FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 4, 2008

John C. Mahaney Jr., treasurer of Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits, today issued the following statement:

The withdrawal of Issue 4, the economically damaging government-mandated sick leave issue, from the ballot is good news for Ohioans, who would have been put at a large competitive disadvantage by this ill-advised legislation.

In withdrawing the issue, the SEIU cited its desire to avoid a campaign of vitriol and disinformation.  It should know.  It has framed this issue from the beginning as an anti-business, class warfare issue in an attempt to divide Ohioans.

The real reason it was withdrawn is that it was so bad that no major state leaders, from the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to the House Speaker and Senate President, could support it.  Neither could any of Ohio’s newspapers, regardless of usual political leaning. It was slipping significantly in polls, and SEIU knew it couldn’t win.

Issue 4 was a massive, unwanted and unwelcome intrusion into Ohio economic life that threatened all employers and employees, but small employers and their employees in particular. It would have cost Ohio workers 75,000 jobs.

We are grateful to Gov. Ted Strickland, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted and Ohio Senate President Bill Harris for their strong efforts in connection with this issue. We are also grateful to the more than 2,000 local business, political and non-profit leaders, representing all of Ohio’s 88 counties, who already had joined our coalition to fight the issue.

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For more information:  John Mahaney, 614-221-7833