COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 1 (UPI) -- Thousands of public employees gathered at the Ohio statehouse Tuesday to pressure state legislators on a bill that would change collective bargaining.
Republicans had not succeeded in moving the bill, known as SB5, out of the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported. A series of 15 amendments were introduced in an effort to make the measure more palatable for wavering Republicans, the newspaper said.
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern introduced his plan to block the bill if it passes the legislature, as seems likely. He hopes to force a referendum.
About 8,500 protesters showed up in Columbus, more than twice the number two weeks earlier and significantly more than the 5,800 last week. They included members of firefighter and police unions who often support Republicans.
Few appeared to be satisfied with the amendments.
"There's nothing in these amendments that would make us support the bill," said Mark Sanders, head of the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters. "I can't see where it would move anybody from a no to a yes."
Ohio union members gathered near the Capitol Tuesday, worried about a revised bill to eliminate public-sector workers' collective bargaining, members said.
The Ohio Senate in Columbus is expected to consider the measure Thursday, The New York Times reported.
"This is going to get passed and people will sit back and say, 'What happened?' Once it's done, there's no putting the genie back in the bottle," said Mark Horton, a retired firefighter and Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters treasurer.
The Ohio bill is distinguishable from one being pushed by Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin, which exempts firefighters and police officers, the Times reported.
Republicans maintain the legislation would do away with traditional union privileges and is part of wider belt-tightening measures that would reduce budget deficits.
GOP members said public employee pensions increasingly are a part of the deficit problem.
"The upper class has done a great job of pitting the middle class against itself. I get a pension of $3,700 a month. If someone thinks I'm riding high on the hog, that's just not the case," said Horton, adding that claims the unions are overpaid are unfair.
The scheduled celebration of Ohio's 206th anniversary of its statehood was canceled because of the rally Tuesday.
