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Mr. Laubach IS on the right track.

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Pacman View Drop Down
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    Posted: Dec 08 2010 at 5:26pm

Thomas Suddes: Republicans ready to go 
after public employee unions

2:14 PM Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Ohio’s public employee unions should fasten their seat-belts: They may be in for rough 2011 rides, thanks to the clout — and long memories — of Statehouse Republicans, and not just because public employee unions threw everything but kitchen sinks at GOP Gov.-elect John R. Kasich and Republican General Assembly candidates.

Likely in Republicans’ cross-hairs are parts of Ohio’s 1983 collective bargaining law for public employees. A Democratic-run General Assembly passed the labor law without attracting a single Republican vote, and Democratic Gov. Richard F. Celeste swiftly signed the measure.

It replaced the unworkable Ferguson Act, passed after World War II, named for a Republican state senator from Guernsey County, not the Democratic dynasty. The Ferguson Act outlawed strikes by public employees. They struck anyway.

Term-limits or no, some of the same Republicans who voted “no” on the 1983 collective bargaining bill will be at the Ohio House’s helm in 2011: Speaker-designate William G. Batchelder of Medina; his designated deputy, Rep. Louis W. Blessing of Cincinnati; and the House Republican who’ll ride herd on the state budget, Rep. Ron Amstutz of Wooster.

If the GOP-run House, GOP-run state Senate and John Kasich do try to reshape the 1983 law — no one is talking seriously about repealing it — some Ohio Democrats may secretly, very secretly, cheer them on: Mayors, school superintendents and such.

Their gripe is that while Amended Substitute Senate Bill 133, formal name of the 1983 law, does some things very well — hold down the number of public-employee strikes — labor peace isn’t cheap.

The 1983 law maps out the procedural route cities and school boards must follow to arrive at labor settlements. But when cities and school boards reach that destination, how to pay the tab is City Hall’s headache, or the school board’s headache — that is, Mary or John Taxpayer’s headache — not the General Assembly’s (except for the roughly 59,000 state-agency employees).

And parts of the law, and related rulings, can spawn migraines. For example, in a brazen 1989 political flip-flop, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that — despite the home-rule powers the Ohio Constitution promises cities — the 1983 law imposes binding arbitration on a city if contract talks with safety forces deadlock.

That’s a head-splitter, because the law also requires “whatever actions are necessary to implement” an arbitrator’s decision: That is, cities are expected to pay up — and shut up.

The 1989 ruling was the exact opposite of a 1988 one, also 4-3. What changed? Not the law; the judges. Conservative Democratic Justice Ralph S. Locher, once Cleveland’s mayor, retired. Elected his successor in November 1988 was union-friendlier Democrat Alice Robie Resnick.

Result: The May 1989 switcheroo came in what’s called the Rocky River case. In Ohio courtrooms, “legal precedent” seems to be code for “election results.”

Binding arbitration for safety forces was a trade-off by Democrats. The 1983 law forbids police and firefighter strikes. So safety forces, deprived of that basic union weapon, get arbitration. It’s a reasonable theory. The question is whether, in practice, it’s fair, since it ties the hands of local officials, and it’s their job, not arbitrators’, to balance the books.

The debate Statehouse Republicans seem poised to launch in 2011 is this: How can the state require local officials to manage local budgets if they’re denied say-so over a big chunk of personnel costs?

True, for eons, that scam was a pillar of the Ohio Way: Play frugal in Columbus by shifting costs onto local taxpayers. But the rubes have caught on. Now they may boycott the game — unless someone changes its rules.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Voice of Reason Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 08 2010 at 8:46pm
Thanks for posting this, Pacman.  I agree with Laubach and I'm very glad he raised the issue. 
"Ask not what your country can do for you..." JFK
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 12:12am
Pacman, also thanks for your research. Very informative "historic" persepctive associated with the uniqueness of Ohio.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 6:57am

Smell the Change: Ohio Mayor Suggests It's Time To Eliminate Public Sector Unions

On February 24th, 2010, Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don L. Robart delivered his annual State of the City Address (PDF). The highlights are worth sharing.

