The people-powered, labor-progressive movement that picked up two legislative seats in the Wisconsin recalls is on the verge of an even bigger victory tomorrow in Ohio. Issue 2, which activists got onto the ballot to provide a citizen veto of the anti-union law SB 5 passed by Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio legislature, is poised to go the way of labor in tomorrow’s election. Public Policy Polling finds No on Issue 2, which will invalidate the anti-union law, well out in front.
Labor is poised for a big victory in Ohio Tuesday. PPP’s final poll on Issue 2 finds 59% of voters plan to reject Senate Bill 5, with only 36% voting for approval.
What might be most remarkable about the 23 point margin in this poll is that it’s exactly identical to what we found the first time we polled on this issue all the way back in March. Voters were furious then and that anger has continued all the way to November.
Democrats are almost unanimous in their opposition to SB 5, supporting repeal by an 86-10 margin. Meanwhile there’s division in the Republican ranks- 30% are planning to vote down their Governor’s signature proposal while only 66% are supportive of it. Independents split against it by a 54/39 spread as well.
PPP used the exact ballot language in their poll, and then also did a poll with a synopsis of the referendum. The poll showed the same results – 59% favor No on Issue 2. Labor can stop being paranoid. They’re going to have a big victory tomorrow.
The anti-union corporate forces certainly didn’t concede this one. In the final weeks they poured money into Ohio, with TV advertising and mailers, to get people to support Issue 2. They plastered President Obama’s face on mailers and told voters a vote for Issue 2 was a vote against him. They used questionable statistics and outright lies in their advertising. It doesn’t look like any of this will matter. In fact, it appears they were just shoring up their own base, which is still splitting from them in large numbers on Issue 2.
It’s a stretch to call this part of the Occupy Wall Street phenomenon. But it springs from the same position of dissent against extreme tactics by corporate-backed politicians. In Wisconsin protesters camped out at the Capitol Building in Madison. In Ohio, thousands came to the Capitol in Columbus. And then, using the referendum process, they gathered ten times as many signatures as needed to get the citizen veto of SB 5 on the ballot, entirely through volunteer efforts. And now they’re going to defeat those same corporate forces at the ballot box and score a victory for worker’s rights, stopping the tide of anti-union actions. It’s a pretty big moment.




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Good luck, Ohio, you and Greece will soon be able to sit down for a drink and lament how it all went wrong.
What worries me is what our Glorius Leader will do when his “Signature Initative” goes down in flames. He’s still going to want to destroy the unions, especially the public unions. I’d bet he’ll try to split us, and pass basically the same bill but with exceptions for police and fire.
Boxturtle (Area I live in is plastered with NO ON 2 signs. Haven’t seen one YES sign)
The people united …
I commend the people of Ohio and Wisconsin. I hope this is just the beginning of the second American revolution.
Turnout is a key factor. Labor cannot let up until the votes are certified. (Remember this is Ohio with a Republican Secretary of State)
Honestly BT, I don’t SEE Obama doing ANYTHING proactive about ANYTHING. He doesn’t have the suport of the dastardly, despicable republicans nor of his own party. I “suspect” he capitulates to Michelle most of the time too. SHE looks like she is a worthy opponent.
I wrote a diary on this a few days back. The Occupy movement and the Wisconsin/Ohio protests and ballot initiatives are following parallel but separate tracks. Wisconsin/Ohio is an extension of the old–a movement whose backbone is the progressive elements of organized labor and the Democratic party. (Unfortunately, these elements now exist only on a state within the Democrats. The national party has consciously obliterated them). OWS is the beginning of the new–a movement that transcends traditional attachments to party and formal political philosophy. Together, the two trends can work in synergy.
Well, I was refering to our Glorius Governor Kasich. :-) Dunno what he’ll do, except he still controls the government and will not likely let the people get in the way of his campaign supporters. Just dunno how he’ll come back.
Obama will do nothing. He hasn’t even bothered with lip service. My bet is that he’d vote YES, if he could do so without having to admit it. Clinton would have been living in Ohio, bashing the GOPers are every turn for political points.
Boxturtle (In his defense, Obama has GREAT relations with the union that’s supporting the keystone pipeline)
Meant to say “these trends only exist on a state level within the Democrats.”
