Ohio Collective Bargaining Restrictions Spark Strong Reaction From Police, Firefighters

[upstatecajun]

(AP) CLEVELAND — Unlike Wisconsin's high-profile effort to limit collective bargaining rights for public workers, Ohio's includes police and firefighters – who say it threatens the safety of officers and the people they protect.

Opponents have vowed to put the issue on the November ballot, giving voters a chance to strike the law down. The firefighters' union in Cleveland plans to hit the streets and help gather signatures.

Patrolman Michael Cox, a 15-year veteran of Cleveland's police force, said Ohio overlooked the inherent risks of police and firefighting work when lawmakers included them in the bill, which passed the Legislature on Thursday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/31/ohio-collective-bargainin_1_n_843387.html

[Shandris]

1. From the article...

""Shouldn't it be the employer who decides what's safe and what's not safe?" said state Rep. Joseph Uecker, who was a police officer in the Cincinnati area for 15 years. "Don't you think they are the ones who should decide whether they should have one or two or three people in a car? That's what we call management rights."

Are these people for real? City Officials? I don't know about your cities (generic 'your'), but MY 'city officials' are filled with realtors, a former restaurant owner, a church pastor, and a few others I (admittedly) don't know about. Naturally, it's very right-wing and Mike Pence-loving. THESE are supposed to be the people who know how to arm police officers and firefighters? GAH! It's enough to make you want to tear your hair out in frustration (!!). (True, I'm in Indiana, article is Ohio, but the quoted Representative's statement seems pretty blanket.)

I hope, for the good of the unions, for the good and safety of the firefighters and police, for the good of the CITIZENS, that they get this on the ballot. I wouldn't give it a snowball's chance in hell of standing after a ballot vote. This stuff is getting out of hand...as if I needed to say that...

Fucking Management Rights. Is that a new meme I'm just now hearing to counter 'Workers Rights'? I don't think I've heard it phrased so...blatantly before.