Labor leaders dropped their campaign Thursday for a November ballot issue that would give most full-time workers seven paid sick days a year, conceding they shared the governor's concern over a negative and divisive fight.
A story from the AP says, the Service Employees International Union said what tipped the balance were assurances from Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown that they will push for a nearly identical measure at the federal level next year.
The campaign, dubbed Ohioans for Healthy Families, had spent nearly $1.8 million in Ohio but will ask the Secretary of State's office to drop the issue from the ballot, said Becky Williams, president of SEIU District 1199. Supporters in August had submitted 240,000 petition signatures to place the issue before voters.
The issue had been wildly popular in public opinion polls, but opponents suggested Thursday that the issue was dropped because it was quickly losing steam as criticism mounted. Business leaders and Strickland argued the mandate would cripple companies during already hard economic times.
The proposal would have required companies with at least 25 employees to give those working over 34 hours a week seven sick days a year, with unused sick time carrying over to the next year.
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