February 06, 2012 

Is Right-to-Work-for-Less Coming to Ohio?

On February 1, the one-year anniversary of the introduction of Ohio Senate Bill 5, two major events occurred: the State of Indiana enacted a right-to-work law; and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine certified petition language that will allow Tea Party extremists to gather signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would make Ohio a right-to-work state.

The coalition behind the Ohio ballot measure includes Chris Littleton of the Ohio Liberty Council; Maurice Thompson of the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law; and Bryan Williams of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio.

The next step for this coalition to achieve ballot status is to go to the Ohio Ballot Board to ensure it is not violating the “single-subject” rule. Once it passes that hurdle, the group can begin the process of collecting the necessary signatures.

The signature thresholds for a constitutional amendment are higher than that of a legislative repeal effort. The coalition will have to gather 10 percent of voter signatures from the last gubernatorial election, with five percent coming from 44 of the 88 Ohio counties.

If the coalition successfully submits the requisite number of valid signatures by July 4 (125 days before the general election), the amendment will appear on this November’s ballot. If the signatures are submitted later, the amendment will not be on the ballot until 2013.

It is widely believed that the Ohio Republican Party does not want this initiative on the November ballot, fearing that it will draw out labor to the polls and hurt the Republican Presidential nominee’s chances of winning Ohio, a key battleground state in the race to the White House. However, the coalition sponsoring the initiative is not working with, or responsive to, the Republican Party.

Why is right-to-work often called right-to-work-for-less and right-to-freeload?

Despite the name, right-to-work does not guarantee any rights. In fact, by weakening unions and collective bargaining, it destroys the best job security protection that exists: the union contract. Meanwhile, it allows workers to pay nothing while receiving all of the benefits of union membership. 

Right-to-work laws say unions must represent all eligible employees, whether they pay dues or not. This forces unions to use their time and members’ dues money to provide union benefits to free riders who are not willing to pay their fair share. 

The average worker in a right-to-work state makes about $5,333 a year less than workers in other states ($35,500 compared with $30,167). Weekly wages are $72 greater in free-bargaining states than in right-to-work states ($621 versus $549). Working families in states without right-to-work laws have higher wages and benefit from healthier tax bases that improve their quality of life. 

Proponents of right-to-work claim that it fosters an environment conducive to job creation; yet, as of December 2011, six of the 10 states with the highest unemployment rates were right-to-work states. 

Instead, we find that right-to-work states have lower wages for workers, higher poverty and infant mortality rates, less access to healthcare, and poorer education systems. Consequently, making Ohio a right-to-work-for-less state would have far-reaching implications, and is not simply a “union issue.” 

The Ohio Conference AAUP will continue to update you on this issue as it unfolds.

Register Now for the 
Ohio Conference Annual Meeting!
The Ohio Conference AAUP will host its Annual Meeting on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 at the Columbus Marriott Northwest. Please note that this is a different location from previous years.

The Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for Ohio AAUP members to gather, share information, and determine the direction and policies of the organization. 

This year’s meeting will feature AAUP member and Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, as well as a workshop on how AAUP Chapters can legally be involved in the 2012 elections.

The agenda, registration form, and hotel information can be found on our website at www.ocaaup.org/annualmeeting.

The registration deadline is April 2, and hotel reservations must be made by March 23 in order to receive the block room rate. 

Mark your calendars and register today! 

Full Details Released for the 
Ohio Conference Annual Meeting

February 03, 2012 

The Ohio Conference AAUP will host its Annual Meeting on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 at the Columbus Marriott Northwest. Please note that this is a different location from previous years.

The Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for Ohio AAUP members to gather, share information, and determine the direction and policies of the organization. 

The agenda, registration form, and hotel information can be found on our website at www.ocaaup.org/annualmeeting.

The registration deadline is April 2, and hotel reservations must be made by March 23 in order to receive the block room rate. 

Mark your calendars and register today!

Nominations for Trustee Elections Closed;
Candidates Announced

Nominations for the 2012 Ohio Conference Board of Trustees elections are now closed. The Ohio Conference Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the following candidates for the positions up for election this year:

President
John Cuppoletti, University of Cincinnati
John McNay, University of Cincinnati

Secretary
Clayton Rosati, Bowling Green State University

At-Large Member – Private Institutions
Bob Kolesar, John Carroll University

Chair of Committee on Organizing 
Rudy Fichtenbaum, Wright State University

Chair of Committee on Two-Year Institutions
Heather Howley, University of Akron, Wayne College

Chair of Committee on Private Institutions
Nancy Bertaux, Xavier University

Coming soon to the OCAAUP website will be a statement from each candidate and complete information on how and when voting will occur.

