Breaking: The anti-middle-class Senate Bill 5 passed the Ohio Senate by a 17-16 vote, after several unorthodox maneuvers by the Republican leadership to ram the bill through despite the huge public outcry against it.

"Shame on us," said Sen. Tim Grendell (R-Cleveland) while speaking against the bill. The deciding vote in favor of the job-killing bill was cast by freshman Sen. Frank LaRose (R) from Akron.

S.B. 5 next heads to the Ohio House, where representatives need to hear how much their constituents oppose restricting union rights for public-sector workers.

Twenty-thousand working people throughout Ohio made history Tuesday rallying for the middle class on the Statehouse lawn.

Union leaders, students and faith leaders called for defeating Ohio Senate Bill 5 because it removes most collective bargaining rights for public-sector employees. Speakers emphasized the importance of having each participant remain united in the growing struggle.

SEIU took the stage at the Ohio Statehouse "Rally for the Middle Class"  with a performance of union songs by the Solidarity Brothers.

International SEIU President Mary Kay Henry congratulated the audience for inspiring workers around the world with their actions.

"Game on, Mr. Kasich!" declared Lynn Radcliffe, an SEIU 1199 member vice president who assists special needs children for Cleveland schools.

SEIU 1199 member and parole officer Tom Guyer told the audience he felt betrayed by Kasich's anti-union measures after having personally supported the governor's recent election.

Fresh from similar protests at the Wisconsin capitol, the band Street Dogs played a rousing set of labor songs to the late-afternoon crowd.

On Tuesday, March 1, we will be streaming the rally live. Thousands of working people from around Ohio will be gathering together to fight back against attacks on the middle class. If you are unable to attend the event, please be sure to tune in here, at fightforafaireconomy.org.

Join community, faith and labor leaders this Tuesday, March 1 for a "Rally for the Middle Class" at the Ohio Statehouse. The rally is planned to oppose recent anti-worker schemes, including Ohio Senate Bill 5, and it will kick off at noon with music, speakers and solidarity for working people.

To RSVP for the event, click this link.  We will meet at the SEIU District 1199 Columbus office (1395 Dublin Rd. Columbus, OH 43215) at 10:45 am for a quick briefing and lunch, and then leave at 11 am for the rally.  Buses will be leaving from Cleveland and Youngstown at 8 am.  Buses will depart after the end of the event, about 5 pm.

To open a PDF file of the flyer, click here.

SEIU District 1199 Executive Board Member and Independent Home Care Provider Teresa Law spoke at the Cincinnati Issues Forum and Candlelight Vigil on Friday, January 14. Her
message was clear: Tell Gov. John Kasich to honor Dr. King's Legacy by respecting work and the people who do it

Video:

The governor and Republicans should be alert to the reality: The state cannot cut its way to greater prosperity

Akron Beacon Journal editorial, Jan. 18, 2011

Relying entirely on spending cuts to balance the next state budget risks damaging the state's economy in the long run. That is the worthy argument of One Ohio Now, voiced during a rally at the Statehouse last week. The group, representing more than 30 health and human services, education, transportation and labor interests, rightly called for a ''balanced approach.'' In other words, additional revenue also must be part of the budget solution.

The perspective is a valuable one to bring to the coming budget debate. Gov. John Kasich and the Republican majorities in the House and Senate are charting a different course as a projected deficit ranging from $4 billion to $8 billion looms for the next biennium. Kasich and his allies propose cutting taxes, for example, letting the final phase of an income-tax cut go into effect and eliminating the state's estate tax. That means deeper spending reductions.

Billions already have been cut in recent years. Slash billions more? The fear is a further weakening in areas such as education, mental health services and job training, harming Ohio's ability to lay a stronger economic foundation and to assist the poor and vulnerable. Erasing the jobs of teachers, safety forces and state employees also has a downside, the loss of solid, middle-class jobs, contributing to an unemployment rate that remains stubbornly high. Full article.

Nearly 600 people united today to say that the best path forward to solve Ohio's budget woes is with a balanced approach. Cuts alone won't fill the $8 billion hole, and today SEIU and other coalition partners of One Ohio Now (www.oneohionow.org) rallied at the Ohio Statehouse to call for balance - including revenue - to overcome the impact of the worst national recession in a lifetime.

"With families struggling and unemployment way too high, we can't afford to see education, libraries, healthcare, mental health and other necessities slashed," said Debbie Hajzak, Member Vice President of SEIU District 1199 and an employee of the Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System. "If we are to make the most of prosperity when it returns, we must take a balanced approach today."

Coalition members have come together over the past year to support common-sense solutions. Like other states, Ohio suffered an unprecedented collapse in state revenues at the same time that public needs are on the rise. Many states have taken a balanced approach that included revenue, instead of trying to solve a problem this big only with cuts in necessary services.
One Ohio Now's work is based on the following principles: a balanced approach; productive, stable revenue solutions that reflect today's economy; building on sound and sustainable public investments; and addressing the immediate crisis and planning for the future.