OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / JuLY 24, 2024

The OH Grievance System will be down for general maintenance this weekend, beginning at 6 p.m., Friday, July 26, 2024, through 9 a.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024. The system will be unavailable during this time.  The Office of Collective Bargaining (OCB), which maintains the site, apologizes for the inconvenience as its IT team works to perform necessary updates.

 

During the maintenance period:

• The site pages will display a standard maintenance message, to let users know that the site is temporarily unavailable.
• Any initial grievance timeline impacted by the system unavailability during this maintenance session will be adjusted according to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

Stewards who have questions related to grievance entry or timelines after the maintenance is complete can contact the OCSEA Office of General Counsel/Dispute Resolution at GeneralCounsel@ocsea.org. The OH Grievance System is a joint effort between the State of Ohio and OCSEA and is available HERE for electronic grievance filing by chapters that fall under the main State Contract.

After President Joe Biden announced on Sunday he’s withdrawing his reelection bid, AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement: 

“Joe Biden is a statesman and a patriot. Throughout his years in the White House and for decades before that, he has always gone to bat for working people, always putting our concerns and priorities first.

 

“History will judge the Biden-Harris administration as a resounding success — rebuilding the economy from the wreckage of the pandemic, making historic investments in infrastructure, making health care and prescription drugs more affordable, and sending hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid so communities nationwide could continue providing essential public services.

 

“For his steady leadership, for his dignity and character, for his unwavering belief that unions and working-class people are the engine of our economy, we thank him and wish him the very best.

 

“Patriotism, sacrifice and service — these are the values that AFSCME members live by. And they are the values that have defined President Biden’s leadership, that make our country and its democracy strong.

 

“At AFSCME, we will fight to protect and build on President Biden’s legacy. We will do everything possible over the next three and a half months to ensure the next president shares our vision of an economy powered by working people and an America united around our common humanity.”

Additionally, in a unanimous vote on Monday, AFSCME’s International Executive Board endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president of the United States, after President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy for president on Sunday. President Saunders made the following statement:

“Vice President Harris is seasoned, tough and tenacious. She is a dynamic leader who has been a pro-worker champion throughout her years in elected office. She understands that unions and the working class are the engines of our economy. And she has a deep respect and appreciation for the work AFSCME members do to strengthen our communities.”

The Ohio Secretary of State announced yesterday that The Citizens Not Politicians amendment has been approved for the November ballot! The campaign submitted 731,306 signatures, 535,005 of which were valid, for an impressive overall validity rate of 73.2%. Additionally, the required 5% certification rate was met in 58 counties––14 more than the 44 counties required.

Yesterday, the campaign thanked all the volunteers, including OCSEA members concerned about unfair elections cause by gerrymandering, who collected signatures or helped out in other ways for almost a year. 

Right now in Ohio, politicians and lobbyists manipulate voting districts to protect their interests and guarantee their re-election (AKA gerrymandering). As a result, incumbents running for reelection, even if they are doing a bad job, almost never lose. In other words, politicians choose their voters––not the other way around as it should be. The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment bans lobbyists and politicians from the process and instead empowers voters to choose their politicians. Learn more at CitizensNotPoliticians.org.

 

What’s next? The Ohio Ballot Board must convene by August 22 or 23 to propose ballot language and give the amendment an issue number. Voter registration closes on October 7, and Early Vote starts on October 8, culminating on Election Day, November 5.

As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day later next month, we are reminded of why Labor Day exists in the first place. The September holiday emerged in the late 19th century out of the organized labor movements. In September 1882, unions in New York City threw a parade to celebrate unions, as a concept, and the hard-working people comprising them. Soon after, unions in other states began holding similar events. Twelve years later, President Grover Cleveland established Labor Day as a federal holiday on the first Monday of every September.

 

Labor Day is even more relevant today as more and more working people are seeing what the union difference is all about, and they want to be a part of it. Last year's annual Labor Day Gallup poll shows that unions are overwhelmingly popular with more than two-thirds of Americans having a favorable view of unions. Growing numbers also believe that unions help the economy and want unions to be stronger for a better, stronger nation. Lean more about the Union Difference at afscme.org/difference.

 

As you prepare to make your Labor Day plans, ask yourself how you can take time out with family, friends and union co-workers to celebrate the real meaning of the holiday: unions and workers that make America happen! Does your chapter have plans to participate in a community Labor Day celebration? Ask your union leadership or OCSEA district leaders if they have a union meeting planned over the next month and if Labor Day can be put on the agenda. Already planning on attending or holding a Labor Day event? Contact the the OCSEA Communications Department for support or to promote your solidarity at communications@ocsea.org. 

OCSEA member Charael Valentine says that the increase in the Union Education Trust’s benefits will make a big difference paying for her nursing classes. “It’s a big jump. It’s amazing,” Valentine said. “It will mean a lot.”

Charael, an employee at Northwest Ohio Developmental Center has used her UET benefits to earn her LPN and is now studying for her RN at Hondros College of Nursing. She says that the increase will mean a lot to her, especially since she still held a balance following her spring session that made preparing to go back to school in the fall a little hard.

“I was kind of short on my last semester, so I had to pay out of pocket,” Valentine said. “With UET going up, it will help me a lot.”

 Eligible state bargaining unit members now have a total of $8,000 in UET benefits each year. In late 2023, the UET’s Trustees approved the $1,750 increase in the UET benefits, beginning with the new fiscal year on July 1, 2024, to offset the rising cost of education. The Trustees’ goal is to make continuing education accessible and affordable to eligible bargaining unit employees. For members like Valentine that means less debt.

“UET is an opportunity for our union members,” said OCSEA member Sherry Little, a UET Trustee. “Go to school, take courses, get credits for degrees! I really hope that our members take advantage of it.”

The new benefits are:

• Career Improvement Program (CIP) to $5,000/FY (increased from $4,000)
• Professional Enhancement (PE) to $2,000/FY (increased from $1,500)
• Computer Application Training (CAT) to $1,000/FY (increased from $750)

Visit uedtrust.org to learn more about your Union Education Trust and start your education journey today thanks to your union-negotiated education assistance.

It's crazy to think that the kiddos will be heading back to school in just a few weeks! Looking to buy school supplies this weekend? See below how you can make sure your back-to-school shopping is union made by American workers.

 

Working people in unions value the hard work and craftsmanship that goes into the products and services we make and provide. That's why buying "Union Made" and "Made in America" products is an important act of solidarity that promotes good jobs in our nation. Click below or visit aflcio.org/SchoolSupplies to learn more about union-made back-to-school products.