Page 5 - REPORT Brinkman 1-MAY EDU Roundtable

In his remarks, Rep. Brinkman stated he is a supporter of Right to Work (RTW). He is the sponsor of the
private RTW bill. He is a co-sponsor of the public RTW bill (Rep. John Becker). He does not see these
becoming laws in the current term although he supports both becoming law. For him, it is about being
competitive with surrounding states for business investment. He listed some examples of Cincinnati area
companies moving to Kentucky or Indiana. He also mentioned the workforce skills issue we have that is more
immediate. Basically, that about 300k jobs are open in Ohio for which there are not skilled workers (ex:
welders). He sees that as more of a near-term issue. He stated that his private RTW bill did not contain
language from ALEC but that he supports ALEC so, he would not have intentionally ignored their input.

Audience questions and comments included:

• The audience was overwhelmingly against RTW in Ohio. They also believe that any change should be
on the ballot (vs. decided in the legislature). There was a sense that the issue was currently a waste
of time and energy.
• There were some comments, ostensibly, to inform Rep. Brinkman on the current realities such as:
o Teachers can already opt-out of union representation (Fair Share, Article 4). If they do, they
pay an administrative fee (vs. full dues).
o RTW lowers wages and promotes a race to the bottom.
• There was a discussion of “educated workforce” needs being a far bigger issue in Ohio than
unionization as more of a reason that companies do not locate here.
• An interesting discussion took place about the impact of Ohio’s Workers Compensation approach on
competitiveness and attractiveness for businesses to locate and grow here.

The closing electronic question (and result) was as follows:

Some points for action / collaboration / follow-up included which Rep. Brinkman accepts are:

• Rep. Brinkman continues to support Right to Work as essential to bringing and retaining private
sector jobs in Ohio. These jobs are essential to us having a future.
• Workers Compensation in Ohio is an issue that should be addressed.
• Workforce skills (vocational education) is an area that needs more and better focus.

TAXES
These were noted as areas to address within the agenda:

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