The rights of hundreds of thousands of public workers in Ohio are now in the hands of Gov. John Kasich.
Senate Bill 5 passed in the Ohio Senate with a vote of 17-16 Wednesday night, just hours after the House of Representatives passed it with a 53-44 vote.
SB 5 would substantially overhaul a collective bargaining law, which gave public employees the right to bargain for their wages, hours, working conditions and benefits.
Thousands of protestors have gathered at the Statehouse on several occasions, including during Kasich’s State of the State address March 8.
Kasich is looking for this bill to correct the imbalance between taxpayers and government unions.
Rob Nichols, Kasich’s spokesperson, was not immediately available for comment.
Jamie Viterna, a fourth-year in biology at Ohio State, said the passage will be terrible for unions and everyone in them.
“It (unions) allows everyone to group together and kind of stand up and fight for their rights,” Viterna said. “It gives them a right to say and fight back.”
About 700 demonstrators protested SB 5 during the hours-long deliberation and eventual passing of the bill, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Andy Komar, a third-year in construction systems management, said the bill would affect his mother and sister, both teachers.
The bill is now in the hands of Kasich for final authorization.
Several OSU political science professors were not immediately available for comment.
