OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / JANUARY 15, 2025

The 2024-2027 OCSEA State of Ohio Contract is officially available online for download in the OCSEA Contract Toolbox. You can also download the PDF directly. DOWNLOAD NOW! We appreciate your patience as you awaited the official contract document.

The state bargaining unit contract was bargained between OCSEA and the State of Ohio last year and was officially ratified by union members on July 8, 2024, with all contract benefits retroactive to July 1. The contract runs through February 28, 2027.

Please stay tuned to this e-newsletter and at ocsea.org for updates on when printed copies of the contracts will bedistributed. Every active member gets one hard-copy. The large document is currently at the printer and will be distributed to union members-only in the coming weeks. Contract distribution is done on the local chapter level. In the meanwhile, download the online contract for union-negotiated benefits, wage scales and all steward and chapter contract representation needs.

OCSEA local government and alternative contract members can also find their contracts in the OCSEA Contract Toolbox.

Contract Toolbox

Download Contract (PDF)

After the tragic death of Ross Correctional Officer Andrew Lansing on Christmas Day, it's dire that we continue raising our voices and demand that the leadership at the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections is changed IMMEDIATELY! We must honor his legacy by taking action to protect the lives of Ohio's public prison employees and restore confidence in the Department. This means having DRC leadership that listens to staff, works with staff and makes staff safety the top priority.

 

Contact the Ohio Governor AND State Legislators and tell them that DRC leadership change is needed NOW! SEND EMAILS TODAY! And make sure to tell YOUR story! If you are a state corrections employee (DRS or DYS), we highly encourage to add more to the form letter to the governor and legislators (the same letter will be sent to all of your elected officials). Your personal experience stories is key to making real change in corrections.

 

Click below to write your letter:

WRITE A LETTER!

Union members have been on the front lines battling the devastating wildfires that have destroyed entire communities in the Los Angeles area. Union firefighters and other first responders have been putting their lives on the line ever since the fires began and their work is far from over. We thank them for their undying commitment to community service! 

 

As the wildfires still rage, thousands of families have been left homeless including members of labor. Many have lost everything they owned. Now you have the opportunity to support the ongoing relief efforts. The Los Angeles County Federal of Labor, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, is accepting donations through its Labor Community Services-LA. Individuals and chapters can make an online donation here.

 

Financial donations will be used to provide the basic essentials that will serve as building blocks to restoring a sense of normalcy in the lives of those who have been impacted. "Make no mistake––this relief effort will require an 'all hands on deck' approach and bring all of our resources together. That is the only way we can make it through these dark days to brighter ones ahead," writes Labor Community Services-LA.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 20, we must reflect on his sacrifice and recommit to his work, says AFSCME President Lee Saunders.

 

"Dr. King was many things – a faith leader and fearless humanitarian, a teacher and preacher of non-violent resistance, the moral leader of the civil rights movement that tore down legalized segregation in the South. But he was also, as everyone in this room knows, an unshakeable ally of the trade union movement," said Saunders.

 

It’s up to us to expand the rights and freedoms of all working people. It’s up to us to ensure that workers can come together and build power, to improve their workplaces and their communities, to get the dignity and respect they deserve," said Saunders.

 

Read more about the legacy of Dr. King for AFSCME members HERE. Dr. King's last campaign was an AFSCME campaign. He literally gave his life standing up for striking AFSCME sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. The strike was not just about better pay, retirement benefits and safety standards; the workers were seeking recognition of their basic humanity. That was the root of their bold, defiant slogan: I AM A MAN.

 

The night before his death, in a speech to our AFSCME union brothers and members of the community at Mason Temple in Memphis, Dr. King seemed to foreshadow his own fate. Learn more about his historic “Mountaintop” speech.

How will you honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? How about a day of community service? While a federal holiday, Monday is also a federally designated Day of Service. It encourages us all to the volunteer and make improvements in our communities. Visit the AmeriCorp MLK Day of Service site for volunteer opportunities. You can also find volunteer matches at VolunteerMatch.org/search.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which includes OCSEA members, is holding its annual statewide Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Essay and Multimedia Contest. This contest is intended to encourage Ohio students, grade 6-12, to reflect upon Dr. King’s life, philosophy, and impact on the Civil Rights Movement and present-day America. The deadline is January 24, 2025. Learn more here.