I was thinking the same thing, only the ads I've seen against SB5 are lying as well. I've seen ads showing fire burning houses, crime increase. All rhetoric. Funny how people see this 2 different ways. People against the bill are heavily embellishing the bill as they put out ads as well.

Once again the author Mazzolini fails. As I recommended in an earlier story by Mazzolini post a link directly to SB5 for readers to read for themselves.

SB5 is over 300 pages! Anybody care to count how many pages deal directly with wages, insurance, and retirement?

The problem with SB5 is NOT increase of input to health care and retirement. Those are reasonable items for all to swallow despite a hard pill for the unions. The problem is everything else that has been packed into the bill. This is why voters should VOTE NO. Vote No and make the politicians do it right this time. There was no compromise and nothing but dirty politics to pass this through legislation.

Read SB5 then make a smart choice. Forget all the ads, blogs, and biased authors.

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText129/129_SB_5_EN_N.pdf

Karen how are the ads against sb5 lying. Firefighters will no longer be able to negotiate minimum staffing. Even if they were the politicians will have the final say. Now, who do you trust more about your safety. Firefighters or politicians?

If this bill protected firefighters job? why would they be against it. It's not the unions brainwashing them, they would not listen to to the unions if it would cost them their jobs. All their benefits would be gone with no job.

this bill is not about healthcare and pension contributions. If it were it would be supported by the unions. It's the removal of binding arbitration that makes it unsafe.

did you know the tea party website, in the event of a dispute, uses binding arbitration?

please learn about the collective bargaining process before making your final decision. Did you ever consider stopping by your local fire or police department to seek their input? it may really help you learn about the process. I do understand your frustrations, but having been involved directly with collective bargaining i can tell you this bill is a disgrace in my opinion. Look at the mayoral history of Avon Lake. I'm not sure some of your mayors would make the best decision for the residents. Any fireman policeman ever been convicted of a felony in your city?

V. Jones, the ads I have seen have been so dramatic, and what's worse is the facebook things posted and comments on how my house will burn down, crime will run rampant..etc., that's what is ridiculous for me. Do you honestly think that the mayor of my city wouldn't protect the firemen and policemen? They budget for those things. I'm amazed at how little respect there is for the mayor and councilmen that can't determine when and if there is a problem with staffing. Why is there such fear over a need for that "striking" protection in this bill? Do you think any of the city politicians would harm their city knowing they could never be re-elected. Again. I don't worry about this at all. Thank you though for being very respectable in your comment section. Most people are not.

I absolutely believe this article to be a lie. The very fact that so many people signed the petitons to put it on the ballot in Novembe to REPEAL SB5, tells a very different story. The media will push the corporate agenda, of course.

I think taxpaying people need to vote yes on this bill.

I'm the working class in the private sector and I'm expected to pay for all my healthcare, so I have no sympathy. In the end this bill will probably be rejected due to the powerful union (public and private) presence here in job losing Ohio. Maybe Columbus will come up with a compromise that brings together those parts of this bill the majority of workers think is a good idea in spite of union objections. Everyone has to bite the bullet including unions. Our politicians, for the most part have failed us. What a mess our budget is in.

I agree with you Ward. I have no sympathy too. I wish they would stop using "middle class" as their catch phrase. I am middle class, but I am not union. Why don't they just use UNION. This certainly doesn't speak for me and from what I see why should I vote to protect unions so they have a better cost of living. Private sector world we watch out for ouselves, we don't need any unions to make a living. It's sort of like asking for money to put in thier pockets, which comes out of mine. Crazy.

...but, KS, under Federal Law you and your private sector co-workers(non-exempt, hourly) do have the right to form a union and negotiate the terms & conditions SB-5 would strip from workers in public unions. All while something as fair as binding arbitration, obtained through either state statute or NEGOTIATIONS, for public employees unable to go on strike is becoming more prevalent in the private sector.

Karen, i know in a past thread, you stated you own your own business. I would Ike to know the name of it so that I make sure not to go to your business. It is not your opinions, but how you express them that has made me want this information.

