Not all in the crowd protesting the measure were members of public sector unions. Nor were all the protesters union members. Some were average citizens fighting back against what they felt to be an overreach by Republican lawmakers.
"I have never been a member of a union; I'm here fighting for the rights of all people. I'm here fighting for a voice. I'm here fighting for all of the wonderful people who worked for me, and gave their lives and their skills and their talents to this wonderful state," said Ronda Kenneman, a retired public sector worker who moved on after 31 years of service.
Dietrich Simpson, a unionized worker with AT&T who was attending the protest to show solidarity with his fellow members of organized labor, said that the bill is an attack on all working class Americans. He believes that if Gov. Kasich's administration is successful in their efforts, private sector unions are sure to come under attack.
"It's only a matter of time and we all know it. All the corporations are watching," he said.
"We're the one's that drive the economy. If we don't have jobs, they're going to be effected as well. Bottom line, we're the one's that buy their products. Our failure is going to be their failure in the long run as well."
The legislation is controversial not just in its content, but also in the legislative maneuvers used to pass it. On two separate State Senate Committees, Republican leadership removed a wavering member of their own caucus to ensure passage. In each committee, the bill passed with a 7-5 margin. The one Republican vote on each committee against the bill could have stopped it dead in its tracks.
It now moves on to the Ohio House, where it is expected to be debated for about three weeks. Republicans hold a major edge in the legislative body, and it is expected that the bill will eventually pass.
Protesters, however, are holding out hope.
"The people's voice is the strongest thing that America has," Kenneman said.
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