Posts tagged Columbus
Opinion Editorial Board: Ohio can hire goats if it wants to
July 1, 2026 // Humans domesticated goats about 10,000 years ago, but Harmon is against them, too. The common denominator is that neither goats nor computers pay union dues. If the city believes it can get a job done for $2,900 worth of goats rather than more expensive options that the union would accept, it should be able to hire the animals without a second thought. Not all subcontracting decisions are smart, of course, but they shouldn’t be disqualified just because union bosses aren’t getting a cut.
Columbus Metropolitan Library workers begin union vote
June 18, 2026 // Columbus Metropolitan Library employees begin voting on Tuesday to decide whether to unionize. The vote is scheduled to take place by mail from June 16 through June 30, with votes counted on July 7. The election comes after an estimated 600 eligible employees signed authorization cards in support of a vote to create a union. The employees would be represented by the Ohio Federation of Teachers.
Ohio City Worker Union Complains That Goats Are Eating Its Lunch
June 17, 2026 // The “blatant disregard” of labor through subcontracting is the crux of the issue for Will Harmon, the local’s president, rather than the voracious ruminants clearing vegetation at the facility. The union filed a complaint with the Columbus Water & Power department this month after the agency promoted its partnership with a goat grazing company on social media. The grievance accuses the management at the facility, the Southerly Water Reclamation Plant outside Columbus, of failing to properly notify the union of its intent to subcontract the work, which, it said, violates their collective bargaining agreement. “Now it’s animals doing my work,” he said. “Before long, they’ll be having A.I. doing my bargaining unit work.”
Wexner Center for the Arts Workers Call for Institution to Be Renamed Over Top Funder’s Epstein Ties
May 27, 2026 // WWU members cited as precedent for removal of Wexner’s name from the institution’s moniker and buildings the removal of the Sackler name from the galleries at the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. “Ohio State has an established procedure for requests regarding space and entity names,” an Ohio State University spokesperson told Artforum. “Students, faculty, staff and alumni can submit requests online, and each request receives full consideration.”
Columbus Metropolitan Library faces union busting allegations as June vote approaches
April 9, 2026 // "CML is aware of the charges, and we believe they have no merit. We look forward to demonstrating that lack of merit to the State Employment Relations Board, which will ultimately make a determination on OFT's claims," the statement said. The statement said CML respects the rights of our employees who are for or against unionization and continue to comply with the law. The statement also touted what it calls competitive wages for all employees, a comprehensive benefits package and paid time off. "Our compensation and benefits serve as a benchmark for libraries in our region and throughout Ohio," the statement said.
Arbitrator rejects police union’s retaliation claims against Whitehall chief
March 19, 2026 // An independent arbitrator has rejected claims by the police union that Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen retaliated against officers, issuing a ruling this week regarding the discipline of former officer Brooke Cano. Arbitrator Jonathan Klein ruled there was no evidence to support allegations by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9 that the chief targeted officers involved in union activities or those who failed to meet alleged ticket quotas. The decision follows a three-day hearing that reviewed union claims dating back to 2016.
Columbus Dispatch, Newark Advocate journalists vote to unionize
February 10, 2026 // “For too long, Ohio’s greatest home newspaper has hemorrhaged great journalists due to short-sighted cuts by our corporate owner,” Dispatch news reporter Jordan Laird said in a statement. “Now, we’re taking some power back.” The Dispatch has undergone serious staff cuts in the six years following a merger between GateHouse Media and Gannett. In 2019, the paper had more than 90 people across all departments. Dispatch journalists said there are now less than 40 non-management employees in the newsroom.
Employees of popular Columbus ice cream brand vote to unionize
January 22, 2026 // Workers at all eight Columbus area scoop shops voted by nearly a 2-to-1 margin to join United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1059. Out of the 80 employees, 18 votes were counted as for and 10 votes were counted as against. Unionization efforts in the food and retail industries have increasingly focused on wages, scheduling stability and workplace conditions. Advocates say it gives them a more formal seat at the table.
Longest strike in U.S. cannabis industry ends but separate stoppage continues
October 31, 2025 // Exact contract terms weren’t available, but workers won a grievance procedure and better paid holidays as well as raises, Stambaugh said. A spokesperson for Green Thumb Industries, RISE’s parent company, did not respond to several requests for comment. Observers believe that strike is the longest in the $32 billion legal industry’s brief history by a significant margin.
Starbucks workers union planning pickets, rallies through Nov. 2. See in which states
October 27, 2025 // Starbucks, for its part, says it is willing to bargain with the union, which the company says represents about 9,500 of its "partners," or employees. "Workers United only represents around 4% of our partners but chose to walk away from the bargaining table. If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk," corporate spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners," Anderson said. "We’re investing over $500 million to put more partners in stores during busy times. The facts show people like working at Starbucks. Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year.”