Union Bosses Don't Deserve Ohio's Trust

To kill government union reform in Ohio, Ohio’s NEA affiliate charged every member an extra $54 this year. The Ohio Education Association (OEA) has contributed $5.8 million to a $30.5 million campaign whose message is equal parts simple and dishonest:

Vote NO on Issue 2 on November 8th to help repeal Senate Bill 5, the unfair attack on employee rights and worker safety in Ohio.

How do we know passing Issue 2 will hurt public employees? Because union bosses who, coincidentally, are wealthy because of Ohio’s broken status quo, say so. In addition to being “We Are Ohio‘s” biggest donor, OEA is the state’s largest public union. Let’s investigate whether OEA bosses are as trustworthy as they claim! Last summer, more than 100 OEA staff went on strike against the union. Ask OEA’s own workforce whether taxpayers should buy the union’s rhetoric.

There are two possible explanations for the attacks directed at OEA bosses from OEA staff:

1. OEA staffers use cynical, melodramatic theatrics to get what they want.
2. OEA bosses demonize elected officials while mistreating their own employees.

Whether OEA staff are overpaid hypocrites or OEA bosses are overpaid hypocrites, the money’s coming from the same place: Ohio teachers’ paychecks. This is how government unions work by design, and Issue 2 is a real chance to fix Ohio’s broken system.

Ohioans, vote Yes on Issue 2! Everyone else, please help combat the union smear campaign. November 8 is fast approaching.

For more Issue 2 coverage, follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart