A new report has looked at collective bargaining compromises in Ohio and found that public employees have saved their employers and taxpayers a substantial amount of money (over $1 billion).

Among the findings:

Public union workers have saved taxpayers $1,059,881,500 billion through collective bargaining concessions since 2008.
Teachers and support staff accepted wage freezes in more than 90 percent of collective bargaining agreements this year – concessions not tallied in this report because they are not yet available.
Last year, at least 65 percent of public employee contracts included at least 1 year of wage freezes, some furlough days, reduced compensation, rollovers or economic re-openers.
Some of the lowest-paid public employees – non-teaching personnel such as custodians – have gone up to eight years without a pay increase in exchange for stable health care costs.
A Warren police officer blames cuts in safety forces for the injuries he sustained while rescuing people from a burning building in which one person died.
More than two-thirds of all teachers’ contracts increased employee insurance premium contributions or significantly changed their health plans, with the savings often used to improve educational opportunities for students.
More than 93 percent of public workers already pay for their own pension contribution, with no pick-up from their employers.
On average, county and state employees pay more than 15 percent for their health care plans.