Columbus, Ohio – Today, Republicans in the Ohio Legislature once again subverted the voice of their constituents, such as the over 18,000 hard-working members of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, by passing Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2. This legislation ends majority rule in Ohio as we know it, by allowing 41 percent of voters to block initiatives that a majority of Ohioans support. Simply put–this legislation is unpopular, undemocratic, and unfair.
“Today is a sad day for the working men and women in Ohio,” said C/COBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dorsey Hager. “Backroom negotiations with unpopular special interest groups and legislative loopholes have led to the decision to strip my members of their freedom to decide their own future, a basic principle on which the labor movement is based. The livelihood of my members depends heavily on the passage of bond issues that result in the improvement of Ohio’s infrastructure. If SJR 2 passes on the ballot, only eight of the last 18 bond packages in Ohio would have passed, which would result in 66 percent less work for my members.”
As this resolution moves forward to be voted on, the C/COBCTC will remain steadfastly opposed and will work to educate our members and voters about this undemocratic, unpopular, and wholly unnecessary attempt to strip voters of their right to make decisions and put even more power back into the hands of greedy politicians.
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