Many of you have contacted my office to express your opinions on Senate Bill 5, and I sincerely appreciate your participation in the legislative process. I apologize for my delayed response as I have received thousands of emails, letters and calls regarding this important legislation.
I understand and value the concerns raised by some of Ohio ’s public employees. Many of these concerns are driven by the same financial considerations that impact many other tax-paying Ohioans -- 400,000 of whom have lost jobs and countless more who have had wages, benefits, and hours cut due to Ohio ’s economic woes.
Despite the controversy, I continue to believe that Senate Bill 5 is a much-needed reform of Ohio ’s public sector collective bargaining laws. Originally passed in 1983, these laws have remained largely unchanged despite both major changes in Ohio ’s economy and the public’s loud repudiation of tax increases. Reform is necessary to adjust to the new economic realities of 2011 (just as Ohio families and businesses have) and to better equip government at all levels to deal with our current economic situation without massive tax increases.
Senate Bill 5 is about providing flexibility to state and local governments so that they can better manage its workforce and live within its means. Just two key provisions, asking public workers to pay a modest 15 percent of their healthcare insurance costs (most private sector workers pay an average of 31 percent of their healthcare expenses) and pay their own share of their own pension (the government employer will still pay the full employer share) will save hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. In fact, the Columbus Dispatch estimated that these two provisions alone would save roughly $74 million for central Ohio local governments. That equates to roughly 1,500 policemen, firefighters and teachers whose jobs could be saved when budgets are trimmed just by bringing these two benefits more in line with those of average Ohioans.
Simply put, Senate Bill 5 is designed to save jobs and protect services by giving public employers the tools to restructure their operating costs when revenues get tight. Under current law, many collective bargaining agreements are so restrictive that public employers have no other option but to lay off workers under dire financial conditions.
I understand this is a difficult and emotional topic to discuss and it is even more challenging when there is so much misinformation circulating about the bill. Here are just some of the myths I’ve heard:
Myth: The bill will hurt the middle class.
Fact: Senate Bill 5 will empower the middle class in Ohio by restoring the ability of local governments to control their budgets. A common misconception is that this bill will so drastically affect wages that local economies will be devastated. This is simply untrue and does not reflect the fact that money used to pay for public servants’ salaries comes directly from the taxpayers. The common sense reforms in Senate Bill 5 will prevent massive layoffs and keep more teachers, firefighters and police officers on the job. It will help state and local governments better manage their work forces by using some of the same tools that have allowed significant productivity improvements in the private sector. The Columbus Dispatch said it best: “There is no question that Senate Bill 5 is about the middle class. But it is not an attack, it is an attempt to restore to Ohio ’s middle class the control of the government it pays for and elects.”
Myth: This is a politically motivated reform that would “strip away collective bargaining.”
Fact: Senate Bill 5 does not eliminate public employee unions and does not prohibit collective bargaining over wages, hours, or terms and conditions of employment. As well, the bill clarifies that safety equipment and training can be bargained by Ohio ’s safety forces. However, Senate Bill 5 does try to balance the previously one-sided negotiations that were slanted towards the unions when the law was first passed by increasing transparency and preserving certain management rights.
Myth: The Senate has exempted themselves and their staff from the provisions of this bill.
Fact: Legislative employees were exempted from collective bargaining when the law was originally passed in 1983. Nevertheless, all Senate employees and elected officials already pay 15% or more of their healthcare premium and 100% of their employee contribution to the retirement system. This is exactly what is required by Senate Bill 5. The pay for Senators has been frozen at the 2008 level and no increase is in the foreseeable future. I continue to support cost-cutting measures within the legislative budget.
Myth: Senate Bill 5 will cut salaries in half or lower salaries to $17,300.
Fact: This is simply not true. There is nothing in the bill that reduces any salaries. Period. Teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public workers will still be able to negotiate on wages, hours, and the terms and conditions of the workplace – including for safety equipment for safety forces.
Under Senate Bill 5, public employees will no longer receive automatic pay increases based solely on length of service and all raises will be based on the employee’s performance. Also if layoffs are necessary, Senate Bill 5 allows an employee’s job performance to be taken into consideration instead of only seniority, thus ensuring that those who work for the public are the best and most efficient employees.
Myth: Senate Bill 5 would not do anything to fix Ohio ’s budget problems.
Fact: Senate Bill 5 will not be a sole fix to Ohio’s $8 billion projected budget shortfall (although it is worth noting that the nonpartisan Buckeye Institute suggests that “simply realigning state government worker compensation packages to match those of their private-sector peers would save taxpayers over $2.1 billion in the next two years which is nearly 28 percent of the $8 billion budget deficit we need to eliminate.”
This bill will, however, give governments much needed flexibility when addressing future budget challenges.
Again, thank you for taking the time to communicate your concerns to me. I hope this clears up some of the confusion surrounding Senate Bill 5.
Sincerely,
Shannon Jones
Majority Whip
7th Ohio Senate District
) is simply in panic mode at this point; they will lie, fabricate, distort and spread untold amounts of misinformation and innuendo in order to protect their own fat paychecks that result from leaching on their membership and The People. Clearly they are in panic mode as they understand the end is near for them and they might have to enter the real world and get real jobs.
