Polls show the public is against Issue 2, and nearly 1 million registered voters signed a petition placing it on the ballot. But O’Malley doesn’t think he’s alone, even if some of his fellow public employees are reluctant to speak up.
“I can’t speak for anybody but myself,” he said. “I’m sure there’s more than me.”
He said he thinks the campaign to repeal SB 5 is top down.
“I’m thinking most of the union stuff is coming from the Democrats and their big bosses,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley, who voted for Republican John Kasich for governor, isn’t driven by party loyalty alone. He said he’s no expert on SB 5, but agrees with the legislation’s backers that it would make state government operate more smoothly.
“I hope it gives the state more ability to manage things,” O’Malley said.
A member of Teamsters Local 436, O’Malley said he’s no union basher. “I think there’s still a place for them,” he said.
He earned $63,749 in 2010, including $11,901 in overtime.
“They’ve done a fairly good job of getting wages up,” he said.
He doesn’t like how leaders use the union’s money in political campaigns.
“They support people (whom) I wouldn’t,” said O’Malley. Backers of SB 5 say the legislation would give employees more control over how unions use members’ money for political purposes.
On the job, O’Malley plows snow in the winter, cuts grass in the summer and repairs guardrails when they need it. It can be dangerous when the winter winds howl and the snow blows and piles up.
“Sometimes you’re driving when you can’t see,” said O’Malley.
A 10-year turnpike employee, he said it’s a good job to have, particularly at a time of high unemployment and economic uncertainty.
An even bigger issue among Ohio Turnpike Commission employees than SB 5 is the possibility that Kasich will lease the turnpike to a private operator. If the state can get a good price for the lease, O’Malley has no objection.
“Somebody’s going to have to work on it,” he said. “I’m still hoping it’s me.”
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