Lee Fisher on Jobs

Incentive for Ohio jobs rather than breaks for jobs overseas

Portman said the high unemployment rate is creating a "brain drain" for Ohio. "Ohio is falling behind," he said. "We're losing businesses to other states. Some of the bes and brightest young people in Ohio are leaving our state."

Fisher sought to deflect Portman's criticism that he wasn't personally involved in the effort to save jobs. He said you do so "one job at a time, one business at a time." He cited successful efforts to save jobs in his work with Gov. Strickland.

Portman said he is committed to direct involvement to save and create jobs and highlighted a recent encounter with an unemployed Cleveland mother looking for work.

OpEd: In charge of job creation when Ohio lost 400,000 jobs

A big moment came when Fisher evoked the name of legendary Buckeye coach Woody Hayes when talking about saving jobs at plants like Cooper Tire in Findlay. "It means that we're going down that field, just like Woody Hayes did. Three yards and a cloud of dust, and we are not giving up," he said.

Portman responded by saying, "I think it's an insult to Woody Hayes' incredible record at Ohio State to somehow compare him to what's happening in Ohio the last four years. It hasn't been a successful game. We've been losing the game."

Enforce collective bargaining and prevailing wage laws

• As a State Legislator, Lee Fisher worked to pass Ohio's Collective Bargaining Law in 1983.
• As Ohio's Attorney General, Lee Fisher vigorously enforced state prevailing wage laws to ensure that Ohio's unionized workforce received the right pay for an honest day's work. He was the first Attorney General to stop a construction project in progress to enforce Ohio's prevailing wage law.
• As Lt. Governor, Lee Fisher has worked to ensure that the jobs created in the State of Ohio pay a living wage, and has implemented policies that support the efforts of organized labor.
• In July of 2007, Lt. Governor Fisher supported an executive order, issued by Governor Strickland, allowing home health care workers to collectively bargain.
• As a US Senator, Lee Fisher will advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act because workers deserve the right to organize for better wages and benefits and safer working conditions.