Title
This is a resolution opposing the passage of House Bill 53 and House Bill 113 which are currently pending before the 132nd Ohio General Assembly; the proposed legislation will weaken collective-bargaining laws and workers’ rights in the state of Ohio; this resolution also declares an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Ohio General Assembly is currently proposing changes which will remove certain requirements for public employees under the collective bargaining law; specifically, members of the Ohio General Assembly have proposed limitations which will decrease the right of public employees to join or pay dues to any employee organization - these bills also seek to prohibit employee organizations from being required to represent public employees who are not members of their organization; and
WHEREAS, certain members of the Ohio House of Representatives have also introduced private sector right to work legislation, namely House Bill 113 which will prohibit any requirement for employees of private employers to join or pay dues to any union, moreover these bills will establish civil and criminal penalties against employers who violate these provisions, even though the Ohio Revised Code as it is currently written does not have any provisions which require or force people to join a union in the state of Ohio; and
WHEREAS, these types of laws, known as "right-to-work" laws, are designed to weaken unions throughout the state of Ohio; and
WHEREAS, a similar law, known as Senate Bill 5 which was enacted during the 129th General Assembly, was overwhelmingly overturned by Ohio voters by a margin of 61% to 39% in a referendum which was voted down in 2011; and
WHEREAS, the Economic Policy Institute published a study on the income gap between “right to work” states and states that honor union security agreements - the study found that hourly wages were sixteen percent lower in right to work states, now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1: That the Mayor and the members of Columbus City Council do hereby oppose the passage of House Bill 53 and House Bill 113 by the 132nd Ohio General Assembly as this proposal will change and weaken collective-bargaining laws and workers’ rights in the state of Ohio.
Section 2: Further, that this Council does hereby declare opposition against these bills as an emergency and urge members of the 132nd Ohio General Assembly to take action and to defeat this bill or any legislation which seeks to diminish workers’ rights.