Monday, October 10, 2011

Union Bosses Don't Answer to You

We Are Ohio rally protest sign
Class warfare is the only song We Are Ohio knows. So, for another four weeks they’ll keep playing the same tune, hoping voters don’t realize the outrageous truth.

Every year, Ohio’s government unions pay themselves handsomely with millions of dollars taken from public workers. It's a decent gig, considering that taxpayers (and even union members) suffer as a result of unsustainable union demands.

Next time you hear a union apologist slamming fat-cat Republicans or corporate villains, keep in mind what union bosses are paid. Senate President Niehaus’s Chief of Staff – the focal point of a recent controversy – pulls down about $139,000. Does that sound like too much?

Joseph Rugola:
Executive Director, AFSCME Local 4
$243,712
Larry Wicks:
Executive Director, Ohio Education Association
$210,858
Gary Martin:
Associate Director, AFSCME Local 4
$202,712
Patricia Frost-Brooks:
President, Ohio Education Association
$190,000
Doug Crawford:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$189,832
Cecilia Weldon:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$187,405
Bill Leibensperger:
Vice President, Ohio Education Association
$186,471
James Martin:
Assistant Executive Director, Business Services, Ohio Education Association
$171,528
Kevin Flanagan:
Assistant Executive Director, Member Services – Field, Ohio Education Association
$169,761
Michael McEachern:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$169,298
Susan Babcock:
Assistant Executive Director, Strategic/Workforce, Ohio Education Association
$169,148
Rachelle Johnson:
Assistant Executive Director, Member Services-Programming, Ohio Education Association
$164,525
Charles Roginski:
Regional Director, AFSCME Local 4
$161,885
Mark Linder:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$161,756
Venita Shoulders:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$158,432
John Lyall:
President, AFSCME Council 8
$156,183
William Otten:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$155,873
Patricia Collins:
Director, Region 1, Ohio Education Association
$155,551
Fritz Fekete:
Director I/S & Research, Ohio Education Association
$154,635
Tom Drabick:
Director of Legal Department, AFSCME Local 4
$154,584
Mary Suchy:
Director of Membership, Ohio Education Association
$152,636
Randall Flora:
Director, EI&I, Ohio Education Association
$152,114
Rodney Bird:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$152,058
Jeffrey Kestner:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$150,739
Don Williams:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$149,886
Parry Norris:
Director, Region 2, Ohio Education Association
$148,654
Harold Mitchell:
First Vice President, AFSCME Council 8
$148,723
Alfred Nelson:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$145,740
Cristina Munoz-Nedrow:
Director, Region 5, Ohio Education Association
$145,430
Rebecca Villamagna:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$145,182
Gary Carlisle:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$144,948
Gregg Gascon:
Research Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$144,897
Suzanne Kaszar:
Communications Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$144,853
Linda Fiely:
General Counsel, Ohio Education Association
$143,564
William Pearsol:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$143,535
Stuart Graham:
CIS Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$143,043
Talmadge Hutchins:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$142,714
Robert Matkowski:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$142,640
Victor Marchese:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$142,553
Lavonne Lobert-Edmo:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$142,494
Ronald Rapp:
Director, Governmental Services, Ohio Education Association
$142,475
Michael Mahoney:
Director, Communications, Ohio Education Association
$142,468
Vicky Davis:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$142,337
Ruth Field:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$142,266
Randy Weston:
Director of Political Action, AFSCME Local 4
$142,261
Joseph Cohagen:
Director, Accounting, Ohio Education Association
$142,029
Jerry Squires:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$141,812
Elizabeth Chandler-Mark:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$141,549
Mark Allison:
CIS Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$141,258
John Grafton:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,859
Robin Busby:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,857
Cathy White:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,853
Darren Clum:
CIS Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,589
Melodie Terman:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,479
Linda Lindsey:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,291
Cynthia Peterson:
Education Reform Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,080
Ann Bayou:
Labor Relations Consultant, Ohio Education Association
$140,037

View data (pulled directly from U.S. Department of Labor reports) in Excel format.

What’s the difference between statehouse staff and union employees? Statehouse staff work for Ohio’s entire population, while government unions take dues from public workers for the service of fighting taxpayers.

If you decide Governor Kasich is a jerk or your state senator is a boob, you can vote for someone else. If you're disgusted by the way government unions take and spend dues… too bad. Current law enables unions to siphon money from public employees with no recourse from the public.

Union bosses have had too much control over Ohio’s government for far too long. This fall, vote for sensible reforms to government union power: Vote Yes on Issue 2!

Follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart
Cross-posted at that hero.

4 comments:

  1. here's my beef w SB5 - if the local taxpayers and the officeholders they elect cannot or will not effectively negotiate with the unions on the other side of the table, then the community gets the problems they deserve. If the local voters continue to vote for weak (or worse 'bought') politicians, then it is no one's fault but their own.

    sure, the downside of this is a complete collapse of the local system, sky high taxes, busted budgets, business flight, urban blight and other undesirable predicaments. Or the unions can negotiate from a more reasonable position.

    I will say that 1 simple law would improve things immensely and be much less controversial ----

    just make it illegal to mandate union dues from public employees. DONE.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous, the correction you mention for excessive government union leverage is part of Senate Bill 5. Other provisions will help districts keep the best public employees and ensure some semblance of parity with taxpayers on health & retirement benefits.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mr. Hart,

    I understand that my suggestion is part of the bill. My point is that the 'parity' of which you speak can be maintained through a tough negotiating position on the part of cities, counties, and school districts with public employee unions. to be codified in law that a certain percentage has to be paid and that they are not negotiable is what many find distastful about SB5. That and the expansiveness. i only comment that we should expect more from our elected officials and it is perfectly acceptable to prohibit mandatory dues from all employees. This will have the desired effect of diminishing the influence of public sector unions.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Further, I do very much like the merit pay and elimination of pay for time served.

    Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete

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