One year ago today, I stood before many of you and warned of the storm clouds that were forming overhead. I spoke of the extended recession and the impact it was having on local and state budgets. I expressed concern that with payrolls being essentially locked –in, due to mandatory collective bargaining, at 3% and health care cost rising between 12 and 15%, it was only a matter of time before the economic bubble would burst. Little did I know that the imminent burst was only months away.

...as we now know, the jobs creation promise of 2009 nationally has more closely resembled a nightmare. With unemployment a year ago at 8%, it is currently over 10% and since the signing of the stimulus bill, we have lost 2.8 million jobs. These job loss figures clearly have a direct effect on state and city budgets. Cuyahoga Falls is no exception. Cities essentially rely on two forms of revenue: property taxes and income taxes. In 2009, we saw both of these revenue sources decline.

...on the income tax side, historically, the city would expect growth of 1-2% per year. In 2009, we saw our income tax decline by $504,000 over 2008. A third source of income for most cities is the interest on our reserve funds. Once again, we are seeing a significant drop in revenue. In the year 2000 for example, we realized over $2.2 million dollars in interest, and now due to significant lower interest rates, we saw the interest on our reserve drop to $547,000.

In response to these significant drops in revenue, we mandated that the nonbargaining employees accept a wage freeze along with six furlough days. Additionally where applicable, we would cease the ability to sell back vacation and sick leave. I am proud of the AFSCME union which was the first union to step forward and agree to our proposal. Our Fire union, the
UWUA electric union and finally the dispatchers, followed shortly. Unfortunately, we did not get concessions from the two police unions, which necessitated the loss of three patrolmen and a community service officer. Additionally, four sergeants were reduced to patrolman status.

So what does the future hold? Obviously, much depends on the flow of the economy. If 2010 resembles 2009, cities all over the state, indeed all over the nation, will be looking for a lifeline.

In Cuyahoga Falls, we will be negotiating with all six of our public employee unions. We do not anticipate these negotiations will be easy, however, with a keen eye on fiscal responsibility, the administration will be resolute in its demands to lower expenses. And indeed, with payroll representing 75–80% of our general fund budget, the public sector unions are the obvious place to go.

Which brings up the question that I have raised in this forum in the past: Is it time to eliminate public sector unions?

The history of public sector unions goes back to 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 10988 allowing unionization of the federal workforce. This changed everything in the American political system. President Kennedy’s order swung open the door for the unrelenting rise of the unionized public workforce in many states and cities.

And of course, 47 years ago, the American workforce landscape looked very different. As recently as 1980, there were more than twice as many private sector union members than there were public sectors. Today 51.4% of Americans 15.4 million workers are employed by the government. This is the first time in American history that there are more public sector union members than there are private. So my question is, can we the taxpayers continue to afford this expense?

The problem for the economy is that the public sector unions create a self-reinforcing cycle of higher spending and taxes. The union helps elect politicians who repay the union with more pay and benefits and dues-paying members, who in turn help to re-elect those politicians.

I recall the 2006 example of former New Jersey Governor John Corzine shouting to a rally of 10,000 public workers “We will fight for a fair contract”. Mr. Corzine was supposed to be on the other side of the bargaining table representing taxpayers, not labor.

...As we can see from the desperate economic and fiscal woes of California, New Jersey, New York and other states with dominant public unions; this has become a major problem for the U.S. economy and smaller “d” democratic governance. The agenda for American political reform needs to include the breaking of public unions' power to capture an even larger share of private income.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 7:58am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 10:30am
Apparently, as Pacman stated, Mr. Lambuagh was ahead of the pack, with council being a distant 2nd, having no knowledge of reform and the issues surrounding it. Amazing the attorneys aren't aware of legislative trends and buckled under the pressure, while Mr. Lambaugh was on top of his game. Sadly, this procative mindset is what sets Warren Cty apart from Butler, and particulalrly,Middletown.
 
A simply suggestion: bypass the union self interest non realists, and write Boehner, state senators, others, to support the initiative to give municiaplities the power to do what they must to cut costs. It won't be through taxes. I would suspect its 50/50 or less, that the .25% tax increase passed will be with-held after the five year window expirong in the not too distant future. It should, what has come from it?   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Eleven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 11:45pm
Oh boy!  Sorry I dont know how to link yet but here is an article on mj:
 
Kaisich  -   speaks about ending binding arbitrations rules for police and firefighters and diluting Ohio's collective barganing rule.
 
