The Ohio Civil Service Employees Association
Union News / November 30, 2022
celebration of all things union, 12 Days of Christmas giveaway starts tomorrow
This year, OCSEA is doing the 12 Days of Christmas union-style! Forget the "five golden rings" or "drummers drumming" (Has anyone ever really seen a partridge in a pear tree?). The gifts of union membership are much more valuable than that. If you’re an OCSEA member, beginning on December 1 and for the 11 days that follow, you will be entered into a drawing for some really great prizes, including Smart TVs, an Apple Watch, an Oculus VR, laptops, and other electronics.
No entry is required! If you are an OCSEA active member in good standing you will be automatically entered into the daily drawings beginning tomorrow, December 1 through December 12. For 12 days total, one OCSEA member's name will be drawn each day for a prize. An email will be sent out to all members with the winner’s name, so check your email daily.
Make sure OCSEA has your updated personal email and contact phone number so we can be sure you are notified if you win a prize. Go to our website to update your contact information HERE.
See our union version of the 12 Days of Christmas classic carol below:
On the first day of Christmas, my union gave to me—
- Vacation cash out
- Many days of sick leave
- Childcare expenses
- Standard health and safety
- A say in teleworking
- Union education
- Eye and dental coverage
- Holiday observance
- Strong local contracts
- Agency committees
- Health care for our families
- …And a contract full of plus 3s…
Members get half-price Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo!
It's officially the holidays, and OCSEA members get HALF OFF Wildlights tickets at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. You won’t want to miss this festive annual event, which is open throughout the holiday season from Friday, November 18 to Sunday, January 1. The Columbus Zoo Christmas lights and festivities features displays of millions of LED lights and holiday fun.
Purchase tickets online now, valid November 18, 2022-January 1, 2023. Zoo membership deals and drink tumbler discounts are also available to OCSEA members online.
Username: CIVIL |Password: OCSEA11
Labor Gives Back: Spotlighting chapters that are helping those in need
OCSEA chapters continue to do their part to make the holidays bright for their communities.
Richland Correctional Chapter 7021 members and their RICI co-workers were just spotlighted in the Mansfield News Journal for distributing free turkeys. The birds were donated by the RICI Employee Activity Committee (EAC), which works year 'round to give back to local Mansfield organizations. This year, 58 turkeys were also donated to Dayspring Assisted Living, the Domestic Violence Shelter, Harmony House and the IMAC School. Also this Thanksgiving, members of Belmont Correctional Chapter 710 and other staff coordinated a Thanksgiving meal for the second shift team.
Meigs Chapter 5300 has also been busy with their Labor Gives Back initiatives. This year, the chapter gave back to some Meigs County food pantries. The chapter was a sponsor of the River of Life Care Closet food pantry in Rutland, Ohio, which distributes food bags throughout the community. The chapter's name was printed on the delivery truck. The chapter also donated to the Golden Harvest Food Pantry in Reedsville, Ohio.
What's your chapter's charitable plan for the holiday season? We'd love to hear about it and tell the world about it! Share your Labor Gives Back story and photos at laborgivesback@ocsea.org. Don't forget to tag @OCSEA on social media with hashtags #LaborGivesBack and #OCSEA. Need help promoting your charitable event or want coverage for a union story? We can help with that too!
Download the latest virtual Bulletin Board
The November 2022 UBBN fliers are now available for download at OCSEA.org/UBBN.
The virtual Union Bulletin Board Network (UBBN) gives OCSEA members access to informational union fliers with a simple click. With some members continuing to telework, many working hybrid and others working 100% on site, the UBBN fliers, distributed online monthly, give OCSEA members access to important union information, including events, discounts and more. Chapters are also urged to place these fliers on their workplace bulletin boards, where applicable, and distribute at meetings. Any chapter that needs assistance with printing fliers should contact the OCSEA mailroom at 614-865-4733.
This month's virtual fliers include information on your Union Education Trust (UET), Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and Purchasing Power holiday deals.
Purchasing Power, helping when budgets are tight and lists are long
For the budget-conscious members who don’t wish to use cash or credit, the Purchasing Power program is a great way to buy name-brand products this holiday season through State payroll deduction. Visit OCSEA.PurchasingPower.com to see how you can get up to $1,000 in spending power over 18 months to help purchase all those items on your holiday gift list in one place.
With Purchasing Power, there's absolutely no credit check and OCSEA members get 20 percent off their first order using promo code 20PRONOV22. Purchasing Power continues to offer deals on computers, electronics, appliances, gaming systems, exercise equipment, travel and more. Download the Purchasing Power flier.
Take Action! Tell Ohio House Committee to ditch the dental bill
The Ohio House Insurance Committee could still take up the dangerous "dental bill" before the end of the 2022 "lame duck" legislative session in a last ditch effort to ram the bill through. That's why OCSEA activists are being ever vigilant and taking action NOW to make sure that doesn't happen.
If passed, Ohio House Bill 344 would give dentists the ability to charge OCSEA members, and all insured Ohioans, more out-of-pocket for non-covered dental services. Delta Dental currently is able to negotiate a cap on non-covered services on behalf of OCSEA members. Write a letter to House Insurance Committee members now! Click the blue button below and tell them to do what's best for already-struggling Ohioans and ditch the dental bill once and for all!
