OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / March 4, 2026
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Growing seeds for a better world
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Members make a difference at newly opened State Tree Nursery
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There’s excitement growing at the Buckeye State Tree Nursery in Zanesville, Ohio, and OCSEA members are at the center of the action––making a difference for Ohio communities and building a strong environmental future for the next generations.
In the Winter 2026 edition of the OCSEA Public Employee Magazine (PEM), we spotlight two OCSEA members and their Ohio Dept. of National Resources Division of Forestry team who are using their highly-developed skills to grow the state's tree nursery and solve some big problems with just the start of a tiny seed. For ODNR union members Samantha Umstead and CJ Myers, being a part of the only state-run tree nursery in Ohio is both exciting and unique. And the work there is being done in house, which is music to our union ears!
Read Sam and CJ's full spotlight at OCSEA.org/PEM. You can also watch a video about their good work on our YouTube channel.
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Samantha Umstead, ODNR Division of Forestry, Athens-Vinton Chapter 550
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CJ Myers, ODNR Division of Forestry, Muskingum-Coshocton Chapter 6000
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Annual OCSEA minority Conference is this weekend in Cleveland; Download agenda
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OCSEA's annual Minority and Community Affairs Committee (CMCA) Conference will take place this Saturday, March 7 at The Embassy Suites, 5800 Rockside Woods Rd., Independence, Ohio 44131. Conference check in starts at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with breakfast included. Friday evening pre-conference events include early conference check-in (5:30 p.m.), as well as two steward trainings (6 p.m. - pre-registration required) and a line-dancing reception (7:30 p.m.).
The full agend is availble for download HERE. The speaker line up will include Dr. Ronald Hickman, Dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University; Patricia Burdock, former OCSEA activist and the Founder and Director of Exodus Family Foundation Inc.; and Brian Pearson, Executive Secretary at the North Shore Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. All call Cleveland home and are leaders, through grassroots efforts, to educate, mentor and speak up for their communities.
Get all CMCA conference information, including agenda, speaker bios and training registration links at OCSEA.org/CMCA.
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Union Bulletin Board flyers available for download
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This month's Union Bulletin Board Network (UBBN) flyers are here and available for download at OCSEA.org/UBBN. Use these flyers for your worksite union bulletin boards for quick access to OCSEA news, events, discounts and more. Chapters should upload them monthly to keep the union news fresh!
Don't have an onsite bulletin board? The virtual bulletin board network at OCSEA.org/UBBN gives OCSEA members access to union flyers with a click of a button. Chapters that don't have boards are urged to email the flyers or UBBN link to their members monthly and distribute at chapter meetings. Any chapter that needs assistance with printing fliers should contact the OCSEA mailroom at 614-865-4733.
This month's virtual flyers include:
- Going back to school? The OCSEA Les Best Scholarship can help
- Union-Made St. Patrick's Day
- Celebrating Women's History Month
- Get the latest edition of the Public Employee Magazine
- Scoop up spring savings with Working Advantage
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Click below to apply for the Les Best Scholarship:
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Learn more about OCSEA's Leadership Training
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In late February, more than 50 union leaders and activists attended the first OCSEA Leadership Training of 2026. This year the training has expanded to include not only chapter leaders but also union stewards who go through three days of learning, networking and team building. Read last week's story.
Three more leadership trainings are scheduled for later this year. Leaders and stewards who are interested in attending one of the trainings are encouraged to reach out to OCSEA’s Member Resource Center (MRC) for more information at MRC@ocsea.org or 888-627-3211 (888-OCSEA-11).
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Were you there during the fight against Senate Bill 5 in 2011? Tell your SB 5 story here: http://m.afsc.me/23u
This is the 15th anniversary of our historic SB 5 fight, when people across Ohio came together to protect collective bargaining rights for 350,000 frontline essential workers like teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, snow plow drivers, bridge and water inspectors, corrections officers and so many others who make our communities safe and great places to live and raise families.
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Economic Policy Institute: You can’t starve the public sector to excellence
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"Most people understand a basic truth: you get what you pay for. Skip maintenance on your roof, and you shouldn’t be surprised when leaks appear. The same is true of government," says the Economic Policy Institute on the value of investing in public service workers. "If we want a high-functioning public sector—and we should—there is no shortcut. It requires sustained investment in the people and capacity that make government work. Starve it of resources, and its performance will inevitably suffer.
AFSCME agrees! "Every day, public service workers show up for our communities. When we invest in public service jobs, we invest in better outcomes for all of us," writes our International Union that represents 1.4 million public employees across the nation. Read the exposé piece from Economic Policy Institute: You can't starve the public sector into excellence
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Click below to download winter union magazine:
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CC: OCSEA Board and Staff
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Disclaimer: If you are receiving this email at a State of Ohio work email address, please note that your State email is on file with the union per your request. We highly recommend that you update your personal email address with OCSEA as soon as possible. Update your personal email HERE or log on to your MyOCSEA account to view your profile. Haven't created your MyOCSEA account yet? Create one HERE.
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