Pat Gallagher, President of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, appeared on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed state proposed legislation that would change the threshold to pass a voter-initiated amendment to the Ohio Constitution.
Gallagher explained how HJR-1 would overturn the existing majority plus one threshold, which has been in existence for 112 years. He believes enactment of the legislation would take away the right of Ohio residents to veto constitutional changes and called it a blatant attack on democracy.
Gallagher urged Ohioans to voice their opposition to this legislation. If enacted, he believes it would prevent the minority party from enacting changes to Ohio’s Constitution. Working voices need to be heard, and action needs to be taken by government officials who claim to support unions, he said.
He also spoke about the high demand for items manufactured in the U.S. and how the U.S. still relies on foreign supplies. There is a gap between what is consumed and what is manufactured. Imports are necessary to fill this gap, Gallagher added.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.