COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A legislative committee approved a measure Tuesday that would limit collective bargaining rights for 350,000 Ohio government workers.
The move is similar to actions taken by conservative Republican lawmakers in the nearby state of Wisconsin.
In Ohio, the Republican-controlled House Commerce and Labor Committee voted 9-6 along party lines to recommend the bill after making more than a dozen changes to the legislation that was approved by the Senate.
The committee's changes make the measure even tougher on unions, making it more difficult for them to collect certain fees. But the committee also removed jail time as a possible penalty for workers who participate in strikes and made clear that public safety workers could negotiate over equipment.
A vote on the bill in the Republican-controlled House could come Wednesday. The Senate then will have to agree to the House changes.
Similar limits to collective bargaining have cropped up in statehouses across the country, most notably in Wisconsin.
Sponsors claim that limiting state workers' collective bargaining rights will help them control state spending and reduce potential deficits.
Workers argue they are being unfairly stripped of union rights.
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