Parole officer wants repeal of Senate Bill 5

He values right to collectively bargain salary and benefits.

State workers fear pay cuts

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By William Hershey, Columbus Bureau 11:03 PM Monday, September 19, 2011

COLUMBUS — Don’t get Michael Beatty wrong.

He knows times are tough and he’s glad to have his state job as a senior parole officer, even though it can be dangerous work.

“Sometimes we change their (parolees’) lives,” said Beatty, 47, who works in the Dayton office of the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.

“Other times, we catch bad guys who have done bad stuff.”

Beatty said it’s important, however, to retain the collective bargaining rights he and other state employees have gained.

That’s why he’s against Senate Bill 5 and will vote “no” on Issue 2 to repeal it.

“I think we’d lose our right to bargain on anything and everything,” said Beatty. “We’re going to get hammered on hours, benefits, working conditions ... equipment.”

Beatty, a member of SEIU District 1199, said that under the current system state employees in unions already have pitched in to help Ohio get through the tough times.

For each of the previous two years, they took 10 unpaid cost-savings days. Last year his salary was $58,920. That included the reduction from the cost-savings days.

At least for now, “we’re not going to get anything better,” said Beatty.

“I don’t want to lose what we have,” he added.

A 20-year state employee, Beatty said he and other parole officers have been affected by prison overcrowding.

“It’s harder to get people sent back to prison,” said Beatty, who’s separated and has two children.

Beatty grew up in the Dayton area, served in the Coast Guard and came home to go to college, settle down and work.

A self-described political independent, Beatty said he voted for Democrat Ted Strickland for governor last year. He said he was “shocked” at some of the language in Senate Bill 5, championed by Republican Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-controlled legislature.

He attended rallies protesting SB 5 and helped gather some of the nearly 1.3 million signatures turned in to get the referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Beatty said he believes backers of SB 5 are trying to make public employees the scapegoats for the economic tough times.

“I think a lot of politicians make us out to be overpaid,” he said. Public employees, in this picture, “all retire and move to Hawaii and live happily ever after,” said Beatty.

“That’s not happening with me,” he said.

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