MAGNET thanks Gov. Strickland, manufacturers for help with mandatory sick day initiative

Cleveland—Sept. 4, 2008—Ohioans for Healthy Families, the group that backed the seven mandatory sick day ballot initiative, announced today that they would pull their measure off November’s ballot. This is a major victory for the business community in Ohio and will help improve the competitiveness of our state.

Dave Fouts, MAGNET President and CEO, acknowledged the hard work and leadership of Governor Ted Strickland in having the Healthy Families Act pulled from the ballot. “The Governor listened to the business community and realized the effect this legislation would have on the economy of our state. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit for demonstrating real leadership on this issue,” said Fouts.

Fouts added that he would like to thank the hundreds of MAGNET members who spoke up and utilized their collective voice to help defeat this issue.

“Our manufacturers stepped up to the plate and clearly made their case as to the negative impact that passage of the Act would have had on manufacturing jobs in Ohio," he said. "Without their assistance I am not sure we would have been able to achieve this outcome.”

Action Items

Related Sites

The Ohio Manufacturers' Association "Ohio Paid Sick leave Mandate Resource Center."

Includes audio webinars, briefing papers and other materials explaining the implications of the proposed measure.

Official Healthy Families Act Web site maintained by Ohioans for Healthy Families, sponsor of the ballot measure.

Latest News Briefs

OMA and CSU invite manufacturers to take sick-leave ballot issue survey, August 25, 2008, Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Columbus—Eric L. Burkland, president of the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, sent an invitation to all OMA members to participate in a survey to determine the perceived impacts of the proposed "Healthy Families Act" (Ballot Issue 4). The survey is hosted by the Center for Public Management of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and funded by Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits, an industry group opposed to the ballot issue. The survey will remain online until noon, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Employers consider altering benefits before voters decide sick days issue, by Sarah Hollander, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 24, 2008
Cleveland—Ohio employers are proactively considering measures to balance their books if voters pass Issue 4 in November (the "Healthy Families Act"). Possibilities include everything from reducing vacation days, raises and bonus programs to increasing employee health care contributions, and cutting holiday parties and other perks.

Strickland and Fisher come out against sick day ballot issue, by Aaron Marshall, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 22, 2008
Columbus—After failing to broker a compromise over a sick-days initiative that is headed to the November ballot, Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher on Thursday declared opposition to the labor-led push.

Sick leave talks end without a compromise, by Mark Rollenhagen, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 21, 2008
Columbus—Gov. Ted Strickland's effort to negotiate a compromise to keep a controversial sick leave proposal off the November ballot ended Wednesday without a deal.

Study: Ohio sick-day mandate would cost 75,000 jobs, AP via Toledo Blade, August 19, 2008
Columbus—A study commissioned by the National Federation of Independent Business says the Ohio would lose 75,000 jobs in the next five years if voters approve a ballot issue requiring seven paid sick days a year.

Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce opposes sick leave proposal, Canton Repository, August 15, 2008
Canton—The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is opposed to the ballot initiative on mandatory paid sick leave and is forming a task force to educate the community about the initiative's negative impact.

Coalition, employers split on paid sick leave, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, August 11, 2008
Akron—David Fouts, chief executive officer for Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network, explains why the so-called "Healthy Families Act" would create an adverse climate for business and ultimately hurt workers and their families. A diverse statewide coalition—which includes the Akron City Council—disagress with this analysis.

Sick-day proposal could be hot issue on ballot, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, August 11, 2008
Columbus—Only a national standard on sick days would even the playing field and ease Gov. Ted Strickland's fears that business leaders might have a point about work-force mandates slowing Ohio's economic recovery.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland says time running short for compromise on sick-day issue, by Mark Rollenhagen, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 9, 2008
Columbus—Gov. Ted Strickland says a deal must be struck next week or a sick-day proposal that some say could harm Ohio's business climate will end up on the November election ballot.

Next week do or die for sick-days deal, by Alan Johnson, Columbus Dispatch, August 9, 2008
Columbus—Gov. Ted Strickland said yesterday that he expects a compromise between business groups and a labor-led coalition will be reached next week, preventing a proposed ballot issue mandating seven paid sick days per employee from going to voters statewide in the Nov. 4 election.

Strickland says he'll keep trying for sick-days deal, by Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch, August 7, 2008
Columbus—Gov. Ted Strickland said yesterday that he hasn't given up trying to broker a compromise to keep a controversial sick-days issue off the Nov. 4 ballot. "I'm just asking for a good-faith effort that will lead to a common-sense solution that may not be totally satisfying to either proponents or opponents but good for Ohio," said Strickland.

Backers of plan for paid sick leave are closer to seeing issue on ballot, by Mark Rollenhagen, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 6, 2008
Columbus—Ohioans for Healthy Families say they have gathered enough signatures to put the "Healthy Families Act" on the November ballot. The announcement unleashed a salvo of criticism from business groups and Republican legislative leaders, who call the proposal a job-killer.

Ohio governor presses compromise on sick days, by Stephen Majors, AP via Dayton Daily News, August 1, 2008
Columbus—Gov. Ted Strickland on Friday continued to push for a compromise to keep the proposed Healthy Families Act off the November ballot, but time is running out.

Ohio Roundtable to fight sick-time plan, by Alan Johnson, Columbus Dispatch, July 30, 2008
The Ohio Roundtable lined up against the mandatory sick-days proposal yesterday, pledging to spend $1 million to defeat the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Opponents of sick leave plan boast deep pockets, by Jay Miller, Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 28, 2008
Cleveland—Opponents of an anticipated statutory initiative that would require Ohio employers to give workers paid sick leave are building a war chest of at least $6 million to defeat the issue. When spending by the statute’s supporters is added, it’s likely that the two sides will spend $9 million or more to sway the outcome.

