Volunteers Gather Three Times the Signatures Needed for Ohio Vote

Petition Campaign Big Step Toward Repeal of Anti-Collective Bargaining Law

Proudly wearing anti-Senate Bill 5 stickers, CWA volunteers in Ohio helped gather more than 714,000 signatures in the fight to restore public workers' collective bargaining rights.

When volunteers began circulating petitions two months ago, Ohio unions and their allies had an ambitious goal: A half-million signatures by June 30, more than twice the 231,000 valid signatures required to put a repeal of the state's anti-collective bargaining law on November's ballot.

The number collected so far is beyond their wildest dreams: 714,137 signatures as of last Friday, when there were still nearly two weeks to go before all petitions have to be submitted.

For CWA members and thousands of other volunteers working tirelessly to gather signatures, the tally is thrilling but not entirely surprising. "People were so excited. In restaurants, on the sidewalk, in the grocery store, they were coming up to me asking to sign the petition," said Barb Allen of IUE-CWA Local 84722, the same experience described by Local 4310's Diane Bailey.

As private-sector workers, Allen and Bailey aren't affected by the new law, which specifically targets the union rights of public workers. But they know if Kasich succeeds now, he won't stop until all workers have lost their collective bargaining rights and seen their paychecks and benefits shrink.

"I brought it home to people, made it personal," said Bailey, who is her local's secretary-treasurer. "Maybe it didn't affect them directly, but everyone knows someone who is affected. And that resonated with people. It didn't matter whether they were young or old, black or white, public or private sector, union or non-union, they don't approve of what Governor Kasich is doing. It's a moral issue for them."

Bailey and Allen were creative circulators. Bailey often posted her location on Facebook so people could find her and sign. Allen, treasurer of her local, said she kept petitions with her at all times and always wore her anti-SB 5 button, referring to the infamous bill number. That drew voters to her wherever she went.

Sometimes she'd approach people who'd refuse to sign, but she often persuaded uncertain voters. "I talked to a used car salesman and I told him, 'Who do you think is buying these cars? It's the union people in your area. The teachers, the firefighters, the police officers. You take away their income, and they're not going to be buying your cars.' He ended up signing," she said.

That's exactly the kind of connect-the-dots message that the CWA-founded "Stand Up for Ohio: Good Jobs and Strong Communities" coalition will be sending every day between now and November.

"Everyone is impressed and inspired by the record-breaking efforts of 10,000-plus volunteers across Ohio, including hundreds of CWA members, but our work isn't done," CWA District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen said. "We have to keep building the movement for good jobs and strong communities. That's the key to vetoing this attack on collective bargaining rights in November."