OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / November 20, 2024

It's that time of year again! That's right! OCSEA's 12 Days of Christmas, the annual holiday celebration of OCSEA members, kicks off on Monday, December 2. This festive 12 days of raffle prize drawings is the perfect way to say THANK YOU to our active union members this holiday season. It will come with reminders of the real value that comes with being in a union and the importance of building solidarity to grow a labor movement that UNITES working people. 

 

OCSEA's 12 Days of Christmas prize drawing starts Monday, December 2 and ends on Friday, December 13. One prize per day will be awarded to one member beginning on December 2 and each day for the 11 days that follow. If you’re an active OCSEA member (any state or local government member), you will be automatically entered into the daily drawings for some really great prizes. No entering is required. You only have to be an active OCSEA member in good-standing to automatically be entered.

 

Daily winners will be contacted at the phone number and email on file with the union. The winners will also be announced on the OCSEA website. Login HERE to make sure that your contact information is up to date.

 

Know of a co-worker who needs to sign an OCSEA membership card to become active? Share this JOIN link with them today. Or reply to this email for assistance.

For decades the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) have stolen Social Security benefits from public employees just like you. Now legislation to repeal WEP and GPO is closer than ever to becoming reality thanks to the U.S. House of Representatives voting last week to pass the Social Security Fairness Act.  But that vote puts it only halfway to the finish line—the United States Senate must pass the bill before the end of the year so President Biden can sign it into law.

 

That’s the reason Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who’s spent many years working for the repeal of WEP/GPO, has signed a bipartisan letter calling on Senate Leadership to schedule a vote before time runs out. The letter says, “Our nation’s public servants have implored us to listen to their stories and to take congressional action to correct the glaring injustices of the WEP and the GPO…Social Security’s short-term solvency should not be propped up by the stolen benefits of these retirees—benefits they have long been owed and will never get back.”

 

Now is the time to seize the moment and urge the Senate to act swiftly and pass the Social Security Fairness Act before Congress adjourns at the end of December.

 

Join the effort to restore Social Security benefits for public employees by CALLING or WRITING a Senator ASAP.

 

More than 270,000 Ohioans, including members of OCSEA, don’t receive the Social Security benefits they deserve because of WEP and GPO. 

Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces Social Security benefits for workers who receive pensions from federal, state or
local government for employment not covered by Social Security.

Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces Social Security benefits for the spouses, widows or widowers whose spouses receive pensions from federal, state or local government.

WEP/GPO Fact Sheet

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a public service retiree/employee in [CITY]. I’m calling to urge you to pass the Social Security Fairness Act because GPO and WEP have been penalizing retirees for too long. As a public servant yourself, you surely agree that Americans shouldn’t be punished for choosing careers serving their communities. But that’s exactly what GPO and WEP do to public service retirees. Some retirees have seen our benefits cut to ZERO. So please, pass the Social Security Fairness Act to show you stand with proud public employees. Thank you for your time.

TAKE ACTION

Due to the State of Ohio year-end payroll schedule, all Union Education Trust (UET) financial assistance payments for the current tax year must be processed early in December 2024. Therefore, all UET Reimbursement and Pre-Payment Applications must be received on or before Tuesday, December 3, 2024, in order to issue payment checks before the start of the new year. Valid applications for reimbursement or pre-payment received after the deadline will be issued payment in early January 2025.

 

UET applications submitted online are received immediately upon submission. To access your MyUET account, visit the UEdTrust.org website and login to your MyUET account (account creation is also an option if this is your first time accessing your UET account).

 

If submitting a paper application via mail, please plan accordingly to make sure your applications are received by the December 3 deadline! Applications by mail may be delayed by the post office because of the holiday season. 

 

Paper Application Mailing Address:

Union Education Trust
P.O. Box 3270
Westerville, OH 43086-3270

 

Have questions? Contact UET Customer Support at 1-866-436-7900 or support@uedtrust.org.

Experience the magic of the holiday season in Central Ohio with millions of dazzling LED zoo lights, animated musical light shows, and festive activities at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium! 2024 Wildlights tickets are on sale now.

2024 Wildlights Experience Bundle
This year, save even more with the exclusive Wildlights experience bundle. Get admission, hot chocolate, s’mores & parking for only $24.99!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

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Password: OCSEA11

Kings Island transforms into an enchanting holiday wonderland at Cincinnati’s premier holiday event, WinterFest! With more than seven million lights, ice skating at the Royal Fountain, dazzling entertainment, delicious seasonal treats and more, winter magic is spread throughout the park!

WinterFest offers something for everyone, beginning each night with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony where the Eiffel Tower transforms into a stunning 314-foot-tall Christmas tree. And don't miss the WinterFest Wonderland Parade.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

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Password: KINGSISLAND

One of the things that gives us the most hope in this country is seeing workers from all walks of life DO BIG THINGS. Rebuilding our roads, bridges, airports, our infrastructure.  Making America a global leader in advanced manufacturing and powering our country with clean energy. "And as that work is happening, unions are making sure every single one of those jobs is a GOOD job. A HIGH-PAYING job. A LIFE-CHANGING job, that’s not just about lifting up one person—but entire communities," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler this week, calling union apprenticeship programs an "earn while you learn" pathway to the middle class.

 

Registered Apprenticeships are the gold standard of job training programs. This National Apprenticeship Week, we are celebrating union apprenticeship programs, which integrate systematic on-the-job training, guided by an experienced master-level practitioner in an occupation, with classroom instruction. The federal government, in cooperation with the states, registers apprenticeship programs that meet federal and state standards. Learn more about these programs HERE.

Did you know that you could make an entire Thanksgiving dinner using only union-made ingredients?

 

Hard-working union members make many Thanksgiving staples we know and love for our holiday feast. This is often done by working long hours away from their own families to make sure the holiday is possible for others. With Thanksgiving coming up next week, we urge OCSEA union members to support working families by choosing union-made food items to your holiday meal. Click here for union-made ingredients and recipe ideas.