Ohioans Attending SB5 Petition Training In Masses

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Wednesday brought another big day of SB 5 petition trainings – organized by the Ohio AFL-CIO and AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils (CLCs) – across the state.  Hundreds showed up for standing-room only trainings in Ashland, Columbus, Coshocton, Mansfield, Canton, Tiffin, and Clarington.   Since Monday, thousands of Ohioans have participated in trainings in 20 different cities.  Union members from AFSCME/OAPSE, AFSCME Ohio Council 8, AFSCME/OCSEA, AFTRA, IAFF, AFT-OFT, CWA, IUPAT, ONA, Building Trades, IUPAT, Ironworkers, IBEW, USW, IAM, TWU, BCTGM, AFGE, Laborers, NALC, APWU, Plumbers and Pipefitters,


President Burga addresses petition volunteers in Columbus on Wednesday
OPEIU, ATU, UMWA, UAW, SEIU, OEA, Teamsters, UFCW, Working America, and FOP attended the events.

"We are expecting that 4,000 people will go through trainings by the end of this weekend," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga, who joined over hundreds in Columbus last night.  "The enthusiasm is historic and bodes well for our efforts to get the over 231,000 signatures we need to get this on the ballot and allow Ohioans to veto this devastating bill." 

People continued streaming into the Columbus training – at the Carpenters/Central Ohio Labor Council hall – 30 minutes after the training started.  The gigantic turnout, over 250 volunteers strong, forced many to stand along the walls because seats ran out within


At the Columbus training
minutes of the start of the training.  "I don't really foresee a problem getting signatures because of the energy everywhere," said Central Ohio Labor Council Executive Director Walt Workman, who helped organize the Columbus event.  "Even my Republican neighbors are opposing SB 5.  They voted for Kasich to create jobs and they see that he hasn't.  They and all Ohioans understand that SB 5 is an attempt to absolutely destroy working families and will affect all working class people."

Karl Harris, bus driver with the Central Ohio Transit Authority and member of TWU, joined the training in Columbus.  Harris said he is volunteering to gather petitions because "we have to fight for what we want.  Unions have fought for years to afford us the opportunities to have the type of wages and benefits and job security that we have."  Harris is concerned that if SB 5 is not repealed it will open the door to attacks on all workers.

While standing in line to check out his petition in Columbus Wednesday, Dustin Sarosy, a student at Ohio Student University, said he planned to circulate petitions at OSU.  "Senate Bill 5 will make Ohio one of the worst place to work and it is destroying jobs rather than creating them," said Sarosy.  Sarosy is scared about the prospects of finding a good job after graduating.  Senate Bill 5


Rhonda Smith (right in pink) checks out her petition in Columbus Wednesday
"makes it seem like it will be harder to get a job and if I do get a job, it may not be very good.  So, I am worried."

Rhonda Smith, a worker at Kroger and food service worker at the Columbus City Schools, said Senate Bill 5 is about "making the rich richer and the poor poorer."  "This is a shame that this is happening to us in this day and age," added Smith.  They want to work us "like slaves...that is what they are trying to put us back to, working for nothing."  Smith – also a member of both UFCW and OAPSE/AFSCME – is optimistic that Ohioans will easy collect the needed signatures to get Senate Bill 5 on the ballot.

In Canton, there was a line out the door to sign the petition before the start of the training.  Over 150 volunteers went through the Canton training before receiving their petitions and hitting the street with the thousands of other volunteers who completed a training earlier this week.  "People have been calling about petitions for weeks," said Hall of Fame Labor Council President Dan Sciury,


At the Canton training Wednesday
who helped put together the Canton event.  "I have seen people who have not been politically active get involved in this campaign because they see SB 5 as an overreach."  Sciury added that public service workers have taken concession after concession and should not be blamed for an economic and budgetary crisis they didn't create.  "SB 5 is an attempt to balance the budget on the backs of working families and the working poor.  Like he did in Congress, Kasich is subscribing to the idea of the race to the bottom."

Dozens also attended a training in Tiffin.  Lynda Mobley, president of the North Central Ohio CLC, lives in Tiffin and helped organize the Tiffin event.  "I have never seen anything like this," said Mobley.  "Whether union or non-union, workers and community members are getting involved here in a huge way.  People recognize this is an assault on all workers and that we need to stop this at the gates."

Among those attending the Tiffin training were a number of non-union volunteers from a grassroots citizens group that has organized specifically to oppose SB5.  Jacki Gomez, who helped organize the group, coordinates their activities and works with North Central Ohio CLC President Lynda Mobley on the campaign.  Jackie thanked all the participants for coming and urged them to expand the campaign by recruiting friends and family.  She reminded everyone that "Tonight's training and this petition drive are just the beginning.  We'll also need to go out to canvass door-to-door to educate people on how SB5 hurts our community and everyone in it."  Mobley, who personally spearheaded the minimum wage petition drive in Seneca County, praised the enthusiasm of the local coalition and pledged that the CLC would


Mansfield volunteers get trained
continue working with them to build outreach and mobilization in the area.

Over 200 people also attended trainings in Ashland, Coshocton, Clarington and Mansfield on Wednesday.  In total, over 650 people went through trainings on Wednesday evening.

"It is all about energy," said Ron Davis, President of the Crawford-Richland Central Labor Council, who worked to organize the Mansfield event.  "SB 5 has awakened a sleeping giant.  This is not a Democrat or Republican issue.  It is about all Ohioans."  Davis said he is receiving calls from Ohioans as far as Wooster about getting involved in the effort.  "It is also bringing unions together who had not been working together in the past," added Davis.

Barb Phillips, President of the Ashland-Wayne-Holmes Central Labor Council, agreed with Davis that people outside of labor have been instrumental so far in this effort.  Phillips helped put together the Ashland training where over 75 people attended.  "Members of the Ashland community are energized around this issue.  They see this as an attack on the working and middle classes, an attack on their way of life."


Wednesday's training in Ashland

"We have never seen activity like this in Belmont County," said Ed Good, President of the Belmont-Monroe Central Labor Council, who helped organize the Clarington training where dozens of people attneded.  "We have people coming into the fold that have never been active here before.  People are calling and emailing non-stop about finding out where they can get trained as petition gatherers or sign a petition."

"People are engaged and energized," said Jerry West, Treasurer of the Licking-Knox CLC.  West helped put together the Coshocton


Volunteers sign out their petitions in Coshocton Wednesday before hitting the streets
training with nearly 70 people attended.  "People are up in arms over this.  I haven't seen this much energy in a really long time.

More trainings are scheduled took place tonight and two others are scheduled for Saturday in Portsmouth and Chillicothe as well as one on May 6 in Steubenville.