YSU Faculty Non-Strike: The Frog and the Scorpion. Vote YES on Issue 2!

A scorpion was standing by a river trying to get to the other side. Looking around, he called upon a frog to carry him to the other side. “No” said the frog. “You will sting me and surely we both should die”. The scorpion replied that he was certainly not suicidal, and the frog had nothing to worry about. So the frog allowed the scorpion to climb on his back and they proceeded across the river. ½ way across, the scorpion twitched his tail and stung the frog. “Now you have done it” shouted the frog. “Why would you sting me knowing that we will both now drown?” “It’s my nature!” replied the scorpion as they sank to the bottom of the river.

I am so impressed by the largesse of the Youngstown State University faculty. Their decision not to go out on strike warms the cockles of my heart. And the news media is positively batty over their generous decision to allow the students to resume their very expensive education this week. Look how reasonable the local union is acting.

This past summer, Youngstown State instituted ANOTHER 3.5% tuition increase supposedly to make up for cuts in this year’s Ohio state budget. But the unions saw that money, and decided they wanted a raise. A “fact finder” decided that all of the money should be awarded to the faculty union, even though other unions had yet to have their shot at the gold ring. When the Board of Trustees said no, the union voted to strike, and gave the university its 10 day notice. Then almost immediately after giving the notice, the union abruptly changed its mind and agreed to work under the old contract until a new one could be worked out

Nowhere and I mean nowhere, did I see anything mentioned anywhere about State Issue 2 (SB 5) being the motivating factor behind all of this union civic mindedness. These folks aren’t this way by nature. The unions at YSU are just the opposite. In fact, public employee unions in this area are among the most strident in the country, going out on strike before it was legal for public employees to strike! Ask the folks in Boardman.

I would have loved to been a little bird in the room as the frantic calls poured in from the Democratic Party and the union bosses’ telling them now is not the time to go on strike. This strike would have been the topic on every radio talk show in the state, not to mention SB 5 supporters’ commercials. This kind of behavior is exactly what SB 5 was designed to prevent. How is the media missing this story? Can you imagine? A strike by state university professors right before a statewide referendum designed to prevent this type of public employee “behavior”?

Issue 2 is the referendum on Ohio Senate Bill 5. Here are some easy questions to determine whether you support Issue 2 (Senate Bill 5) or oppose it.

1) Do you believe public employees should have the right to strike? If you say no, vote yes on Issue 2.

2) Should public employees be required to participate in a uniform health care plan as provided for by the state rather than negotiate individual plans? If you say yes, vote yes on Issue 2.

3) Should public employees be required to pay at least 10% of the cost of their health care plan like employees in the private sector? If you say yes, vote yes on Issue 2.

4) Should public employees be required to pay at least 10% of their pension costs like employees in the private sector? If you say yes, vote Yes on Issue 2.

5) Should public employees be allowed to accumulate sick days and vacation days and be paid a lump sum for them when they retire, sometimes in excess of a $100,000.00? If you say no, vote Yes on Issue 2.

6) Should teachers’ job security and pay be determined by seniority or by their effectiveness as teachers? If you think the latter, vote Yes on Issue 2.

7) Should employee pay be based on the ability of a political subdivision to pay salaries, or based on an outside arbiter telling the subdivision they have to give raises, and put a levy on the ballot to pay for it? If you believe the former, then vote Yes on Issue 2.

The professors at YSU have dodged the bullet by heeding the story of the scorpion and the frog. But without Issue 2 being on the ballot this fall, school's out for summer, and all fall too!  Remember, that trip across the river is a two way trip.  The scorpion might not sting going across, but coming back is a different story. 

Vote Yes on Issue 2.