for streamlining government despite the loss.

For opponents of the law, its defeat is anticipated to energize the labor movement, which largely supports Democrats, ahead of President Barack Obama's re-election effort.

[askagain]

If you were among the 47% who don't pay income taxes, would you care how tax money is spent? That is why all working people should have to pay some taxes, even if it is a nominal amount. That way, we would not have 47% of the population making decisions about taxes for the 53% who carry the tax burden.

[Kev117]

To not pay income taxes means a family of 4 making under $24K a year. And they still pay FICA tax, sales tax, local school tax, all the other little taxes. they don't pay income tax because their INCOME IS TOO LOW.

I'm not jealous of them, are you? If so, cut your income. Live on cat food.

[Overruled1]

by Kev117 November 9, 2011 10:13 AM EST

You struck a nerve with the cat food bit....you see as a kid, my parents sent me to the corner store, where as an innocent child I came to see an old man exam cat food ingredients...I asked the owner if he owned cats, the owner told me he lived on cat food because he was poor, old, and unemployed....
About a week later I saw this man jump from a 3rd story window killing him and leaving a stain I could see for years....
I have hoped that we would never live through times like that again, But thanks to corruption, our nation is in a collapsing economy..

[NoWayJose9999]

The people of Ohio have stricken a blow against corporate fascism.....

[nancy_naive]

Unions made this country great. Geez, the nation is the Union.

[realist51]

Agreed there Nancy. There once was a time in our recent history when workers were offered more and benefits were not taken away It used to be that you were proud to see that your neighbor had a job that offered benefits and great wages. Now the mentality is well if i have to pay for health ins then everyone else should. how about it being I shouldn't have to pay for any insurance and get four weeks vacation and a living wage for services rendered. There is always the talk about corporations sitting on trillions of dollars and not spending it but yet go into the bosses office and ask for fifty cents more an hour and full medical benefits and they will walk your out the door laughing all the way.

[nancy_naive]

Walker's next.

[realist51]

Yep! Six more days until the recall petitioning can start. With what happen in Ohio yesterday, Walker may need to sit down over a cup of coffee and rethink his ideology's. Sure he made the case about getting the public union employee's to contribute more to there pensions and health care. But to attack the right to collectively bargain went to far.

[Skruffy1]

GOOD!!!!

[jeannutson]

The rejection of the law maybe obvious and anticipated but will not necessarily mean improvement in the workers living conditions.

[ladyang]

Good for you, OHIO! Remember that next November!!

[askagain]

The voters of Ohio spoke. Obviously, they are be willing to absorb the higher taxes that will be required to pay for ever increasing salaries and benefits for unionized government employees. That is their choice.

[nuttyworld]

A big win for unions; a big loss for taxpayers. Why is it so difficult for people to understand that government employees are paid by taxpayers - the very people who complain that they need larger salaries so that they can afford the taxes. Duh. Ohio will be another California before too long. Keep up the good work.

[magnumdr]

Good for the people in Ohio. One of the people of this Countries next moves should be to cut the paychecks that all of our elected people get and the benefits to. A senator making $175,000 per year will continue to get paid this same ammount when they retire from politics for the rest of their lives with the benefits. If they die the spouse gets the same checks and benefits until she passes on. At this time in our lives we simply cannot afford to pay these kinds of wages to our elected people. It almost seems sinful for these people to continue to take home this kind of pay when many Americans are loosing everything they ever had. The people of the USA have to figure out a way to get this kind of over payment down to an acceptable level for the work these people do. What would be wrong with the pay for these jobs be cut by 50%, and when they leave office they can collect SS just like the rest of the citizens here do!. This is completly outrageous for these people to get paid so much for a job they do because they are our civil servants. They should all feel guilty when they get paid while the rest of us can't even find good jobs!!!

[NoWayJose9999]

The average New York State public pension is $18,000.00 a year.