Thanks to a massive mobilization effort, township trustees in West Chester Township have decided to table consideration of a Right To Work proposal there.
Hundreds of union members from dozens of labor organizations from both the private and public sector descended on the township of West Chester Tuesday night. This was the second time labor flexed its muscle in that area to try to halt a measure to strip private sector employees of their collective bargaining rights.
Seeing the outpouring of opposition, the trustees made a motion to halt consideration of the proposal until two similar cases are considered by the Sixth Circuit Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This is a significant victory for labor, even though it might have just bought us some time,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. “Other efforts are already underway to undermine our rights and silence our voices,” he said. “But we won’t back down, not now, not ever.”
Take ACTION to stop Right to Work for good in West Chester Township. Join a lit drop this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Prior to the Trustee Meeting hundreds gathered at a United Auto Workers hall nearby, including OCSEA activists, to discuss strategy. “We have to stick together on this,” said Tim Roberts, OCSEA Governmental Affairs Director, to the union crowd. “You were there when they were trying to take away our rights under Senate Bill 5, and today we stand with you,” he said.
Numerous unionists, community members, parents, business owners and others spoke at the Township Trustee meeting against the effects of right to work and the damage it would do to the community by lowering wages and decreasing safety.
“We know this isn’t the end of it,” said Mabe. “Having been unsuccessful in passing Right to Work in Ohio under Senate Bill 5, extreme politicians are looking for ways to resurrect Right to Work in this state,” he said.
“But the next time they try to strip us of our rights in the dead of night, we’ll be ready and back in the street, defending those rights again.”
See the photo gallery HERE.
Check out We Are Ohio's video of some of the speakers at the Trustee meeting HERE.
And read the Dayton Daily News article HERE about Tuesday's victory.