OMA Opposes Union Mandate Bill

This week, the OMA testified against House Bill 235, a union-supported measure that would establish a new government-imposed quota system requiring Ohio refiners to only hire workers who have completed a certified apprenticeship program, traditionally overseen by organized labor.

HB 235’s “eligibility requirement” would ensure that refineries no longer have the necessary flexibility to hire the most experienced contractors with proven safety records, while creating a $10,000-per-day, per-employee fine.

Rachael Carl, the OMA’s director of public policy services, told the House Commerce and Labor Committee the bill not only unnecessarily inserts government mandates into refinery hiring practices, it could also set a precedent for similar intrusions into other industries.1/27/2022