Cops, firefighters knocking on doors to defeat SB 5

LIMA — Off-duty firefighters and police officers walked door-to-door Saturday, urging Lima residents to vote “no” in next month's ballot fight over the state's collective-bargaining overhaul.

About 40 cops and firefighters took part in the canvassing, organized as Protect Ohio's Protectors, part of the We Are Ohio coalition opposing the collective-bargaining law known as Senate Bill 5. We Are Ohio is the union-backed coalition that spearheaded efforts to get the referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot and continues pushing for S.B. 5's defeat.

“It's a safety issue, not just for the firefighters, but it translates to safety for the citizens of Lima,” said Sean Carpenter, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 334 and one of the canvass volunteers. “One thing they're going to take away from us is the ability to sit down at the negotiating table and determine manning factors, determine the type of equipment that we have.”

The safety of Lima's firefighters translates into a safer city, Carpenter said.

Among other changes, the law bans public worker strikes and limits the collective-bargaining abilities of teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees. Workers could negotiate on wages, but not on their pension or health care benefits.

Gov. John Kasich has characterized the law as a way to help the state plug a multibillion-dollar budget hole. Supporters contend it gives cash-strapped local governments more flexibility to manage budgets and control costs, aside from laying off workers, cutting services or raising taxes.

A “yes” vote to keep the law would make it easier for cities to keep firefighters and police officers working, said Connie Wehrkamp, a spokesman for Building a Better Ohio, a Republican- and business-backed group seeking voter approval of the law.

Matthew Klempner, We Are Ohio regional communications director, said the volunteers were concentrating on homes with known registered voters. They skipped houses where voter registration wasn't certain. They also passed over homes of known supporters of their cause.

“You can't hit every home,” Klempner said.

The police and firefighters, working in pairs, expected to visit between 1,000 and 2,000 homes, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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