(The following appeared on the Columbus Dispatch website on February 22, 2011.)
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s capital could resemble its Wisconsin counterpart today.
Protesters projected to number anywhere from 4,000 to 20,000 are expected to swarm Capitol Square to rally against a bill that would eliminate collective bargaining for state employees and weaken the ability of local workers to bargain for their pay, benefits and working conditions.
Organizers couldn’t pin down a more precise estimate of how many protesters will converge on the Statehouse at the 1 p.m. appointed time – especially with bad weather forecast – but they were hoping for a turnout to rival the massive crowds that have gathered at the Statehouse in Madison over the past week to protest a similar anti-union bill backed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
“We’re hoping to have a huge showing,” said Andy Richards, spokesman for the Ohio AFL-CIO. “What’s happening in Wisconsin has just picked up and moved across the country.”
On Thursday, close to 4,000 filled the Statehouse with chants and cheers while a Senate committee held an all-day hearing on Senate Bill 5. Another hearing on the bill will be held at 4 p.m. today, with about 15 witnesses, mostly opponents, scheduled to testify, said Sen. Kevin Bacon, R-Minerva Park, the committee chairman.
Bacon said there will not be a vote or amendments offered on the bill during the hearing.
Private and public-sector union heads, leaders of liberal activist groups, and Democratic leaders such as former Gov. Ted Strickland urged demonstrators to flock to the Statehouse.
The full story appears on the Columbus Dispatch website.