TRUTH: SB 5 destroys jobs and lowers wages. You cannot create jobs by destroying jobs. If SB 5 passes, owners of shops, gas stations and other small businesses across this state will be forced to lay off workers or close their doors.
MYTH: Public employees are overpaid, and their salaries need to be brought in line with the private sector. TRUTH: A recent Rutgers University study found Ohio public employees earn 6 percent less on a yearly basis than their peers in the private sector. They earn 3.5% less on an hourly basis. The average OAPSE (Ohio Association of Public School Employee) makes $24,000 a year and retires with an average pension of $900 a month. Public employees do not pay into or receive Social Security.
MYTH: Public employees need to make a sacrifice to reduce the state's projected $8 billion budget shortfall.
TRUTH: Ohio is 44th of 50 states in per capita spending on government workers. State employees have taken a pay freeze five times in 9 years. In the last contract, state employees voluntarily took furloughs and made other financial sacrifices that saved $250 million and an additional $100 million in health care costs. MYTH: Public employees have too much power and the public agrees.
TRUTH: A recent Gallup poll found the 61% of the public oppose taking away some collective bargaining rights of most public employee unions. A recent Quinnipiac Poll found that only 34 percent of the people in Ohio support this proposal.
MYTH: Rolling back collective bargaining rights is needed to help managers do their jobs.
TRUTH: Ohio passed a law in 1983 to establish collective bargaining for state workers. The 1983 law has reduced labor strife, and increased professional training and productivity.
MYTH: SB 5 is nothing more than a reasonable set of reforms needed to bring public employee salaries and benefits more in line with their private sector counterparts.
TRUTH: There is nothing reasonable about SB 5. It takes away the rights and voices of hardworking Ohioans who serve our state and local communities. It unfairly shifts the balance and all the power to management.
MYTH: SB 5 just asks public employees to pay their fair share for healthcare benefits and pension costs. TRUTH: SB 5 fundamentally changes collective bargaining and is a flawed bill with unintended consequences. All state employees already pay 15% of their healthcare and 10% of their pension costs. Many workers in local communities also pay at least these levels or more. School employees in Grove City pay 35% of their healthcare costs.
MYTH: SB 5 will save jobs.
TRUTH: SB 5 will not create one job. Between the devastating state budget cuts to local communities and SB 5, the state could lose 51,000 jobs. The truth is, due to more than one billion dollars in state budget cuts, local communities will be forced to fire and layoff vital safety services like police officers and firefighters. MYTH: All of Ohio’s business community supports SB 5.
TRUTH: More than 700 businesses in Ohio are part of the Proud Ohio Workers program which shows support for public and private sector workers who shop in their businesses. Local
MYTH: Unions never came to the table to discuss their concerns with SB 5 during the legislative debate and when given the chance to compromise they refused.
TRUTH: Thousands of people were locked out of the Ohio Statehouse during the legislative debate and were unable to testify or let their voices be heard. We Are Ohio stood firmly with the 1.3 million Ohioans who signed petitions to repeal SB 5 and told legislative leaders they should come back to Columbus and repeal the whole bill.
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