COLUMBUS, Ohio

A new coalition of labor unions in Ohio has emerged to safeguard public retirement benefits, citing increasing challenges faced by public employees.

Tim Burga, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, emphasized, “This coalition is aimed at highlighting how necessary retirement benefits bolster our economy and communities.” He added, “Every worker deserves to retire with dignity, and we want to remind lawmakers of that commitment and the hard work that went into earning this right.”

The Ohio Public Pension Coalition comprises six public sector unions:

• Ohio Federation of Teachers;
• Ohio Education Association;
• Fraternal Order of Police Medal;
• Ohio Firefighters Association;
• AFSCME Ohio State Council 8;
• Ohio Public School Employees Association.

The coalition’s formation is a response to various legislative moves perceived as threats to the public retirement system.

One significant change involves a budget amendment that reorganizes the State Teachers Retirement System Board, coupled with Senate Bill 69, proposing reforms to the laws governing the state’s public retirement system.

House Bill 473 is under consideration as well, which would prevent public employees from covering a portion of pension contributions in new contracts.

Supporters argue that this would enhance transparency in compensation, ensuring taxpayers understand the financial commitments associated with public employee salaries. For instance, a superintendent’s salary might appear as $200,000, but the actual cost could exceed $220,000 when pension contributions are factored in.

U.S. Rep. Dave Thomas from Ashtabula County pointed out that such hidden expenses complicate the taxpayer’s ability to gauge the overall compensation for public employees.

However, union leaders disagree. They maintain that these contracts receive approval during public meetings and are accessible to anyone. If increased transparency is truly the goal, they believe, it shouldn’t compromise local governments’ ability to attract and keep quality staff.

Jeff Wensing, president of the Ohio Education Association, noted that while pensions are uncommon for teachers, a small number of member school districts do provide them.

HB 473 isn’t the only contentious issue at play. This summer, a last-minute budget amendment replaced most elected teacher representatives on the State Teachers Retirement System Pension Board with appointees. Republicans supporting this change argued it stemmed from past mismanagement and turmoil within the board.

In contrast, teachers’ unions contend that this move unjustly targeted them, making STRS the only pension board with a majority of appointed members.

A Franklin County judge has since halted the implementation of this law as of September.