This past weekend, over 300 activists participated in the annual OCSEA Steward Conference in Columbus. New and experienced union leaders gathered from across Ohio to not only fine tune their contract enforcement skills but to learn more about Get Out the Vote efforts over the next months that are essential to maintaining and protecting collective bargaining rights.
OCSEA Education Committee chair Leslie Tilton and her committee set up an action-packed weekend of events and speakers. Participants attended trainings on Friday evening and general session on Saturday, where they heard from OCSEA-endorsed Ohio gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Amy Acton; AFSCME International President Lee Saunders; Mediator Joe Trejo; and representatives from our discount college partners.
OCSEA President Chris Mabe was honored to welcome Ohio candidate for Governor, Dr. Amy Acton, as the conference's headline speaker. She was joined by Lt. Governor candidate David Pepper. As Ohio Governor, Dr. Acton would be "the boss" to the majority of OCSEA members, and she spoke directly to the full weight of that responsibility.
"My commitment to those working for the State of Ohio, is that I’m working with you to change the workplace culture that you’ve been living in. It’s not right, it's just not right," said Dr. Acton. "We’re going to do things that will make us the most pro-union administration that has ever been here. We’re going to be working alongside you and asking for your help, putting the right people in the right seats. It matters who’s in those seats," she said, "And YOU will be a part of designing what comes next."
Dr. Acton also spoke to what it means to be a public servant: "It’s been an honor and a privilege to have spent a lifetime in public service. And I want you to experience what this is meant to be at every single level." She continued, "We go into this work knowing very well that there are other jobs, often jobs that might even pay more elsewhere, but many of us came to this work because we want to do something to lift the lives of everyone."
"My opponent is auditioning for DOGE," she said referring to billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy who, for a brief time, helped dismantle federal public services and jobs through Dept. of Government Efficiency or DOGE. "I don’t know how you get kicked out of something you invented, but we don’t want your DOGE in Ohio either," Dr. Acton declared.
Dr. Acton encouraged OCSEA activists to get involved in her grassroots campaign and be a part of the solution for a better Ohio for all. "We've gotta heal something that's broken," she said, "The thing we're fighting for is one another. We can't give up on this state, and we can't give up on one another!"
"I like hearing from Amy Acton. I always enjoy hearing her speak. Just knowing her background and where she came from, what she went through, and how she got to where she is at now, is real impressive," said Lisa Stevens, a Youngstown native and union officer and steward at the Ohio Dept. of Development in Columbus. She said her connection to Youngstown, where Dr. Acton grew up too, inspires her and tells her a lot about "the person she is" and the good she'll do for Ohio. "Youngstown people just have a strong connection," said Stevens.
Randy Shaw, a steward at the Dept. of Behavioral Health, said he is equally impressed. As a registered Republican, he says we must vote for the best candidate for Ohio. "To me, she cares about the people, she's a doctor, she has that oath of being a doctor, and I feel that she lives that way," he said. "Her opponent doesn't live that way. He is what he is––a billionaire."
Shaw says her speech motivated him––right there at the conference––to sign up to contribute to the PEOPLE, OCSEA's voluntary Political Acton Committee (PAC) fund. He says any little bit he can give can help candidates, like Dr. Acton, who want to protect union contracts, pensions, valuable public services and so much more. Learn more about PEOPLE at this link.
Stay tuned to next week's E-newsletter for more on this action-packed conference, including excerpts from AFSCME President Lee Saunders as he prepares for retirement from the labor movement.