Statement of Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga on Defeat of Issue 2, Victory for Ohio Workers

On November 8th working Ohioans voiced their support for collective bargaining rights and called for an end to politics that put the top one percent over working people. It’s past time for our leaders to bring forward an agenda that focuses on job creation and restoring balance to our economy.

Today’s vote showed that Ohioans are desperate for political leadership and cooperation to get people back on the job and in the middle class. Instead, supporters of SB 5 sought to strip workers of their basic rights to collectively bargain and would have reinforced, not reversed, the “race to the bottom” mentality that wrecked our economy. They showed that their number one priority was advancing a partisan agenda that put corporate CEOs over workers.

Nurses, firefighters, teachers, bus drivers and all Ohioans serving in public service are making our communities work and improving our economy. Rather than seeking to scapegoat these workers, our leaders should do everything possible to invest in and support our basic industries, infrastructure building and emerging technologies to spur innovation and create new manufacturing and construction jobs.

Thanks to the tremendous work by everyday Ohioans to place Issue 2 on the ballot and talk to their friends, neighbors and coworkers about what this legislation was really about, voters overwhelmingly rejected SB 5. And working Ohioans will continue to mobilize until politicians focus on working family priorities.

Today’s vote is a victory – and it’s only the beginning. Working people are coming together to call for an economy and an Ohio that fights for workers’ rights and an economy that works for everyone in all occupations and trades and make positive economic change for working families, the middle class and all Main Street Ohioans.