Michelle Molling Ware.... It's sad that you feel that when you don't agree with another American taxpaying citizen you would not "go to their business"... no worries for you.. I don't have a business that you "shop". I know you really felt good in your email stating that. How fun for you.

Robin, I guess in the private sector we simply don't entertain "union" thoughts. We go to work, get paid and go home. We don't feel the need to unionize to protect anything. If we aren't getting paid enough or have bad working conditions, we have the right to walk out the door.

The "seasonal employees" at KSU, usually a good portion of the Food Service Workers in Dining Services, have been subject to yearly lay-offs as far back as I can remember, usually around the major holiday/summer shutdown of Campus. Further, instead of temporarily laying-off employees of any affected departments during it's Christmas break "shutdown" of Campus, the Administration of KSU has chosen, unilaterally, to provide any affected non-union(hourly, non-exempt) employees with an additional 4 days of paid administrative leave...go figure! The same is true of the UofA.

Public employees do get laid off, Charles.

Follow the news. You'll see it (if you choose to see it, I guess...but the articles are out there).

I'm independent and believe both parties have failed to budget properly. You can't spend more money than what you bring in and if you do you'll eventually be faced with big problems. You also can't squeeze more money (taxes) out of the already crushed taxpayer at this time. So, the unfortunate answer is scaling back services or what the state pays for departments, agencies, etc. None of us want that, but what do corporations do when they know they can't raise prices on their products, yet their revenue dips? Yes, it's all bad for workers. I think if this bill does not pass we will see parts of it being made law eventually anyhow.

"This headline is Fox "News" spin"

quite right... so was yesterday's fauxnews headline "Issue 2: Ohio Public Unions Try to Overturn SB5 at the Ballot Box."

i'm not union, i signed the petetion to get the recall on the ballot and i'm voting no... "Issue 2: Voters Try to Overturn SB5 at the Ballot Box"

The only legitimate article of SB-5 that should be ressurected after it is defeated this November is the one dealing with the reduction in sick leave earned per year by public employees per State statute. Reducing same from 15 paid sick days per year to 10 is justifiable given the DOL statistics re the national average of sick days used per year per employee and is devoid of the philosophical bias against "unions" expressed throughout the rest of the legislation.

Robin, just a quick note: SICK DAYS.... Private sector ususally doesn't even have these. Now do you see why we don't have any sympathy for the public workers problem with SB5? No offense, but this is exactly what makes it easy to say "fair playing field"

Because Kasich wouldn't compromise. He passed the law and refused to listen to anything the public employees said.

Funny thing, though, once the polls showed him at a tremendous disadvantage, what's the first thing he wanted to do? Negotiate--one of the exact things he says doesn't work and is stripping away with SB5.

Typical hypocrite.

Whiners! I get 5 'sick' days. All the things in SB5 (I've actually read it instead of the propaganda from either side) are things many workers throughout the real world already deal with. Those opposing SB5 are coming across as whimpy and like little kids who've been told playtime is over and you have to come back inside to do your chores. Now, I realize that right now there is a disparity among public workers where some aren't making what they should while others, due to only seniority, have it much better off. I hope SB5 can help those at the bottom more than what the unions have done. Is SB5 perfect? Maybe not. But, it's a step in the right direction in order to get away from the old ways. If it doesn't pass, let's hope the politicians will find ways to get some of the very important parts that help our young teachers into law. I always hate seeing some of the best and brightest lose their job because of the longevity rule unions have, when it should be based more on merit and how well a person does, not just how long they've been there.

DRT...10 days of paid sick leave is quite generous given the national average of 6 or 7 sick days used by employees in the private sector, as reported in DOL statistics. EK...sounds as if you're the one that could use a little cheese with that whine! Do you get to negotiate your sick leave benefit or must you simply accept whatever your employer offers you? Have you noticed that the State has not provided any numbers as to the savings expected from this simple and realistic reduction of one benefit? The other "improvements" you would mandate in your race to the bottom are already items of terms & conditions of employment that have always been NEGOTIABLE under existing State/Federal law. Who's fault is it if our elected representatives, from the State or local school board level, never felt it necessary to "hold the line" on such things?

DRT,
Did you choose your line of work? Did you have other options?