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House Weakens Wage Bill; Fight Looms in Senate

Take action by   Friday, December 15, 2006

Call to Action:

House Weakens Wage Bill; Fight Looms in Senate
Call Your State Senator Today! Don't Let the Senate Pass Another Bad Bill!

The Ohio House passed a bill today that attempts to rewrite parts of the newly passed Constitutional Amendment to raise Ohio's minimum wage, better known as Issue 2.  The bill (Sub. HB 690) excludes certain groups of employees who were recently given a pay raise by Ohio voters, like home healthcare workers and firefighters. It also weakened other worker protections specified in the voter-approved Amendment.

It's now up to the Senate to right these wrongs.  Debate will ensue this week over two bills, one sponsored by Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) and Issue 2’s opponents (SB 401) and another by Senate Minority Leader and Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage Co-Chair, CJ Prentiss (SB 402).

Call and urge your state senator not to support SB 401, or any bill that selectively denies the minimum wage to certain groups of workers and weakens the protections approved by voters on Nov. 7. Click HERE to find your senator's contact information.

What These Bad Bills Do...

1) They rewrite the voter-approved amendment to deny the new minimum wage to workers who were very clearly covered in the amendment, such as home healthcare workers and fire fighters.

2) They change Ohio court rules to protect “bad apple employers” from having to repay unpaid minimum wages to all of their employees.

3) And they eliminate the current Ohio rule banning agreements to work for less than the minimum wage, creating a “back door” provision which could eliminate the minimum wage altogether.

What Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage Has to Say ...

Bill Denies Raise to Some Employees,

Weakens Protection Provisions in Voter-Approved Amendment

Press Release, December 11, 2006. Click HERE to read more.

We Need Your Help...

Call your state senator today and tell him/her to vote NO on Senator Steve Stivers’ bill, or any other bill that weakens the coverages and protections of the voter-approved amendment. Click HERE to find your senator's contact information.

Controversy Making News...

Discord over wage bill deepens

GOP ignoring voters, labor in writing law, critics say

Columbus Dispatch, December 12, 2006

Click HERE for more AND VOTE AT THE DISPATCH POLL!

Backers of wage increase fight opponents in Legislature

Associated Press, December 12, 2006

Click HERE to read more.

Minimum-wage coalition blasts implementing bill,

says measure likely to face court challenge

Gongwer News Service, December 12, 2006

Click HERE to read more.

In Clermont County, the 14th Senate District,

Your Senator is Tom Niehaus:  Call or Email him TODAY!

Republican	14th District
Address: Senate Building Room #038, Ground Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: 614/466-8082 Email: sd14@mailr.sen.state.oh.us