I would first like to thank The Post with special thanks to Taylor LaPuma for covering the Student Senate meeting this past Wednesday night.
The reason I am writing is to reiterate the importance of Issue 2 (Senate Bill 5) and its effects on students and why Student Senate should take a stance against the issue.
The bill passed in March takes away all public employees’ right to collectively bargain. That affects nurses, police officers, firefighters, teachers and any employees who belong to a union.
If those union workers lose their right to bargain and their programs get cut, it will adversely affect our quality of life as students on this campus.
We pay tuition to this university with certain expectations: that we will be in a safe, clean environment that enables us to receive the best education and college experience available.
However, if this bill goes through, we will have to sacrifice those expectations. Programs such as the walk-home service will be placed in jeopardy, and it could mean slower response time from police officers to crime such as assault.
As a woman on campus, that is asking me to sacrifice my safety and security. It would also mean slower response time for firefighters for fires such as residence-hall fires. Our health care system would be in jeopardy; Campus Care would be directly affected.
In the end, it comes down to not a political issue but an issue of respect for all the men and women who make our experience safe, clean and fun at Ohio University.
If we as a student body don’t take a stance, it is sending a message to all those people that we don’t appreciate their hard work and sacrifices. It also is a quality-of-life issue. We expect to feel safe, secure and in a clean environment; we as students should not be forced to give up these expectations.
These expectations are our rights as students, and we should fight for them. I appeal to Student Senate to take a stance, and I appeal to my fellow students to take a stance against SB 5 as well.
Come November, vote “no” on Issue 2 and support the people who support you everyday.
Carolyn Williamson is a senior studying communication.
