Why not let 2023 be the year you reconnect with your union! That means it takes the hard work and dedication of ALL members of the union to make a difference. This also includes getting to know your union contract and supporting your contract Bargaining Team.
Reconnect with your union by getting involved in your local chapter
The best way to learn more about being union is to keep it local and get involved in your OCSEA chapter. OCSEA is a member-driven union, and by getting involved with your local union chapter, you and your union co-workers can make a real impact in your workplace and in your community.
Did you know every OCSEA member is assigned to a chapter? That's right! There are 133 OCSEA chapters, and every member is assigned a numbered chapter when they sign their union card (Example, Chapter 1000). Many chapters also have a chapter name along with that number, some of them (but not all) having to do with their work location (Example, Taxation Chapter 2595). Each chapter has elected officers, appointed stewards and other activists, all volunteers, that do the union work on the local level. By getting involved in your local chapter, you get access to information about issues that directly impact your workplace, and you get to work alongside other union members who know your workplace well and are making a real difference.
Ask your chapter leaders how you can attend an upcoming chapter meeting and how you can get more involved in the chapter. Not sure who to contact? Get in touch with the OCSEA Member Resource Center (MRC) at 888-OCSEA11 or MRC@ocsea.org to get assistance. Don't forget that state contract negotiations is coming up at the end of this year, and we'll need everyone's involvement to ensure we get a strong contract.
I belong to a conglomerate chapter and find it hard to get involved.
Your chapter may be a “conglomerate” chapter, which is made up of employees from many state agencies and work locations. Every chapter, whether pure (all the same agency) or conglomerate, has elected officers and at least one appointed steward. Get in touch with your chapter leaders and ask how you can attend a meeting and how you can get involved as a representative of your state agency.
With so many diverse issues and needs within conglomerate chapters, stewards—especially those with vast knowledge of their agencies—are needed now more than ever! Any members interested in learning more about the contract and how to become a conglomerate chapter steward should contact their chapter president about getting involved in the chapter and attending an upcoming steward training!
I telework and don't know how to get involved in my chapter.
For those who work from home and find it hard to get involved in your local union, we encourage you to reach out to your chapter leaders and ask for a schedule of upcoming chapter meetings. Try to attend meetings in person, if available, so that you can meet your chapter leaders and other chapter members who do similar work to you. Just because you work from home does not mean you have to go at it alone. Additionally, many chapter have online meeting options as well.
I've never had a union orientation.
Reach out to your chapter and ask how you can participate in a union orientation that tells you more about the benefits of being union and how to get involved. Many chapters offer new employee orientations (NEOs) for new hires. If you've never had a union orientation, request a meeting with chapter leaders to learn more. Or you can attend one of OCSEA's online NEO trainings that take place every other Thursday at noon by signing up HERE.
Does getting involved mean I have to be a union officer or steward?
No. Getting involved in your local union doesn't mean you have to run to be a union officer (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer or board member). It also doesn't mean you have to be a union steward or contract expert. Chapters need activists of all varieties who can help make their local chapter run well and represent all types of workers and jobs. Own your skills and talents and share them with your chapter as a way to get involved and be an important part of the local union movement. Attend meetings or reach out to your chapter leaders to see how you can get involved using your skills best.
Reconnect with your union by getting to know your union contract
Did you know that your State union contract expires next winter 2024? That's right, your union contract, the big book that lays out your union-negotiated wages, health care, health and safety and so much more, will be negotiated beginning at the end of this year. We can hardly believe it's almost bargaining time again too. Did you also know that your union contract Bargaining Team is made up of union members just like you and will be elected this fall? There's a lot of preparation that goes into building a strong union team and strong union representation, so we hope you will be involved in the process as much as possible, including supporting your elected Bargaining Team every step of the way and giving your input about your contract! Stay tuned to these emails about all the ways you can get involved in bargaining (because it's seriously going to take EVERY union member!)
There are probably a lot of union members out there, through no fault of their own, who have never opened their union contract. So, take some time this year to learn more about your contract and all that it has to offer. The more you know about your union contract, the stronger we are as a union and the more leverage we have at the bargaining table. Download and read your union contract in the OCSEA Toolbox. And make sure you share this link with at least ONE union co-worker and begin a discussion about what it means to have a strong union contract. For a quick primer, go to our contract highlights from the Twelve Days of Christmas giveaway.
Take a union training
We also urge every member to resolve to take at least ONE union contract training this year. Most of OCSEA's contract trainings are open to ALL members, not just union stewards. This includes Basic Steward Training. Don't let the name fool you. While it is a stepping stone for those members who want to become a union steward, it is also a great opportunity for ANY member to learn more about the union contract. Here are a list of a few OCSEA trainings that are available to members:
- Basic/Advanced Steward
- Evidence/Investigatory
- Pre-Discipline
- FMLA
- Using Facebook for Local Chapters
- WOC (Working Out of Class)
Interested in attending a training? Contact your local chapter leaders and ask what trainings are available to you and your union co-workers. Or reach out to your OCSEA Staff Representative and discuss how you can bring more trainings to your chapter.