The Ohio Civil Service Employees Association
Union News / April 6, 2022
You did it. Ohio House Committee Vote on Dental Bill postponed, Keep sending emails
A vote on the dangerous dental bill expected today in the Ohio House Insurance Committee was postponed. This comes after OCSEA activists were called to action yesterday to contact members of the Committee and urge them to vote against moving the legislation forward. Approximately 160 letters were sent by OCSEA members between yesterday and today detailing how increases in dental costs would impact their lives and their families. Activists should continue to send letters to members of the committee by clicking HERE.
Ohio House Bill 344, if passed, would prevent dental insurance providers from negotiating lower fees for non-covered services for their members. The proposed legislation would give dentists the power to charge members more money for non-covered services. While this directly impacts OCSEA members who utilize the Union Benefits Trust (UBT), ALL Ohioans with dental insurance would be impacted. Uncapping fixed dental fees for non-covered services will send dental service prices soaring for OCSEA members and EVERY Ohioan with dental insurance.
At this time, it appears there weren't enough votes to move the bill forward from the Committee to the full House, and that's because of the efforts of OCSEA activists like you and the letters of opposition that were sent. But that could change. Please continue to stay vigilant. Don't forget: when you talk, they listen! We're hoping this bill stops here. Stay tuned for any updates.
Take us out to the Ballfield for public service weekend April 29-May 1!
OCSEA members are invited to attend an exclusive discounted Columbus Clippers Minor League baseball Weekend of Events to celebrate the work public employees do! In honor of Public Service Recognition Week 2022, OCSEA and AFSCME negotiated an exclusive discount for the Columbus Clippers. Public Service Weekend April 29-May 1 will bring exclusive game discounts and additional promotions for OCSEA and other AFSCME members all weekend long! The Clippers will also be honoring specific public service employees throughout the weekend, including OCSEA members!
Columbus Clippers Public Service Weekend Ticket Offer:
- April 29 - May 1 - Columbus Clippers vs. Bats
Tickets ($2 off Adult Priced Tickets)
$8 Reserved Section Seats | $6 Bleacher Section Seats
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
- Additional Public Service Weekend Promotions
- April 29 - $5 Friday (Discounted beverages & slice of Donatos pizza & small Pepsi for $5)
- April 30 - Party at the Park
- May 1 - Post Game Fun Run
Download the Clippers Public Service Weekend flier HERE to promote the event in your workplace and to invite chapter members to attend as a group. If you and your union co-workers take advantage of the event, please send groups pictures to UnionYes@OCSEA.org.
In addition, active OCSEA members will also be eligible for discounts throughout the Clippers season. Go HERE for further details on Wednesday Dollar Day discounts and to purchase discount tickets throughout the season.
Cincinnati Reds member-only discount also available
Looking for more baseball discounts? Take advantage of this exclusive discounted offer for OCSEA/AFSCME members for select Cincinnati Reds Major League baseball games throughout the 2022 season! Tickets start as low $12.91. Plus, OCSEA members and their guests are eligible to purchase the All You Can Eat Pass for $26.03 which offers unlimited sodas, popcorn, peanuts, chips and five (5) hot dogs. These passes must be purchased separate from entry tickets. Passes are one (1) per person. Click the “keep shopping” button after your tickets have been added to the cart to add that pass separately.
PURCHASE TICKETS AND PASSES HERE.
UNION scholarship deadline is April 30
Members, spouses & Dependents encouraged to apply!
This year, OCSEA will award a total of $12,000 in higher education scholarships to members and their families! Will you or a member of your family be one of those awardees? You won't know unless you apply! If you or a family member are currently enrolled or plan to be enrolled in college in the fall, we encourage you to apply for the OCSEA Les Best Scholarship. Applications are being accepted through the end of the month. All applications and required accompanying materials must be submitted to the union by April 30.
OCSEA knows that
education is important to our members
and their families. That's why the union created the Les Best Scholarship
Fund over 33 years ago and continues to award union families annually to help with the great burden of a higher education.
There are three scholarship categories: 1.) OCSEA Member (full- and part-time studies);
2.) OCSEA Spouse (full- and part-time
studies); and 3.) OCSEA Dependents (full-time studies). Applicants
for the Les Best Scholarship
program are only eligible to
apply in ONE category per
applicant. Applications in multiple categories WILL NOT be
accepted.
The application process is
simple! Download any of the
three applications at ocsea.org/lesbest. The application includes
a checklist of required materials,
including essay requirements, a
major portion of the scholarship
scoring. Each application must
include the required written essay
on the prompted union-specific
topic.
Once the application deadline
has concluded, the scholarships will be scored and awarded by an independent
panel of judges. The Les Best Scholarships are
awarded each fall and are good
for one year. Applicants may
re-apply in subsequent years
for additional awards not to
exceed three scholarship awards.
LEARN HOW TO APPLY NOW!
Despite weather, DAS Chapter gets contracts passed out
Recently, Officers of DAS Chapter 2570, including Chapter President Charles King and OCSEA Secretary-Treasurer Kathy Gersper stood out in the howling rain at OCSEA HQ in Westerville to distribute new State contracts to their chapter members.
In many chapters, a portion of OCSEA members continue to work either remotely or in a hybrid schedule, which can make distributing contracts at the workplace a challenge. But Chapter 2570’s executive board manned stations in OCSEA’s parking lot over two days where members were handed a membership card, a new State contract book and an appreciation gift. Approximately, 65 members picked up booklets over the two-day period. The chapter has distributed more than 100 contract books so far.
“Both days it rained and the wind blew but the Executive Board of the chapter stood tall, welcoming their members and answering any questions they had,” said Gersper, who is also a member of the chapter. “When our e-board works together, they always have a good time while they accomplish their mission,” she said.
Chapter leaders who assisted included: E-Board members Jessie Scott, Sandra Rumph and Louie Harris as well as the Chapter officers: President Charles King, Vice President Andrew Miller, Treasurer Sharon Drakes and Secretary Christina Wilcox.
The chapter also used the contract drive to sign up new members and plans on holding a third event near the end of April. President King is working to distribute contracts to those currently working in DAS’ state offices.
If any OCSEA chapters are still in need of help distributing contracts, they should contact their staff representatives for assistance.