Ohio Vote on Bargaining a Union Victory—For Now

Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich wipes his brow during a news conference at the Ohio Statehouse on Nov. 8 in Columbus. The state's new collective bargaining law championed by Kasich was defeated after a campaign that pitted firefighters, police officers, and teachers against the state's Republican establishment.

—Eric Albrecht/Columbus Dispatch/AP

Republicans chastened after attempt to restrict union rights, but issue far from settled

By Michele McNeil

Voters in Ohio sent an unequivocal message to that state’s Republican governor and lawmakers last week that they went too far in reining in collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees. But analysts say the conflict between the GOP and teachers’ unions in Ohio and elsewhere is not over.

By an overwhelming, 22-percentage-point margin, Ohioans—even in heavily Republican counties—repealed Senate Bill 5, enacted earlier this year. It was a resounding defeat of a law that stripped teachers and other public employees of most collective bargaining rights, and many predicted the vote could have ripple effects in other states that have engaged in high-profile battles with unions, such as Wisconsin.

The message from unions now is: “Mess with us, cross us, and we will come after you, and you will pay the political price,” said Patrick McGuinn, an associate professor of political science and education at Drew...