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Election Night Nov. 8, 2011 was a culmination of months of hard work by OCSEA activists and other public employee union members with the defeat of one of the nation’s hardest hitting anti-collective bargaining laws. Unless you were under a rock, Senate Bill 5 and Issue 2 were household names leading up to Election Day. But the ballot box victory was particularly sweet for Ohio’s unionized public servants, who fought to maintain their right to bargain over workplace issues—something they had had for more than 28 years. “Your blood, sweat and tears helped to mobilize a sleeping giant. You not only made history, you changed the course of history,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. But the fight isn’t over— nowhere near over. 2012 is looking to be another eventful year. Already, local governments and state agencies are suffering from harmful cuts passed by Gov. John Kasich and the state legislature. Consolidations are becoming the norm and “It's critical that we don't forget about the attacks on working people this past year. Those fights must be a springboard for what we do in 2012.” ~ OCSEA Pres. Christopher Mabe privatization is bleeding into every agency within state government. In spite of the trouncing over SB 5, politicians are not backing down from their anti-worker agenda. Already, a study is in the works to look at privatizing the Ohio Lottery again, and a newlyformed panel has reconvened to figure out how to cut public worker pensions. But will the wins of 2011 resonate enough to keep activists fighting back anti-worker legislation and policy? What impact will the SB5 defeat have in state races this fall, particularly in the Ohio House of Representatives and in the Presidential election? “It’s critical that we don’t forget about the attacks on working people this past year. Those fights must be a springboard for what we do in 2012. If nothing else, SB 5 taught us that electing lawmakers who will look out for the interests of middle class workers has to be our number one priority,” said Mabe. “Just like the defeat of SB 5/ Issue 2, it will take boots on the ground and conversations on the front porch to make a difference in the fights of 2012,” said Mabe. Nearly 17,000 OCSEA activists hit the street to defeat SB 5 and Mabe says an equivalent commitment is Ohio public employees celebrate the defeat of Issue 2/SB 5 on Election Night. needed to fight back attacks on workers this year. “We need to hit them with all the might we had during the toughest part of last year's fight. We need to rattle them to their core,” said Mabe. For more on working class battles happening across the country, see pages 8-9. SB 5 by Numbers • 2.1 million – Voters who opposed Issue 2 (more votes than Gov. Kasich received when elected) • 61-39 – Percentage spread that defeated Issue 2 • 17,000 – OCSEA activists who helped bring down Issue 2 Social media played an important part in the fight to defeat Issue 2/SB 5. We Are Ohio’s presence on the Internet far outweighed those of SB5 supporters. Check out the social media dominance below. We are Ohio Better Ohio • Facebook Followers 97,717 4,569 • Twitter Followers 1,722 1,332 • Youtube Views 2,472,242 84,087 2 Public Employee Quarterly Winter 2012
One big battle, or death by 1,000 cuts? CHRISTOPHER MABE President It’s a new year and I’ve made a resolution. We need to hit the ground running whenever and wherever the next battle begins. We don’t know exactly where the next battle lines will be drawn, but we need to be prepared. In Indiana, a Right to Work bill that is striking a major blow to unions was rammed through by their General Assembly. In Wisconsin, our AFSCME brothers and sisters are engaged in a recall battle to oust their governor, Scott Walker. In Florida, a proposal has been introduced to privatize more prisons than any state in history. But what will be Ohio’s next big fight? Will it be a big battle, like SB 5, or will it be a death by a thousand cuts? Given our massive win on SB 5 and the political trouncing anti-union politicians took last year, our enemies might be content with a “death by a thousand cuts” approach. That’s not to say we don’t believe a Right to Work proposal or another massive privatization proposal won’t be introduced some time in the next couple years—because we do. But during a presidential election year, our opponents might think it best to stay under the radar and not cause the workers to rise up like last year. That’s my guess. So how do we prepare and lay the groundwork for the sort of enemy that slithers and crawls, rather than one that stands up and waves a banner? For one, we need to fight smart. But that doesn’t mean we don’t fight hard. When I was in the military, we had to change the game, depending on the enemy. If we learned anything from last year’s epic battle it is this: we do not have enough laborfriendly lawmakers in the state legislature. That’s how SB 5 got passed to begin with. Electing “But what will be Ohio’s next big fight? Will it be a big battle, like SB 5, or will it be a death by a thousand cuts?” ~ OCSEA Pres. Christopher Mabe labor-friendly and public sectorfriendly legislators in 2012 could prevent another disaster like SB 5. We will have more information about targeted state legislative races in the coming months. Suffice it to say, many of these fights will be at the ballot box. We need to fight proposals that privatize and eliminate middle class jobs and that replace them with low wage work with poor benefits. In 2012, ODOT has already declared a fiscal emergency and claims it might address a decrease in gas tax revenue by privatizing Ohio’s rest areas and the Turnpike. How do we combat that? Building community support when it comes to privatizing Ohio assets like the Turnpike is vital. Let your friends, neighbors and community groups know what is going on and what will happen if area roadways or rest areas are privatized. Most important of all this year is to vote your job. Don’t forget what we went through last year. We need to hold lawmakers accountable for the past and ensure that they have a clear vision for the future. When you step into the voting booth, whether it’s for your local school board, for a primary or for the General Election, make sure you are voting for people that support YOU! Did they stand with you or against you? Not sure how your state representative or senator voted on Senate Bill 5? Visit We Are Ohio’s Speak Out Tool at ocsea.org/speakout to see where your legislators stood on SB 5! And then thank them — or give them a piece of your mind and tell them it will impact your vote at the ballot box. Rep. Al Landis (R-Dist. 96) voted Yes on SB 5 but over 65 percent of his voting constituency opposed Issue 2 in November. What will this mean for the re-election of anti-collective bargaining legislators like Landis and others like him? Winter 2012 Public Employee Quarterly 3
Page 1: AFSCME LOCAL 11/AFL-CIO PUBLIC EMPL
Page 5 and 6: WILLIAMS LOCAL AFL-CIO Ohio Civil S
Page 7 and 8: Prison Privatization Plan Curtailed
Page 9 and 10: OCSEA activists assist with the Wis
Page 11 and 12: Despite privatization, Adam Ruth, c
Page 13 and 14: We rallied. We signed. We marched.
Page 15 and 16: AFSCME honors Ohio, Wisconsin activ
Page 17 and 18: Brandi POtts Pott's seven-year-old
Page 19 and 20: It's time to apply! 2012 Les Best S
Page 21 and 22: ut not giving up On Nov. 28, 2011,
Page 23 and 24: Going above the call of duty Kudos

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