Someone help me out and post a link maybe?  Thanks  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 1:39am

Kasich: End binding arbitration for police, firefighter unions

By Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Bureau
Updated 12:12 AM Friday, December 10, 2010

COLUMBUS — Gov.-elect John Kasich outlined a wish list of changes he would like to see regarding employee unions Thursday, including eliminating union-scale wages paid on public construction projects.

Kasich appeared at a press conference to announce Republican Joe Testa for state tax commissioner, but then spoke off the cuff about eliminating binding arbitration rules for police and firefighter contract negotiations and diluting Ohio’s collective bargaining law.

Safety forces are not permitted to strike. When the union and city reach an impasse, an outside arbitrator is called in to settle the dispute by picking the last and best offer presented by one side or the other — no matter how costly.

“Our local governments don’t want that. It drives up the costs,” Kasich said.

Ohio adopted a collective bargaining law in 1983 when Democrats controlled state government. Joe Rugola, president of the AFL-CIO Ohio, said before the law labor relations were unstable and there were constant strikes.

“If they want to return to that, I suppose they could take us back,” Rugola said Thursday.

While public workers such as teachers are still allowed to strike, the law put an end to strikes by safety forces.

“If they want to strike, they should be fired,” Kasich said of police and firefighters. “Look, you can have a change in the law that says — again, these decisions are not finally made — but there are ways to say that ‘You’re not going to strike and we’re going to continue negotiations without a binding arbitrator.’ ’’

John Mahoney of the Ohio Municipal League said cities often find arbitrator awards costly to absorb. Municipal support for eliminating binding arbitration would depend on the details and whether it saves money, Mahoney said.

Dayton city and union officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Since his election last month with 49 percent of the vote, Kasich has said teachers’ unions would have to take out full-page ads in newspapers across the state to apologize to him before he would invite them to the table; and he said that he would rescind two executive orders signed by Democrat Ted Strickland that led to the unionization of 14,000 home health care and independent day-care providers.

Kasich added: “I really don’t favor the right to strike of any public employee. OK. That’s my personal philosophy. How practical that is to implement, you know. But my personal philosophy is I don’t like public employees striking. They got good jobs, they got high pay, they got good benefits and great retirement.What are they striking for?”

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wasteful Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 5:44am
Originally posted by acclaro acclaro wrote:

A simply suggestion: bypass the union self interest non realists, and write Boehner, state senators, others, to support the initiative to give municiaplities the power to do what they must to cut costs. It won't be through taxes. I would suspect its 50/50 or less, that the .25% tax increase passed will be with-held after the five year window expirong in the not too distant future. It should, what has come from it?   
 
Acclaro, I am with you on this one bypass the do nothing Council that forgets who elected them and whom they are suppose to represent and write directly to the Governor-Elect and your State Representatives.  It is time for Change.  I also think that the City is going to attempt to bump up the Public Safety Levy to ,50%, which matters little to me as i will not vote for a renewal of the Public Safety Levy under any circumstance.  Get ready for the scare tactics to start in 2011 and how the world is coming to an end if we don't pass it.
 
On another note Robo-Smith hahahahahahahahahaha,LOL We all know who is pulling his strings and using him.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wasteful Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 8:14am
Talking Points for those that wish to write to the Governor-Elect and State Reps.:
 
1)  the City of Middletown employs over four hundred (400) people to provide core municipal services to its citizens
 
2)  approximately seventy-five percent (75%) of all expenditures from the City’s general fund are for personnel costs
 
3)  these personnel costs will increase by more than $1,000,000.00 from 2010 to 2011

4) Ohio’s public employee collective bargaining statute requires the City to participate in a binding third-party process to determine wages for public safety employees, which impacts the wages of all municipal employees, and limits the City’s ability to control its personnel costs; and

5) other state laws create obligations on the City which are directly or indirectly related to employees wages, further exacerbating the City’s ability to maintain fiscal responsibility;

