In a sign of what could happen in Maine, Ohioans seek to put anti-union law up for a vote on the ballot

As reported here on June 3, 2011, the Maine legislature is considering a bill that would weaken public-sector unions. Ohio passed a similar law earlier this year. That law created a huge backlash from union supporters. This week, opponents of Ohio’s anti-union law delivered nearly 1.3 million signatures from Ohioans who want the anti-union law put on the ballot for a potential people’s veto. This was the largest number of signatures ever collected in Ohio for a people’s veto campaign. U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, a Democrat from a blue-collar area of Ohio, described Ohio’s anti-union law as “a blatant political attack on Ohio’s teachers, firefighters, policeman, and the rest of the people that support our communities.” Maine has a people’s veto mechanism similar to Ohio’s and this campaign in Ohio could happen in Maine if anti-union bills become law.