Joseph E. Slater
Eugene N. Balk Professor of Law and Values
University of Toledo College of Law
Craig M. Brown, Esq.
Shareholder, Littler Mendelson
Susannah Muskovitz
Principal, Muskovitz & Lemmerbrock, LLC
On March 31, 2011, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed into law Senate Bill 5 (SB 5), limiting the collective bargaining rights of public employees in Ohio. Among other changes, the law expands the list of subjects deemed inappropriate for collective bargaining; restricts the contribution of public employers to the health care benefits and pensions of their employees; and changes the mechanism for resolving bargaining impasses. In response to the legislation, public-sector unions mounted a successful campaign to place the law before the voters in a referendum this November 8th. The campaign surrounding the issue promises to be spirited. Professor Joseph E. Slater, who has written extensively on public sector employment, will moderate a discussion with outstanding practitioners - one each from management and labor firms - of how SB 5 would affect public employment in Ohio, as well as the policy implications of the law.