Officials Certify Triple the Signatures Needed for Ohio Referendum

Voters to Decide Fate of Anti-Collective Bargaining Law on Nov. 8

It's official: The Ohio petition drive to let voters decide the fate of the state's new anti-union law gathered 915,456 valid signatures — more than three times the number required.

Hundreds of CWAers were among thousands of volunteers, union and non-union, who began energetically circulating petitions in April. A day before the June 30 deadline, they delivered a historic 1.3 million signatures to state officials.

The campaign needed just over 231,000 valid signatures in order to place a referendum on November's ballot to overturn Senate Bill 5, the law the Republican-controlled Legislature passed earlier this year stripping collective bargaining rights from public workers. The law would have taken effect July 1, but is on hold pending the outcome of the Nov. 8 election.

Polls show that a majority of Ohioans oppose the law, and even businesspeople and self-described Republicans have joined the fight against it. In Dayton, some of them stood up this week against their city's Chamber of Commerce, as it voted to endorse the union-busting law.

"As a Chamber member, I am disappointed," said James Arnett, owner of an industrial contracting service. "This legislation pits our community against one another and attacks police officers, firefighters, teachers; those that provide vital public services."

Fewer than 30 Dayton Chamber members voted on the endorsement, while 70 Dayton-area businesses have joined Proud Ohio Workers, comprising businesses that support public and private workers and recognize that their wages are essential to the local economy.

Among many campaign events leading to the Nov. 8 vote, the CWA-founded Stand Up for Ohio coalition will be holding a festival from noon to dusk Aug. 20 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus. Family and children's activities will be held all day, along with speakers addressing SB 5, growing Ohio's middle class, revitalizing jobs, protecting the environment, excellence in education, voter rights and other critical issues.

Stand Up for Ohio has created a special website for the festival, www.BringAwesomeBack.org. Also check out the coalition's Facebook page.