Ohio Legislature approves union limits

Ohio is following the lead of Wisconsin in moving to curb collective bargaining for 350,000 public workers, expanding the divisive political battle now underway in some state capitals

The state's Republican-led Legislature on Wednesday swiftly approved the measure, which bans strikes and prohibits unions from negotiating benefits for public workers.

The House approved the measure, 53-44, while several hundred protesters looked on. The Senate followed a few hours later on a 17-16 vote.

The action clears the way for Republican Gov. John Kasich to sign it into law, possibly as soon as this week.

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The actions mirror similar debate and approval in Wisconsin of legislation eliminating collective-bargaining rights for some state workers. But the Ohio measure goes further by including police officers and firefighters, who were exempted in Wisconsin.

Kasich, who has pushed for the changes, has proposed a $55.5 billion, two-year state budget that counts on unspecified savings from lifting union protections for workers to help plug an $8 billion shortfall. A former congressman, Kasich was chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee during the twin federal government shutdowns over budget disputes in 1995 and 1996.

"This state cannot pay what we've been paying in the past," Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder said before the vote. "This bill will give control back to the people who pay the bill."

Democrats and union supporters said Republicans were trying to bust unions and vowed to seek a ballot-box repeal.

"We will take this fight to the ballot, and we will win," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said after the Senate vote. "The referendum effort begins tomorrow."

The bill affects safety workers, teachers, nurses and other government employees. It allows unions to negotiate wages but not health care, sick time or pension benefits on their behalf. It halts automatic pay increases and replaces them with merit raises or performance-based pay. Workers would be banned from striking.

Before approving the bill, the House toughened its provisions. It added bans on automatic deductions from employee paychecks to union political committees and fees for non-union employees covered by union-bargained contracts.

Although thousands protested at the state Capitol in Columbus, the demonstrations have been less intense than those in Madison, Wis., where as many as 70,000 people gathered.

Posted in: International News