Just weeks after a right-to-work bill passed the Indiana House of Representatives, the idea has spread east to Ohio, where a group called Ohioans for Workplace Freedom is now gathering signatures to have a proposed right-to-work amendment put to a vote, the Dayton Daily News reports.
Right-to-work supporters say that the law, which would abolish mandatory union membership or union dues, could lead to more jobs because employers will no longer be restricted by wage scales.
Opponents say the exact opposite effect will happen—Tim Burga, chief of staff of the Ohio American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) calls the proposed amendment the “right to work for less,” and notes that according to the New York Times, six out of 10 states with the highest unemployment rates have right-to-work laws.
Ohioans for Workplace Freedom will have to get at least 386,000 signatures to get the issue on the ballot, which it hopes to achieve either by November or next year.
