Columbus – State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) called today’s introduction of Senate Bill 5 an attack on working families. The legislation eliminates collective bargaining for state employees and binding arbitration for local police and firefighters. Senator Schiavoni, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee, issued the following statement:
“Senate Bill 5 is an attack on hard working Ohioans from every corner of the state. This bill will likely lead to lower wages and benefits for police officers, firefighters and other public employees who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.
“State employees have already accepted unpaid furloughs, wage freezes and pay cuts to balance the current state budget. The most recent concessions saved the state $250 million, plus an additional $100 million will be cut from health care benefits.
“The Republican sponsor of the bill claims eliminating collective bargaining rights and binding arbitration would bring more “transparency” to public employee contracts. But, what the legislation really does is give employers the power to impose whatever settlements they wish without regard to fairness and the impact on working families.”