I as a citizen of the City of Middletown, Ohio hereby urge the General Assembly to reexamine and reconsider Ohio’s public employee collective bargaining law because it establishes a process that deprives the public employer from controlling its primary operating costs, employee compensation.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 11:57am
W- good job. Should get about 20,000 citizens to sign and mail in. No need to evebn bother with clueless council.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 12:11pm
Get the E-Mail addresses for all the officials connected with this-state and fed, copy wastefuls great post as an attachment and do a massive E-Mailing to Columbus, the feds, etc. followed by a "now what are you going to do about it?" Probably won't even respond.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wasteful Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 1:01pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Eleven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 10 2010 at 8:38pm
Thank you!  And a thank you to those that posted talking points and contact info. Will def be sending out some emails. Maybe that will help a little with the disgust and anger I have felt since the meeting.
Thank you Mr. Laubauch. There are many people who stand behind you. I am sorry I was not able to speak at the meeting and show support. Keep your head up!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 11 2010 at 6:49am
http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers
 
Using the above link zip code 45042 has Districts 36, 53, 67, 77 in it and you can get their address and email info.   Zip Code 45044 ecompasses Districts 53, 55 and 67.  Write to them all.
 
 
Gary Cates, District 4
Senate Building
1 Capitol Square, First Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8072
Email: SD04@senate.state.oh.us
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 19 2010 at 6:00am

Kasich appears ready for 
a confrontation with unions

By William Hershey, Staff Writer
Updated 10:32 PM Saturday, December 18, 2010

COLUMBUS — It’s been more than 50 years since a Republican governor declared war on organized labor in Ohio.

That governor, C. William O’Neill, lost.

Gov.-elect John Kasich hasn’t made such a declaration, but Kasich seems determined to abandon the get-along, go-along approach that the last three Republican governors — Jim Rhodes, George Voinovich and Bob Taft — took with unions.

Already, Kasich has talked of ending the requirement that union-scale wages be paid on public construction projects and of eliminating binding arbitration in police and firefighter contract disputes.

Safety forces aren’t permitted to strike in Ohio, but when disagreement persists, an outside arbitrator is called in to settle things and the decision prevails, no matter the cost.

“If they want to strike, they should be fired,” Kasich said earlier this month. “Look, you can have a change in the law that says — again, these decisions are not finally made — but there are ways to say that ‘you’re not going to strike and we’re going to continue negotiations without a binding arbitrator.’ ”

Much has changed since 1958 when Ohio voters trounced — 63-37 percent — a right-to-work issue backed by O’Neill, other Republicans and their friends at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

The 1958 issue would have banned the adoption of labor agreements that made union membership a condition of employment. This exercise in political overreach crippled the state GOP and made the Ohio AFL-CIO a force to reckon with in Ohio politics.

That was then. This is now.

In 1958, about one in three Ohio workers belonged to a union. Most union members worked for private companies. They made cars, forged steel and rolled out tires.

In 2009, just 14 percent of Ohio workers overall belonged to unions. Not a lot of them made cars or worked in steel mills, a result of the exodus of manufacturing jobs.

Just 8.9 percent of private sector workers had union cards.

The clout that unions have these days is in the public employee unions representing safety forces, teachers and government workers at the state and local levels.

Forty-four percent of public sector workers belonged to unions in 2009, a result of the 1983 collective bargaining law signed by Democratic Gov. Dick Celeste after it passed the legislature with only Democratic support.

At a time of continuing high unemployment and a very pokey economic recovery, it’s not clear that voters these days have lots of sympathy for cops, firefighters, teachers and other public employees with decent jobs, benefits and pensions, all paid for by taxpayers.

“Given the recent skepticism about government in Ohio, there may be more sympathy for an overhaul of collective bargaining for public employees, including binding arbitration for safety forces,” political scientist John Green, director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said in an e-mail.

Kasich has said that he wants unions and union workers to join with him in turning around Ohio’s economy and doesn’t want to replay the 1958 right-to-work battle.

“They’ve got a lot at stake in this, too,” Rob Nichols, Kasich’s spokesman, said of unions. “We’re all in this together. That’s his (Kasich’s) message.”

Whatever changes Kasich proposes are likely to sail through the legislature, with both the House and Senate controlled by his fellow Republicans.

It’s the political opposite of 1983 when Democrats controlled the House and Senate and Celeste was governor.

Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, the labor federation that includes most Ohio unions, sounds like a man gearing up for a fight. Rugola also is executive director of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, the first labor leader from a public employee union to head the state AFL-CIO.

