Dec. 31, 2010, Fremont News-Messenger
BY JESSICA ALAIMO
Special to The News-Messenger
Incoming state leaders plan to target public employment laws in 2011, but on Thursday backers of the collective bargaining process promised to put up a fight.
Officials from Policy Matters Ohio, a progressive think tank, argue that states without collective bargaining have the same budget shortfalls as Ohio. They also defended the state’s prevailing wage law and say that, overall, the state’s public employment laws are good for the economy.
“The right of public workers to unionize is not driving the fiscal crisis of states,” said Wendy Patton, a senior associate with Policy Matters Ohio.
Policy Matters Ohio has traditionally backed Democratic causes, and executive director Amy Hanauer has given to a number of Democratic candidates, including outgoing Gov. Ted Strickland.
Republicans will control state government next year. Gov.-elect John Kasich and GOP legislative leaders say collective bargaining leads to higher costs for state government and overpaid workers. They would like to see substantial changes to the state’s laws.
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