Ohio voters repeal law that would have gutted collective bargaining rights

Source: David Shankbone, Flickr

Ohio voters struck down a law pushed by Gov. John Kasich that would have taken away public sector workers’ collective bargaining rights in the state.

Just over 61 percent of people voted against the law, with 82 of 88 counties opposing the measure, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

The vote came after an intense campaign by Democrats and labor unions. The Washington Post reports that the We Are Ohio group, which opposed the measure, poured $30 million into the repeal effort. Opponents of repeal raised only $7.5 million.

The White House lauded by the vote, the Huffington Post reported.

“The President congratulates the people of Ohio for standing up for workers and defeating efforts to strip away collective bargaining rights, and commends the teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers and other workers who took a stand to defend those rights.”

Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern told the Columbus Dispatch that politicians shouldn’t use public workers as scapegoats.

“If you overreach, the people will respond. There is no one tonight who could suggest this was about Democrats versus Republicans,” Redfern said, noting the wide margin of defeat. “This is literally about what is right and what is wrong, and what Ohioans feel is important.”

Kasich, who spearheaded the change admitted to the paper that people might have seen it as “too much, too soon.”