“One thing we continue to drive home to our base is that since the right-to-work initiative in Ohio, no governor has been committed to what we believe is Kasich’s primary agenda, the same as the national Republican party, creation of a permanent low wage, no benefit, no pension economy,” Rugola said.

Caution is not Kasich’s style. Still, he was elected with less than 50 percent of the vote, 49-47 percent over Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland, hardly a mandate.

“Overreaching is always a danger when it comes to employment issues,” said political scientist Green. “Public sympathy for change could be reversed if there is a perception that public employees are being treated unfairly.”

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 19 2010 at 8:27am

While you are in a letter writing mood I would like to suggest that you also write a letter to all city council members and demand that we return to the 1986 City Income Tax formula for distribution of income tax revenues.

We must have this money set aside or we will never be able to move our city foreward

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 19 2010 at 8:42am
I have an idea on that, Vivian, the problem is getting it implemented.
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In light of tonight’s council meeting I’d like to make a some observations about the last council meeting. You remember it don’t you? That’s the one where we were treated to the thunder, bellowing threats and rudeness of union members from outside the city.

We had the democrat socialist, from Dayton, who offered nothing pertinent to the issue but was just interested in speechmaking.

Then, there was the rude, obnoxious Mark Sanders. He thought it was necessary to leave Columbus and come to Middletown and tell us how wonderful he is. He said:

He was a professional firefighters representative for 10,000 firefighters in Ohio. He wasn’t very professional at the council meeting where he didn’t belong. He said he was in this business 30 years and was a lieutenant in Cincinnati. He tried to make a point of telling us that his age and years of experience gave him some right to insult us and our council. Well, a lot of us are older than he is and have a lot more experience than he does. So what? Then he told us about his father whom I’m sure would have been totally ashamed of the way he represented union employees that night.

He then launched into a personal attack on our councilman Josh Laubach.

"You haven’t taken the time to research…You’re dealing with professionals who do the research you don’t….People can think and discuss this in the proper arena. Not here!…..How you going to pass these levies?….. In Dayton the whole damned place about burned down (threateningly).

Well, Mr. Sanders you do more harm than good. Why don’t you stay home and mind your own business. Our local union representatives are as capable as you are and have handled things quite well for many years. Further, Mr. Laubach has done his homework and that’s why he presented the resolution. His research caused him to address the problem of a city on the way to bankruptcy. You never discussed that issue which is none of your business anyway. The council meeting by law is the proper arena for council members to discuss city business. You were wrong on that also. Who said there is going to be any more levies? Your wish for that is a joke in Middletown. Your going to have all you can handle in Columbus come January. Be sure and do your research and stay there.

John Harvey, Chief Schwarber and Chief Botts didn’t help their cause bringing outsiders in on this. John Harvey, as union president, is a courteous, reasonable, professional and tough negotiator. I have never known him to be unreasonable except when he wouldn’t give me the endorsement for local office (Joke). All three of these men are reasonable. I’m sure something will be worked out to everyone’s best interests. But packing the house and throwing insults has turned many against your cause. It was an embarrassment to the city, council and the taxpayers.

Josh Laubach should have gotten more support from the other council members. But Mr. Laubach has demonstrated he is not afraid to walk alone for what he believes is right. He is a true leader. Other council members can learn from him.

The Mayor stated that the city had received about 200 emails on the matter. Only 15 were from people who lived in the city. Why don’t 15 or 20 of us who are on the side of Mr. Laubach send emails today and even things up so council will know there is support for continuing to address our city financial woes. That is the real issue here.

Thank you.

Paul Nagy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They didn’t do themselves any good. As a matter of fact, they made it worse for local union President John Harvey.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote midres Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec 31 2010 at 9:24am
I cannot disagree with Mr. Laubach's positioin and, in fact, do support him.  However, he is not very quick to respond to e-mails sent by those of us in the Third Ward, which he supposedly represents.  Thus far, I'm not overly impressed with this new Councilman.  Then.......there is the vehicle that is CONSTANTLY parked in the front yard of a house on Bellemonte Street where (I believe it's) Milton dead ends by Sunset Park.  This is in the Third Ward, isn't it??  Isn't this, also, in violation of current City ordinances??  Suppose it will be up on concrete blocks soon??!!!??   hhmmmmmmmm
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