Ohio Petition Campaign Well On Its Way to Goal for Referendum

Poll Shows Majority Would Vote to Repeal Anti-Collective Bargaining Law

A May 5 statehouse rally is one of many events that have propelled the campaign to repeal Ohio's new anti-union law. More than 214,000 people have signed petitions so far for a November referendum, including Republican state Sen. Bill Seitz (below), who voted against the bill.

In their high-energy campaign to overturn Ohio's new law stripping collective bargaining rights from public workers, broad coalitions of union members and diverse allies have gathered more than 214,000 petition signatures in just a month.

CWAers, community, faith and civil rights activists, environmentalists and even self-described Republicans fed up with Gov. John Kasich's power grab are continuing to circulate petitions, aiming for as many as 500,000 signatures by the end of June.

The state requires 231,149 valid signatures in order to put a referendum on the November ballot that will let voters decide the fate of the anti-union law.

"CWA activists have been volunteering across Ohio not only to circulate petitions but also to help do data entry and other critical tasks," said CWA District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen, who helped create the Stand Up for Ohio coalition earlier this year. "I am certain we will get more than enough signatures to put this on the November ballot.

According to a recent poll, 54 percent of Ohioans believe the law should be repealed, with only 36 percent wanting to keep it. The majority of respondents also said that Kasich's budget proposals are unfair, with schools, social services, public safety and other essentials on the chopping block while corporations and millionaires get more tax breaks.

"To give a sense of how families are struggling, a record four out of every 10 school kids in Ohio now qualifies for subsidized lunch," said Amy Hanauer of Policy Matters Ohio, speaking at Stand Up for Ohio's "Good Jobs and Strong Communities" rally the day the GOP-controlled House passed the budget.

The nonpartisan fact-checking service, PolitiFact, wondered if she was right. Their investigation of Department of Education and USDA records showed she was "spot on." In fact, PolitiFact said, the actual figure is 44 percent, slightly higher than the four-in-10 number Hanauer cited.

Stay informed about the campaign at Stand Up for Ohio's Facebook page.