SENATE BILL 5

Labor Battle in the Public Sector in Ohio



Labor Battle in the Public Sector in Ohio

Introduction

Summarizing Mr. Benner speech, it can be said that his main argument was about the bill 5 which gives employees the right to sit down with their employer and negotiate on greater benefits. He said that when a person goes in a teaching profession or police department, he does not do it for the pay, but if they have a family to worry about that relies on them, it might be a distraction for them in giving the best performance at their job. The collective bargains allow them to negotiate for better benefit instead of better pay because that would increase taxes for the country.

If they get better benefits, it will be cheaper in the long run. People who are in favor for it will be the employers because if the bill already gives the employees collectively bargain wages, hours, and term and condition, what more would they want. They must protect good teachers and improve the school system by keeping the best teachers in the school. They must also ensure that government employees receive quality healthcare which is safe for them and their family as well.

People who are against the bill would be the employees. Although, the bill gives better wage and hours but the employer can refuses to negotiate on factors which include employers' qualifications and work assignment. Safety at risk making it harder for emergency responders, police and firefights to negotiate for critical safety equipment and training that protects (Dark, 1999).

Unions argue that collective bargaining is central to fair working conditions and that arbitration has been an effective mechanism for settling industrial disputes. They also believe that wage cuts will encourage retirements, brain drain, and will have negative economic impacts.

The primary purpose of Senate Bill 5 is to eliminate or reduce the collective bargaining system for public employees. The first version of the Bill completely eliminated collective bargaining agreements for 61,500 employees of state government and higher education institutions in Ohio. It also limited the scope of collective bargaining agreements for other public sector institutions, such as schools and local governments.

The conflict is not new in the United States, the most conservative social force wary of unions, the most liberal love the outline of a powerful and huge welfare state, while the more centrist or independent ...