Profs, Others Protest in Ohio

The American Association of University Professors' University of Cincinnati branch is warning its members that Ohio Senate Bill 5 "threatens not only salaries and benefits, but also paid sabbaticals, safeguards protecting academic freedom and professional development programs" for more than 1,800 full-time professors at the school, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. This week, the UC branch of AAUP sent around 50 protesters to Columbus to campaign against the bill — which would eliminate collective bargaining for unionized employees — alongside other state workers and college employees. In an editorial in the Enquirer, AAUP's UC branch President John McNay says that should the bill pass, "it could mean the departure of many scientists who would take with them millions of dollars in research funding as well." Furthermore, he says, passage of this legislation would threaten an important source for economic progress — "the people who teach and generate the research and investments we need to take Ohio forward."