SB5

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Cleveland Jobs with Justice, 20525 Center Ridge Road, Suite 700
Cleveland, Ohio 44116 ~ 440-333-7007 Fax: 440-333-1491
debbie@clevelandjwj.org ~ copyright (c) 2008 - 2011

All photos copyrighted by Debbie Kline 2007-2011 (c)

Myth versus Reality on SB5

Myth: SB 5 is needed to help balance the budget and stimulate job growth.
Reality: SB 5 destroys jobs and lowers wages. You cannot create jobs by destroying jobs. If SB 5 passes, owners of shops, gas stations and other small businesses across this state will be forced to lay off workers or close their doors.

Myth: Public employees are overpaid, and their salaries need to be brought in line with the private sector.
Reality: A recent Rutgers University study found Ohio public employees earn 6 percent less on a yearly basis than their peers in the private sector. They earn 3.5% less on an hourly basis.

The average OAPSE (Ohio Association of Public School Employee) makes $24,000 a year and retires with an average pension of $900 a month. Public employees do not pay into or receive Social Security.

Myth: Public employees need to make a sacrifice to reduce the state’s projected $8 billion budget shortfall.
Reality: Ohio is 44th of 50 states in per capita spending on government workers. State employees have taken a pay freeze five times in 9 years. In the last contract, state employees voluntarily took furloughs and made other financial sacrifices that saved $250 million and an additional $100 in health care costs.

Myth: Public employees have too much power and the public agrees.
Reality: A recent Gallup poll found the 61% of the public oppose taking away some collective bargaining rights of most public employee unions. A recent Quinnipiac Poll found that only 34 percent of the people in Ohio support this proposal.

Myth: Rolling back collective bargaining rights is needed to help managers do their jobs.
Reality: Ohio passed a law in 1983 to establish collective bargaining for state workers. The 1983 law has reduced labor strife, and increased professional training and productivity.

Info from We are Ohio

• 231,149 – Signatures needed to place a referendum of the law on the ballot.

• 1,000 – Number of signatures needed for petition language to be approved by the Attorney General and Secretary of State, before additional petitions can be circulated. - DONE!!

• 44 – Minimum number of different counties where the petition signatures need to be collected. DONE!!

• June 30 2011 – Final date for signatures to be filed with the Secretary of State DONE!! With 1,298,301 signatures delivered!

• July 20, 2011 – Final day by which the Secretary of State must determine if there are enough valid signatures to place the referendum on the ballot. DONE!! 915,456 signatures validated

• 91 – If no referendum petition is filed, SB 5 goes into effect 91 days after it was signed and filed with the SOS. If a referendum is filed, the law does not go into effect until and unless Ohioans vote to allow the bill to become law.

• 5 – Number of members on the Ohio Ballot Board who determine ballot language once the referendum petition is accepted. The Board includes the SOS, one R and one D from the House, one R and one D from the Senate. DONE!! Vote NO on Issue 2