Today, Ohioans resoundingly said NO to Gov. Kasich’s blatant attack on American workers and the middle class when they voted to repeal Senate Bill 5. The legislation would have stripped more than 360,000 workers in Ohio of the right to collectively bargain for fair and safe workplace conditions.
The 62 – 39 landslide victory is a testament to the great work of Ohio Nurses Association, We Are Ohio and the countless number of fire fighters, nurses, teachers and others who worked diligently to preserve the rights of workers and America’s democratic principles.
Watch this powerful video of this victory!
This victory is key for nurses and their patients. For nurses, defeating this legislation was quite literally a matter of life or death. Collective bargaining allows us to make sure there are safety provisions in place that protect nurses and, more importantly, our patients. These include policies that ensure nurses aren’t assigned to too many patients at once or forced to lift heavier patients without the right safety equipment, which can lead to mistakes, injuries and death.