News

Your union newsletter October 16, 2024!

Posted Oct. 16, 2024 by

OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / OCTOBER 16, 2024

 

Combined Charitable Campaign sign up deadline is Friday!

The Combined Charitable Campaign wraps up this week. The last day to sign up to participate in payroll deduction charitable giving is Friday, October 18.

 

The Combined Charitable Campaign (CCC) is the annual initiative that encourages State of Ohio employees to donate to one or more of 1,100 local, regional, and international charitable organizations. This includes organizations by county that help directly in your community.

 

Additionally, CCC consolidates many charitable campaigns into one through voluntarily payroll deductions or a one-time gift. 

 

Wondering how your payroll deductible gift is put to work? See a few ways to the right to see just how your donation makes a real impact.

 

Spread the good word! Tell us how your chapter is giving back!

See how far your donation can go!

$2 per pay period - Funds one hour of childhood cancer research.

$5per pay period - Provides a senior with a nutritious meal five nights a week for one month.

$10per pay period - Ships 100-200 lbs. of critical medical supplies to disaster survivors.

$20per pay period - Feeds 600 rescued animals in need.

$50per pay period - Provides materials for two firefighter students attending training.

 

Jefferson/Belmont chapter member travels to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene

Recently, OCSEA member Jim Large knew he couldn't just sit by and do nothing after seeing how fellow Americans in Appalachia were impacted by the devastating Hurricane Helene.

 

Jim, an ODOT HIghway Technician 5 and member of Jefferson/Belmont Chapter 4100, went straight into action and loaded up three trucks with trailers filled with donated supplies and headed south. His destination? Over 400 miles from his Eastern Ohio home to Eastern Tennessee to give back to some of those hit hardest by the devastation.

 

"Shout out to everyone that helped make this last week possible," said Jim. He stresses this will be a defining moment in time for this Mountain region's history, saying it will be remembered as "before and after Helene." "Please send and continue to send support as the folks in Erwin [Tennessee] expressed despair in supply concerns over the coming months," Jim urges.

 

Got Union Education Trust questions? Join the UET online forum tomorrow

All OCSEA members who fall under an OCSEA-negotiated state contract are invited to attend the first-ever UET Open Forum Online via Zoom. The virtual forum, hosted by the UET Board of Trustees, will take place tomorrow, Thursday, October 17 from 4:30 p.m-6:00 p.m. Please plan on attending this free online event to get your UET questions answered and gain new knowledge regarding access to your benefits. 

 

Click HERE to register. Please note, there is limited space for this event so do not delay! 

 

National Labor Leaders Hold Rally for Sherrod Brown

A Who’s Who of national labor leaders held a rally in Columbus this week to show their support for Sen. Sherrod Brown and his reelection to the United States Senate. The speakers included the presidents of AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the National Education Association (NEA).

 

“All of us understand the importance of this election, all of us understand what we must do, and what we must do is organize and mobilize and educate our members and communities across this great state,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “We have to do everything we can to make sure that Sherrod Brown returns to Washington D.C.”

 

The heated contest between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno has turned into the most expensive Senate race in our nation’s history with more than $400 million being spent so far. Sen. Brown says Wall Street billionaires and special interests are trying to defeat him because he’s spent his career standing up for working people.

 

“When you stand up to those interest groups they come after you,” Sen. Brown said. “I wear that as a badge of honor because I’d rather have all of you than I would them.” Brown also spoke about the work he did to restore pensions to 100,000 union retirees in Ohio and his ongoing efforts to repeal WEP and GPO to restore Social Security benefits to OCSEA retirees and other public employees.

 

Sign up for an upcoming OCSEA Zoom Training Session

Basic Steward Training (2 sessions)

Trainer: Ryan Ochmanek

Tuesday, November 12th, 2024:

  • 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Click here to register for a Basic Steward Training session

Evidence, Investigatory, and Pre-Discipline Training (2 sessions)

Trainer: Ryan Ochmanek

Wednesday, November 13th, 2024:

  • 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
  • 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Click here to register for an Evidence, Investigatory, and Pre-Discipline Training session

 

Citizens Not Politicians! Learn about Issue 1 and the fight to create fair districts!

With fewer than 20 days until Election Day, Ohio's labor unions are urging Ohio voters to support Issue 1! As union members, we know the importance of democratic elections, and that means being able to have fair districts that give voters an even playing field when it comes to electing their representatives.

 

For far too long, Ohio voters have been puppets in the foul political game known as gerrymandering––the manipulative drawing of legislative voting districts that give one party an unfair advantage over another.

  

"If we have fair maps, we will have meaningful, fair elections, and that means our elected lawmakers will have to be responsible to the voters and not to extremists in their political party or the lobbyists who fund their campaigns," said Pres. Chris Mabe. 

 

Voting Yes on Ohio's Issue 1 would create fair districts and fair elections in the state by creating a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of Democratic, Republican, and Independent citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state. Learn more at CitizensNotPoliticians.org.

  

Click below to RSVP an upcoming Yes on Issue 1 meeting. You will learn more about the ballot initiative and how not to fall for its misleading ballot language (Did you? That language was written by Ohio's Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who opposes Issue 1, to confuse and dissuade voters).

 

RSVP today for an upcoming Issue 1 meeting with We Are Ohio:

  • Mansfield | Thurs., Oct. 17, 11 a.m.
    USW Local 169, 376 W. Longview Ave., Mansfield, OH 44903 | RSVP

  • Lima | Thurs., Oct. 17, 2 p.m.
    UAW Local 1219 Park,1750 Bible Rd., Lima, OH 45801 | RSVP

  • Dayton | Tues., Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.
    6550 Poe. Ave., Dayton, OH 45414 | RSVP

  • Columbus | Thurs., Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. 
    IBEW 683•939 Goodale Blvd., Columbus, OH 43212 | RSVP - Join Pres. Mabe in Columbus!
 

Ohio's Early Voting: Find your early voting location now.

Early Voting in Ohio kicked off yesterday, Tuesday, October 8, and runs through Sunday, November 3.You can vote early at your county Board of Election. Find your county's early voting location HERE

 

Below are the early voting dates and hours throughout the state:

  • October 14-18: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • October 21-25: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  • SATURDAY October 26: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  • SUNDAY October 27: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
  • MONDAY October 28: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
  • TUESDAY October 29: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
    (absentee APPLICATION deadline)
  • October 30-November 1: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  • SATURDAY November 2: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m
  • SUNDAY November 3: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

ELECTION DAY is Tuesday, November 5, with polling places open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. On that day, you can only vote at your designated polling location! Look up your registration, including polling location, HERE.

 

More voting dates and deadlines:

  • Request an absentee ballot: NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 29
  • Early in-person voting begins: NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 3
  • Absentee voting by mail begins: NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 4
  • Absentee post-marked deadline: NOVEMBER 4
  • General election (at polling place only): NOVEMBER 5, 6:30 A.M.-7:30 P.M.

Get Ohio Voting Resources at VoteOhio.Gov.

 

Click below for this month's union bulletin board flyers: