Myth VS. Reality
Teacher Layoffs
Senate Bill 5 will hurt our local schools and kids by making it easier for politicians to lay off teachers and cut funding for schools across Ohio.
Teacher Salaries
Teacher salaries will be cut in half.
Teacher Contracts
Senate Bill 5 would immediately end current teacher contracts.
Sick Leave for Teachers
Senate Bill 5 would eliminate sick leave for teachers.
By basing teacher performance evaluations on quality measures vs. longevity measures exclusively, SB 5 ensures that our children are receiving the highest quality education possible.
The bill does not establish a new minimum or maximum salary that teachers will be paid. SB 5 does not mandate any salary reductions.
Senate Bill 5 allows current contracts to continue.
Teachers will get up to 10 days of sick leave per year as determined by the local board of education.
Public Safety
Senate Bill 5 jeopardizes public safety by subjecting law enforcement and firefighters to the bill's provisions in a way that ignores the ultra-hazardous nature of their role. Barring safety equipment and limiting the number of safety personnel who can join the union puts the public at risk.
Collective bargaining remains intact for safety equipment. The bill recognizes that taxpayers, employees, and their employers all have the same interest: to serve the public and provide those who serve with competitive pay, benefits, and the equipment and staffing needed to get the job done effectively.
Collective Barganing
Senate Bill 5 would strip away collective bargaining rights.
Ohio's Economy
Senate Bill 5 will do nothing to improve Ohio's economy - it will hurt jobs in Ohio.
The State Budget
SB 5 will do nothing to fix the budget problem.
Public Employee Pay & Benefits
Senate Bill 5 would cut salaries and benefits. Ohio's public employees make less than the private sector; Ohio's public employees earn 6% less than comparable private sector employees.
Collective Bargaining & The Budget Deficit
Collective bargaining did not cause Ohio's budget deficit. Policy Matters Ohio's study showed states with no collective bargaining are facing the same large budget deficits as states with collective bargaining.
State Employee Relations Board
There will be increases in unfair labor practice claims to SERB because of this bill. Can SERB handle these increases? Will it require additional funding to handle such increases?
"PROGRESS" SINCE 1983
SB 5 will turn back the clock 28 years on progress for our middle class. The last 28 years have achieved a balance in CBA negotiations, why would you want to dismantle a system that works so well?
Pensions
SB 5 will take away my hard-earned pension.
Aging Workers & Pensions
Senate Bill 5 will hurt older workers by failing to protect long-serving employees who have not contributed to Social Security and who are completely reliant upon their state pension. The remedy of filing a federal age discrimination or civil service complaint will not protect these workers and wastes taxpayer dollars by replacing binding arbitration with expensive litigation.
Fiscal Emergencies
Senate Bill 5 allows the governor and auditor to arbitrarily decide what constitutes fiscal watch or fiscal emergency instead of cross referencing existing definitions in law, thereby justifying any layoffs under any circumstances.
Binding Arbitration
By replacing binding arbitration and the right to strike with legislative body hearing process, Senate Bill 5 delegates to a biased, legislative body the choice of accepting the last best offer of public employer or public employee organization - it's obvious which one they will choose.
Nepotism, Corruption, ETC.
SB 5 will promote favoritism, nepotism, and bribery.
Age Discrimination
SB 5 will promote age discrimination.
The Middle Class
Senate Bill 5 will hurt the middle class.
Politically Motivated
Senate Bill 5 is just a politically- motivated attempt to destroy unions.
Jail Time
Senate Bill 5 would require jail time for striking.
Senate Bill 5 allows all public employees to collectively bargain for wages, hours, terms and conditions of their employment. Senate Bill 5 also allows public safety personnel to bargain for safety equipment. Many parameters of the current bargaining process would be unchanged under the new reforms.
SB 5 will ensure that our communities can balance their budgets and avoid large-scale layoffs of public employees.
SB 5 looks beyond this year's budget problem. It recognizes that future budgets could be even worse if Ohio fails to get its fiscal house in order.
Senate Bill 5 would not cut salaries and benefits for any public employee. The truth is that when you look at nonwage benefits such as health care, free vision and dental, and employer pension pickup, public employees make more than their private sector counterparts.
Ohio's antiquated collective bargaining laws did not cause all of its budget problems, but has certainly played a role. SB 5 equips local governments with the tools to tackle future budgets this year and beyond.
Any argument that SERB will receive more claims is complete speculation. SERB is more than capable of handling the additional responsibilities granted to it under the bill.
It replaces an imbalanced system of outside arbitrators and union control with a better system that protects taxpayers, teachers, and students. Ohio's middle class has struggled mightily in this new recession. SB 5 will ensure more of their hard-earned tax dollars stay in their pockets.
Those on the DROP program will be affected by changes in the bill. However, no other current retirees will be affected by SB 5.
The bill simply says length of service cannot be the exclusive basis for layoffs. Length of service can still be a factor when determining staffing reductions.
It gives the school board vital flexibility during a fiscal watch or emergency. School districts under such emergencies must be able to fix the problem quickly in order to focus on educating students.
Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. By granting power over city and school board budgets to foreign, unelected "mediators", we eliminate the consent of the governed. In the end, it should be up to local elected officials how much to tax and spend, not a mediator. The relevant elected officials should have the ultimate veto over any agreement to spend local taxpayer's money.
SB 5 encourages a public sector workforce that is promoted based on merit and performance, not on personal ties or favoritism. Ohio's current ethics and civil service laws will still apply in full.
SB 5 prohibits a public employer from violating state or federal civil rights law when conducting a reduction in force.
Senate Bill 5 empowers the middle class - and every Ohio taxpayer - with reasonable reforms to the growing cost of government labor. The bill restores a balance between our limited government budgets and the needs of our public workers.
SB 5 does not eliminate public employee unions and public employees can continue to use union representation to negotiate contracts. Senate Bill 5 allows for automatic PAC contributions with the written consent of the member.
The latest version of SB 5 eliminates the possibility of jail time.