Nearly 50 local OCSEA chapter leaders from around the state gathered this past weekend to attend the first OCSEA Leadership Training. Building activism and strong leaders was on the agenda for the weekend-long event.
Attendees learned about the rules of the OCSEA Constitution, including guidelines for holding officer elections and appointing stewards; how to effectively chair a meeting; the steps for building a communication network that reaches and includes all members; how to manage chapter funds; holding a new employee orientation and more. Chapter leaders at the training also developed long-term plans that will help grow involvement and activism in their chapters on the local level.
This OCSEA Leadership Training was the first of several leadership trainings to come in 2023. With a large turnover of state employment during the last decade, the number of union leaders who are brand new to union activism is on the rise. For many new leaders, they are still learning the ropes of union leadership. The OCSEA Leadership Training will give new leaders and their mentors the tools they need to grow as leaders and build strong chapters. "Because when we have strong chapters, we have strong contracts," said OCSEA President Chris Mabe.