Full Details Released for the 
Ohio Conference Annual Meeting

February 03, 2012 

The Ohio Conference AAUP will host its Annual Meeting on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 at the Columbus Marriott Northwest. Please note that this is a different location from previous years.

The Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for Ohio AAUP members to gather, share information, and determine the direction and policies of the organization. 

The agenda, registration form, and hotel information can be found on our website at www.ocaaup.org/annualmeeting.

The registration deadline is April 2, and hotel reservations must be made by March 23 in order to receive the block room rate. 

Mark your calendars and register today!

Nominations for Trustee Elections Closed;
Candidates Announced

Nominations for the 2012 Ohio Conference Board of Trustees elections are now closed. The Ohio Conference Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the following candidates for the positions up for election this year:

President
John Cuppoletti, University of Cincinnati
John McNay, University of Cincinnati

Secretary
Clayton Rosati, Bowling Green State University

At-Large Member – Private Institutions
Bob Kolesar, John Carroll University

Chair of Committee on Organizing 
Rudy Fichtenbaum, Wright State University

Chair of Committee on Two-Year Institutions
Heather Howley, University of Akron, Wayne College

Chair of Committee on Private Institutions
Nancy Bertaux, Xavier University

Coming soon to the OCAAUP website will be a statement from each candidate and complete information on how and when voting will occur.

Wright State University-AAUP to Host Panel Discussion with Union Leaders

January 20, 2012 

The Wright State University-AAUP will be hosting a panel discussion with union leaders from the AAUP, Communication Workers of America, Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters on Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 pm in the Apollo Room of the Wright State University Student Union. 

The panel will be discussing the future of the We Are Ohio coalition and union rights in the State of Ohio. It promises to be a unique, exciting, and informative event. Mark your calendar!

New Year, New Attacks

January 10, 2012 

Despite the overwhelming rejection of Issue 2 in Ohio, and the fact that voters in Wisconsin may very well be on their way to recalling Gov. Scott Walker as a result of his anti-union policies, extreme politicians around the country are continuing to push legislation that would make unions weak to obsolete.

On January 5, state legislators in North Carolina overrode a veto by Gov. Perdue to push through Senate Bill 727, legislation that prohibits the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) from automatically deducting dues from their paychecks. 

The bill was viewed as a transparent attempt to curb the power of the NCAE, which has traditionally supported Democratic candidates.In a statement, Gov. Perdue lamented, “I am saddened for the people of North Carolina that the Republicans abused their power and chose this destructive path.”Moreover, in Indiana, Republicans introduced so-called “right-to-work” legislation, which would ban contracts that require employees to pay union dues.

A January 7, 2012 editorial of the New York Times stated, “There is little doubt that politics is also behind the Republicans’ push for right-to-work laws: they see an opportunity to further weaken unions, which are far more likely to support Democrats – as well as health care reform and a higher minimum wage – by slashing their funding and their donating power.” 

The Times article noted that the ultra-conservative, corporate-financed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has assisted Republicans around the country to push right-to-work as well as voter suppression bills. Groups like the Chamber of Commerce have also supported this kind of anti-union agenda.

Furthermore, despite the fact that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected petition language to put a right-to-work constitutional amendment on Ohio’s 2012 ballot, it is almost certain that the group spearheading the effort, 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, will resubmit language that ultimately will be accepted. 

While right-to-work laws have been applied differently in different states, the proposed constitutional amendment in Ohio would likely apply to both private and public sector unions.Ohioans sent a strong message by rejecting Issue 2 by an overwhelming 61 percent, but right-wing extremists have not received the memo. It may take defeating another ballot issue and voting out the anti-worker politicians in the 2012 elections before we see cooperative solutions instead of partisan attacks.

Mark Your Calendar for the  Ohio Conference Annual Meeting The Ohio Conference AAUP will host its Annual Meeting Friday, April 13 – Saturday, April 14 in Columbus. The Annual Meeting is a unique opportunity for Ohio AAUP members to gather, share information, and determine the direction and policies of the organization. An agenda and registration form will be available on our website soon.

Reminder: Call for Nominations to Serve on the Ohio Conference Board of Trustees

The Ohio Conference is seeking nominations for its upcoming Board of Trustees’ elections.

The positions of President, Secretary, At-Large Member – Private Institutions, Chair of the Committee on Organizing, Chair of the Committee on Two-Year Institutions, and Chair of the Committee on Private Institutions are to be elected in 2012.

Nominations will close on January 30.

For more information on how to nominate yourself or a colleague, please click here.