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Canton
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Kasich in Canton —
Protesters voice opposition to Senate Bill 5
By Robert Wang
CantonRep.com staff report
Feb 22, 2011
CANTON — More than a thousand people were determined that Gov. John
Kasich would not have a quiet visit to the Canton Memorial Civic Center
Tuesday night.
Amid a cacophony of honking and chants, area union members and union
supporters waving signs crowded around both sides of Market Avenue N to
demonstrate their opposition to proposed legislation to curtail
collective bargaining by public employees. Kasich was there to speak at
the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet.
Senate Bill 5 would eliminate collective bargaining over pension
contributions. It would also get rid of seniority as a factor in
determining the order of layoffs by government agencies, would phase
out salary step increases, eliminate binding arbitration for emergency
workers and require public employees to pay at least 20 percent of
health insurance premiums.
A smaller number of counter-protesters demonstrated their backing of
the governor and the bill. One of them, Kathy Depew of Medina held a
sign that said, “Tea Party Union Local 1776.” While her parents were
union members, she said unions have gotten too much power at the
expense of taxpayers.
Leo Nagle of Shalersville said he was out of work for several months,
and, “I think everybody could stand to take a cut. A little bit of give
(by unions) would go a long way.”
Canton Police Chief Dean McKimm said the protests stayed peaceful.
Police officers placed barricades between the two groups of protesters.
The opponents to Senate Bill 5 cheered loudly as city snowplows, a fire
truck and a Stark Area Regional Transit Authority bus drove by with
their horns blaring.
“If they can do this (pass the bill), they can kill the unions. What’s
the stopping point?” asked Dana Slabaugh, 47, of Malvern, a special
education teacher at North Canton Middle School. “We’re not asking for
more. We just want to keep what we’ve got.”
“They’re trying to break the unions,” said Tony Digiroloma, 37, of
Canton, a Teamster driver for a beer distributor. “If there’s no
collective bargaining, what leg do I have to stand on with pay, with
benefits, with benefits for my kids.”
Susan Miller, 56, of Canton, an unemployed graphics artist, said, “Once
that union pressure goes away, the at-will employees have no chance of
getting fair representation in the workplace.”
Kasich told reporters that while he respected the right to protest, the
bill was part of a package to save the state from its economic ills —
including high unemployment, college graduates exiting the state, an $8
billion deficit, large pension obligations and the costs to taxpayers
of collective bargaining he says reaches a couple hundred million
dollars a year.
“When it comes to preserving pensions or health care, that’s something
we think management ought to control,” he said, adding that public
employees have far better health care, retirement benefits and job
security than private sector workers. “It’s also about giving cities
like Canton the ability to control their costs. You have binding
arbitrators that can come into a community and impose a settlement that
cities can’t afford.”
He said such contracts result in cities raising taxes, driving
companies and jobs out of Ohio.
“I don’t like people to be upset, but I’ve got to make decisions that I
think are in the best interests of this state,” Kasich said.
Protester Robert Miltner, a Kent State University Stark campus writing
professor, said the rally was not just about influencing Kasich.
“Whether he changes his mind or not, we hope to change the minds of
other citizens around the state for the next election.”
Read it at the Canton Repository
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