Dayton Daily News: Bill puts hiring, firing, work rules up to management at public agencies

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/bill-puts-hiring-firing-work-rules-up-to-management-at-public-agencies-1099151.html

By Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Bureau Updated 10:51 PM Saturday, March 5, 2011

Ohio has more than 358,000 public workers covered by collective bargaining contracts, and Gov. John Kasich says that one thing passing Senate Bill 5 is designed to do “is allow us to save money.”

The bill, which would control the costs of wages and benefits for public workers, could have saved an estimated $1.3 billion in 2010 on health insurance and automatic pay increases, according to a new analysis by the state Office of Collective Bargaining.

Before Ohio adopted a collective bargaining law in 1983, there were scores of cases of “blue flu” — workers calling in sick — and illegal strikes by teachers, firefighters, police and other public employees.

To inoculate against such problems, the architects of the bill borrowed a remedy from New York: outlaw strikes and fine those who do strike two days of pay for each day they’re out and if they refuse a court order to go back to work, they could be fined for contempt of court.

State Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Clearcreek Twp., the bill’s primary sponsor, said she borrowed these provisions from New York’s Taylor Law, adopted in 1967.

Senators last week kept some of the punishments but removed a provision that could have sent striking teachers, firefighters, prison guards and others to jail for up to 30 days.

Senate Bill 5, which passed the Senate on a 17-16 vote on Wednesday, now goes to the GOP-controlled House, where it is expected to pass.

FULL story at link.