The only way the Koch/Kasichs can win Issue 2 is with election tabulation fraud and we must prepare for that possibility. Ohio does not have recent history of clean elections. (thanks so much Kerry 2004, dammit) Our excitement & expectation of winning must hold fast throughout the day and night tomorrow and beyond…
And now they’re going to defeat those same corporate forces at the
ballot boxcorporate electronic votin machines.I live in Ohio, I voted Yes on issue 2.
As much as I hate kasich, I work in the private sector. Why should I help fund their retirement benefits? We simply do not have the money! The school district around me pays 100% of teachers pensions!! They do not contribute a red cent to their retirement.
It makes fiscal sense. I know I will take some heat for it on here.
Plenty of Yes on 2 signs Down here in Cincinnati. We can’t afford their outlandish benefits!
So the real problem in Ohio is school teachers? Honest?
F*cking school teachers.
Because they’re educating your kids, and protecting you from crime and fire. They’re also your customers, if you work in the private sector.
Sure we do. As an example, there are roughly 47,000 people in ohio with incomes in the top 1%. Add a new rate that adds about 2% to the tax burden of the top 1%. That raises more than $100m and likely doesn’t touch you.
Actually, they accept a lower salary in order to fund that system.
Boxturtle (And I’d pay another 2c/gal to fix the state roads)
Let’s try living without teachers, firefighters, and police. Think of how much money we can save!
Is it because you don’t think they deserve retirement benefits or are you upset because their benefits are better than yours? If the latter, why not try to improve your benefits rather than take theirs?
Boxturtle (Thou shalt not covet…)
Blah blah blah, I’m simply saying they need to contribute SOME money to their retirement.
We have teachers that get tenure then just stay to rake in money, not caring about the kids.
Performance based pay makes sense for teachers. Its how I’m payed in e private sector!
seems you are a very easy target. sure the deficit are all because of teachers etc. LOL same as the need to gut SS?MC you know to fix the national deficit. But let’s keep fighting wars, spending hue amounts on healthcare to keep our health care cartels happy and so on. But yep you focus on public section pensions and make sure we all live in the gutter while our masters rob us blind and laugh at how easy it is to get you to fall for the oldest trick in the book. divide and conquer.
Sure you will be glad to hear we might be bombing Iran real soon. You know to keep us safe while they starve us to death
well you are obviously not a banker because they get paid despite their performance. if you are really upset about your tax dollars being used maybe you should focus on the banking cartel who have taken trillions and still pay themselves huge bonuses
Puh-lease people will still go into those professions. By requiring them to contribute to their pension isn’t going to change that
Sorry about that. INDEED, YOUR governor is probably as big an a**hole as OUR governor Perry. Just less of a narcissississist.
Did I get enough “s” in that???
LMAO how do you link Iran and Ohio? You are assuming I agree w the bank bail outs. I don’t.
DDay- what is the polling on Issue 3, the health care ballot issue? If that loses near the level that Issue 2 goes down, it is a much bigger blow to Obama and national Dems.
I didn’t link Iran and Ohio. I linked your kind of thinking with people who attack public pensions and complain about how tax dollars are spent but at the same time never seem to be up in arms about endless wars.
Good to hear you were against bank bailouts and what have you done about it. Oh that’s right you don’t get a vote on that issue. funny how that works
Well mswinkle, I moved my money into a credit union. That’s what I have done about it.
If only SHE were on our side! Maybe then we’d win some.
Mean-spirited troll
Apparently, David is his/her main assignment. Sigh.
I voted NO on ISSUE 2.
People with pensions can afford plumbers, home repairs, dinners out, etc. That means they lift up our local economy. Why is this so hard to see?
If they accept a lower salary to help fund their pensions, then they ARE contributing. Why is THIS so hard to see?
I am a retired teacher. Teachers in the Ohio are compelled BY LAW to contribute 10% to their retirement. Period. The only way around that is if the school board “picks up” part of that 10%, which they generally do for administrators, not teachers. I know because I live with a former administrator. Kasich is lying to you.
christopher1989 — selfish dumbfuck extraordinaire. Apparently clueless on how unions have helped him and ALL workers in this coutnry over the decasdes, even if they never belonged to one.