In just a few weeks Ohioans will go to the polls to elect candidates for both the state and national levels.  The outcome of the election will have a direct effect on the future of our state and our jobs.  We certainly ecourage everyone to exercize your most basic right and vote on November 4.

In Ohio we will be electing a governor, all statewide offices and our state senate and house of representatives.  This election is vital to all Ohio working people.  

If John Kasich is reelected as governor we can expect things like "right-to-work" and "right-to-choose" to come up in the 2015 state legislature.  Most of you know about right-to-work and it's devasting affect on decent paying jobs.  We cannot allow this to rear it's head again.  Probably not to many have heard of "right-to-choose".  Basically passage of this bill would allow employees to decide if they want to belong to a union.  In a lot of private sector jobs where there is union representation everyone must belong to the union.  This bill would change that and give the employee the option of working and NOT paying union dues.

The Ohio AFL-CIO has endorsed Ed Fitzgerald for governor.  He is on record opposing both of the bills that would damage union membership.  He is also for raising the minimum wage and supports prevailing wage laws.  Other important statewide offices up for election are:

Attorney General - David Pepper (endorsed by Ohio AFL-CIO)

Treasurer - Connie Pillich (endorsed by Ohio AFL-CIO)

Secretary of State - Nina Turner (endorsed by Ohio AFL-CIO)

Auditor - John Patrick Carney (endorsed by Ohio AFL-CIO)

If you are considering another four years of the Kasich Adminstration remember back in 2011 and the fight over SB5/Issue 2.  That was the Kasich attempt to take away bargaining rights of state employees - public sector jobs!  In a statewide election that bill was defeated with over 60% of the votes cast AGAINST the attempt.  Hopefully all public sector workers in the state remember this and will vote accordingly.

One more time - PLEASE exercise your most basic right as an American citizen and vote on election day.

Terry Grant, President OPWU AFL-CIO