Sick-day compromise running into problems, by Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 26, 2008
Cleveland—A Northeast Ohio group of small businesses has little confidence that Gov. Ted Strickland will find a compromise on a controversial ballot proposal requiring companies to offer paid sick days. COSE, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and other business groups who oppose the ballot issue have formed the Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits coalition.

MAGNET opposes sick leave legislative initiative known as "Healthy Families Act", MAGNET press release, July 21, 2008
Cleveland—The MAGNET Board of Directors unanimously voted to oppose an initiated state ballot measure mandating paid sick leave. The measure being promoted by the Service Employees International Union is deceptively named the "Healthy Families Act." MAGNET's experts estimate the measure, if approved by voters in November, would cost manufacturers between 6% and 15%, making Ohio a less competitive place to do business.

Coalition to fight proposed Ohio sick leave law, by Maria Gallucci, Dayton Business Journal, July 18, 2008
Columbus—Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits said it would wage a "vigorous grassroots campaign" throughout Ohio to defeat the proposal at the polls.

Businesses to fight sick-day proposal, by Alan Johnson, Columbus Dispatch, July 18, 2008

Sick-day proposal makes Strickland queasy, by Julie Carr Smyth, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2008
Columbus—Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland began speaking out publicly against the so-called Healthy Families Act last week, urging business and labor to get together and work out a compromise to keep it off the ballot. From a practical standpoint, Strickland clearly is concerned about the measure's economic costs.

Strickland must lead a sustained campaign against sick-leave issue, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 24, 2008
Cleveland—Ohioans need Strickland and Fisher to take a meaningful, high-profile role in defeating this ballot initiative—an idea no other state in the union has been foolish enough to enact.

Leadership required, Akron Beacon Journal, August 22, 2008
Akron—Now that his effort to achieve a compromise has collapsed, the governor must stand front and center with those working to defeat the sick days initiative proposal.

Editorial: Gov. Strickland should lead the effort to defeat proposed sick-day mandate, Columbus Dispatch, August 21, 2008
Columbus—Saying no to labor is not something that any elected Democrat undertakes lightly. But that is precisely what Strickland should do.

Editorial: Sick day ballot issue could cost more Ohio jobs, Warren Tribune Chronicle, August 17, 2008
Warren, Ohio—Provisions of the November ballot initiative, if enacted, could add substantially to the cost of doing business in Ohio. We know of few better ways to knock Ohio down several notches in any business climate comparison with other states. Its tough to call in sick if you don't have a job.

Editorial: Deadline for a deal, Akron Beacon Journal, August 15, 2008
Akron—Gov. Ted Strickland set today as a deadline for reaching a compromise that would advance the interests of workers yet avoid the many flaws in the proposed Healthy Families Act. It is chilling to think of the trouble that would ensue for Ohio if the ballot issue became law as proposed.

Editorial: Sick-leave fight may require a power play by Strickland, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 14, 2008
Cleveland—Gov. Ted Strickland's quest to head off a union-backed November ballot issue is common-sense, practical politicking. But if conference-table haggling doesn't derail a union-backed bid to require Ohio employers to provide paid sick days, Strickland must fight, not walk.

Related letter to the editor: Sick leave requirement a burden on business, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 14, 2008

Sick leave law would kill Ohio, Youngstown Vindicator, August 10, 2008
Youngstown—If passed in November, the sick leave ballot initiative would make Ohio the only state in the Union with required sick leave. It’s difficult to imagine how loud the sucking sound will be as jobs leave the state.

Got compromise? Akron Beacon Journal, August 8, 2008
Oppose sick pay? Yes, when the ballot measure is so poorly written, the omissions and ambiguities risking harm to the business climate. The coalition of business leaders and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland want a compromise that would avoid a contentious campaign that will damage Ohio's reputation as a place to do business. They also should be prepared to defeat such a poorly crafted initiative if it appears on the November ballot.

Opinion: Battle over Ohio sick-leave initiative is already nauseating, by Thomas Suddes, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 3, 2008
Question No. 1: Why has no other state, not even ballot-issue-crazy California, forced employers to offer paid sick leave? Answer: It would be one more cost a business could and would escape by fleeing to any of 49 other states.

One way or another, Strickland has to derail paid-sick-leave initiative, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 3, 2008
Despite the humane aims of the sick-leave plan, at its core the measure is a cynical project to boost Democratic turnout for November's presidential election. Should the governor fail to strike a deal with labor, he must oppose the initiative's passage at the polls.

Preventative care; Another (expected) group against mandatory sick days measure, The Lima News, July 30, 2008
No one should be shocked that the Ohio Roundtable opposes organized labor's attempt to mandate a minimum number of sick days employers have to provide. What is telling is that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a first-term Democrat, is trying to keep the measure off the November ballot.

Sick leave act, Findlay Courier, July 29, 2008
It's been more than a month since Gov. Ted Strickland started speaking out against the Healthy Families Act, the ballot issue that would make Ohio the first state in the nation with a sick leave mandate on most employers. ... It's in the interest of the GOP-controlled Legislature to come up with an acceptable compromise bill and pass it, quickly. Surely, with the governor's support, something can be done to mitigate the damage this ballot issue would cause.

Sick leave act could make businesses ill, Warren Tribune Chronicle, March 31, 2008
Ohio’s legislators, and especially those representing the Mahoning Valley, hopefully will see the folly in this proposal.