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Rally supports referendum on SB 5

Union supporters gather on anniversary of King’s assassination.

Union supporters attend a We Are One National Day of Action event. The gathering took place at the Teamsters Local 957 building, on Armstrong Lane, in Dayton.

Ron Alvey Union supporters attend a We Are One National Day of Action event. The gathering took place at the Teamsters Local 957 building, on Armstrong Lane, in Dayton.

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By Katie Wedell, Staff Writer 10:05 PM Monday, April 4, 2011

DAYTON — More than 200 representatives from local unions, community and religious groups opposed to the passage of Senate Bill 5 gathered in the auditorium of Teamsters Local 957 Monday night to rally support for a referendum on the November ballot.

The rally was one of more than 1,000 labor events across the country commemorating the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., where he had gone to stand with striking sanitation workers.

“If he was alive today he would have put on his marching shoes. He would be here with us,” said Rudy Fichtenbaum, an economics professor at Wright State University and chief negotiator for the school’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Representatives from the Dayton Education Association, the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the Dayton NAACP, and local government also spoke against the bill, which was introduced by Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Clearcreek Twp. and restricts public employee collective bargaining.

Nancy Kramer, a member of the newly formed Wives of Miami Valley Law Enforcement group, said the passing of SB 5, which was signed into law Thursday, affects everyone in the community and jeopardizes the safety of not just law enforcement officers, but everyone they serve.

“If you call 911, you may not get the response you need because staffing levels have been cut,” she said.

Supporters say it’s needed to restore the balance between local government employers and workers and help the state close an $8 billion budget gap.

Ohio government analysts estimate the law could save the state about $191 million each year. And they say school districts, townships and other local governments could see more than $1 billion in savings annually. The figures were released Monday by the state’s Department of Administrative Services.

“This is a tool for governments to get some semblance of control over their own costs,” said Gov. John Kasich’s spokesman Rob Nichols. “By doing that they won’t be forced to raise taxes and cut jobs.”

Nichols said if a referendum does go on the November ballot, the Governor’s Office will work to educate the public.

“There has been a lot of misinformation about this bill and a lot of demonizing of it,” he said.

Most in attendance, Monday said their goal is to send a message to Kasich.

“We want him to know that we do have numbers and we do stand together,” said UFCW member Roberta Greaver.

This story contains information from

The Associated Press.

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