Statement by Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga on August Election Victory and Defeat of Issue 1

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jason Perlman 614.302.4542

(Columbus, Ohio) – After Ohio voters rejected Issue 1 on Tuesday, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga issued the following statement:

“The results of the August Special Election showed the impact of a united labor movement that rallied to defend the Ohio constitution and protect simple majority vote by educating, informing, and mobilizing voters across the state to vote NO on Issue 1. We are grateful for the union members and activists who over the last nine months exposed the hypocrisy and dishonesty of the proponents and their fraudulent issue, and turned-out working people in massive numbers to protect the principle of one-person, one-vote.” “The resounding defeat of Issue 1 puts the legislative backers and Secretary of State LaRose on notice that the citizens of this state and working people will never relinquish their constitutional right to direct democracy and simple majority rule.”

“For the entirety of this year, politicians supporting Issue 1 ignored the will of the people in the legislative process, flip-flopped on their ruling not to hold August special elections, costing tax-payers millions of dollars, and spread misinformation and lies from start to finish. In the end, voters would not be fooled by this unprecedented, corrupt attempt to silence our voice and we said emphatically, NO.” “We call on lawmakers to listen to the voters, stop advancing issues that only serve to divide us and get to the business of advancing policies that help all Ohioans fulfill their potential and improve their quality of life.”

###