About

Youngstown State University’s Chapter of the Ohio Education Association was born in 1972. The following year, YSU-OEA secured the first master collective bargaining agreement covering a faculty in Ohio public higher education. Youngstown itself has a strong history of collective bargaining and people putting themselves on the line for workers’ rights.

After waiting for another organization or body to take up the lead on a state referendum, it became clear to three members of YSU-OEA – Amanda Fehlbaum, Cryshanna Jackson Leftwich, and Mark Vopat – that no one was stepping forward. It was also clear that efforts prior to the passage of SB 1 were going largely ignored by the legislators.

Ohio State Senator Jerry Cirino has made “reforming” higher education his personal pet project. His earlier attempt with SB 83 floundered and died; however, he was not deterred. It was so important to him, in fact, that he made it Senate Bill 1 in the 136th General Assembly! It was pushed through quickly because he said he had heard all the pushback from SB 83 and did not feel the need to take more time to deliberate. He did not feel the need to stay and listen to all opposition testimony against SB 1.

It is obvious that the GOP Supermajority was not interested in listening to the many, many, many people against SB 1. They were also not interested in listening to the many, many, many people against HB 6 (the identical bill to SB 1).

A state referendum is our last opportunity to make our legislature know that we do not want to destroy higher education in Ohio. We want to retain collective bargaining rights for faculty.

We want to stop the government in its steps before its attacks reach K-12 and other unions. What happens to higher education is going to roll down to K-12 and outward to other labor unions.

Now is the time to fight back. Now is the time to stand up for public education as a whole and for collective bargaining rights.

---

If you would like to get involved, please reach out here.

If you are seeking a comment for the media, please reach out here.