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| Ohio vote repeals union limit law | Ohio vote repeals union limit law |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A law limiting collective bargaining powers of Ohio unions has been defeated in a special referendum, according to the Associated Press. | A law limiting collective bargaining powers of Ohio unions has been defeated in a special referendum, according to the Associated Press. |
| The href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2011/by_county/OH_Page_1108.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS" >vote on the law, which had not yet taken effect, attracted a high turnout for a non-presidential election. | |
| More than $30m (£18.6m) from both labour and business interests were poured into the vote, which was watched across the US. | More than $30m (£18.6m) from both labour and business interests were poured into the vote, which was watched across the US. |
| Ohio Governor John Kasich had toured the state to promote keeping the law. | Ohio Governor John Kasich had toured the state to promote keeping the law. |
| Under the terms of the law some 350,000 unionised public workers in Ohio would have seen their collective bargaining rights limited. | Under the terms of the law some 350,000 unionised public workers in Ohio would have seen their collective bargaining rights limited. |
| The bill included a ban strikes, scrapped binding arbitration and dropped promotions based solely on seniority. | The bill included a ban strikes, scrapped binding arbitration and dropped promotions based solely on seniority. |
| It did allow bargaining on wages, working conditions and some equipment. | It did allow bargaining on wages, working conditions and some equipment. |
| Echoes of Wisconsin | |
| Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, on the largest US unions, hailed the result, which he said was sealed by Republican and Democrat voters in both urban and rural areas. | Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, on the largest US unions, hailed the result, which he said was sealed by Republican and Democrat voters in both urban and rural areas. |
| "Ohio sent a message to every politician out there: go in and make war on your employees rather than make jobs with your employees, and you do so at your own peril," the Associated Press reported him as saying. | "Ohio sent a message to every politician out there: go in and make war on your employees rather than make jobs with your employees, and you do so at your own peril," the Associated Press reported him as saying. |
| The Ohio issue has echoes of a bitter legislative battle in the state of Wisconsin earlier in 2011. | |
| In June the state Supreme Court upheld a law stripping most Wisconsin employees of their collective bargaining rights, appearing to end months of bitter debate and protest. | |
| The Wisconsin law, which also requires state government employees to pay more for their healthcare and pensions, was proposed last winter by the state's newly elected Republican Governor Scott Walker. |