I am posting this article for information only. I have not put my thoughts down because I did not feel I was articulate enough about the subject to do so. I had a vague idea, maybe even a good idea of the "what's and why's."
By Jim Siegel
The Columbus Dispatch
It is standing room only in the Senate Finance Hearing Room as lawmakers consider repeal of the state collective-bargaining law. More than 800 public-employee union members showed up at the Statehouse to protest.Arguing that state and local governments need the ability to adjust to the new economic paradigm, Senate Republicans today unveiled details of the most sweeping attempt in 27 years to limit the power of public unions to negotiate terms of employment.
The measure attracted a large group of union supporters to the Statehouse. The crowd inside spilled into the atrium, where a sound system was set up so they could hear testimony. Outside, several protestors clad in yellow shirts and carrying signs that urged a no vote demonstrated on the sidewalk.
The stakes are huge.
Collective bargaining would be wiped out for all state workers, including those at institutions of higher education. Local police officers and fire fighters who cannot strike would see weakened binding arbitration. Local workers would no longer bargain for health insurance, automatic pay increases would be stripped from state law, and teachers would not get a say in which buildings they teach in.
