OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / AUGUST 15, 2024

The OCSEA President's Conference will take place Saturday, September 14, 2024. At this year's conference, we will be taking on a deeper dive into the "Future Dynamics: Work, Politics, and Societal Change."

 

Per the OCSEA Constitution, a conference of subordinate body presidents can be held by the OCSEA Board of Directors biennially, in years in which there is no regular convention. Chapters send delegates to this biennial event to focus on the goals of the union and to learn skills for building local solidarity.

 

The conference location is the Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center, 100 Green Meadows Dr S, Lewis Center, OH 43035. This conference center is located in southern Delaware County not far from the OCSEA Union Hall. 

 

Chapters can now register for the conference. Please contact your local chapter leadership if you are interested in attending the conference as a delegate.

OCSEA members took center stage as thousands of delegates gathered this week in Los Angeles for AFSCME’s 46^th International Convention.

 

OCSEA board member Cynthia Watiker played an important role in the kickoff to the convention. Watiker, the president of Franklin County JFS Chapter 2508, had the honor of introducing AFSCME International President Lee Saunders before his keynote address.

 

Watiker admitted to being a little nervous backstage before the speech but called it a once in a lifetime experience. “It was a pretty cool honor and I’m now convinced that every public speaker should use a teleprompter,” Watiker said with a laugh. “I’ve never spoken to that many people but sometimes you have to step up and do what you can for the union.”

 

During his keynote address, President Saunders celebrated AFSCME’s victories over the past two years in organizing more workers to join the union. “They all want the strength and security of belonging to something bigger than themselves,” he said. “And they are choosing AFSCME because they know we are the union for public service workers.”

 

OCSEA President Chris Mabe also spoke on the opening day as he laid out the rules for the convention. “This is a great opportunity for our OCSEA board members to gain knowledge and build relationships with other union leaders from across the country to help grow and strengthen organized labor,” President Mabe said. Delegates to the convention reelected Mabe to another term as a Vice President of AFSCME International and did the same for President Saunders and Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride.

 

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic V.P. candidate, addressed the convention on Tuesday and pointed out that he’s the first union member to be on a presidential ticket in 35 years. Walz belonged to a teacher’s union when he taught social studies and coached high school football before entering politics. “When unions are strong America is strong,” Governor Walz said.

 

The theme for this year’s convention is “Front Line and Fearless”, which focuses on workers’ concerns about health and safety on the job whether it’s corrections officers who fear being assaulted or healthcare workers who work long shifts to care for the sick and elderly. Delegates had the opportunity to attend a variety of training sessions and workshops including advanced steward training and building member engagement in a telework world.

Just a friendly reminder that the Combined Charitable Campaign (CCC) kicks off next Tuesday, August 20 and runs through October 18 this year. The CCC has been a joint union and state campaign for 35 years. Look for the CCC kickoff video next week featuring OCSEA President Chris Mabe talking about the importance of the partnership in helping our communities grow and thrive through charitable giving. 

 

This year's theme is "Coming Together to Give." The 2024 CCC Honorary Chair is 
Bobby Carpenter, a local and national media personality and former OSU and NFL Player. The kickoff event is Tuesday at the Rhodes State Office Tower.

The CCC is an annual initiative that encourages State of Ohio employees to donate to one or more of 1,100 local, regional, and international charitable organizations. CCC consolidates many charitable campaigns into one, asking State of Ohio employees to voluntarily donate through payroll deductions or a one-time gift. Get the CCC Resource Guide HERE.

CCC Kickoff:  Tuesday, August 20
Rhodes State Office Tower Lobby, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215
11:30 a.m.-Noon – Charity Information Fair
Noon - 12:30 p.m. – CCC Kickoff Presentation
12:30 - 1 p.m. – Charity Information Fair continues

Take a big bite of summer fun when you visit the Shark Capital of the Midwest for an extra sharky Shark Summer! NEW FOR 2024, meet the NEW Zebra Sharks and Shan the Shark Ray as they celebrate their first Shark Summer at Newport Aquarium. Encounter dozens of sharks and rays – some you can even touch – and use your Shark Tracker to find them all!

 

Dare to Cross the world’s first Shark Bridge and visit the Shark Nursery where you’ll see a variety of shark eggs. Learn about shark jaws and teeth and touch an ancient Megalodon Shark tooth that’s millions of years old! Conquer your fears and discover what you can do to help protect some of the most vulnerable shark species and increase their chance for survival – because it’s just not summer without Sharks! 

 

Go to OCSEA.org/Extras or click here to get your discounted tickets. Use the promo code "OCSEA" at checkout, then select your visit date & time to purchase your tickets.

See All Extras Benefits

The anti-union Freedom Foundation/Opt Out Today Ohio is at it again, trying to get members to opt out of their union by harassing you again over state email. It's not like you don't have a bazillion emails to go through already, are we right? It's just plain weird.

 

And even weirder, they've recently changed their front email address and website attempting to fool union members into thinking that it's not just another one of their tired, lie-filled campaign to break unions. Unionaccountability.com is Opt Out Today Ohio. And Opt Out Today Ohio is Freedom Foundation. Freedom Foundation is a corporate think tank with  wealthy donors attempting to privatize your work, cut your wages and benefits and eliminate your pensions.

 

Sick and tired of these weird emails? Mark the email as junk and add the domain "Unionaccountability.com" to your spam list. We also encourage you to ask that your IT Department ban it as well. Want to report them? Visit the Ohio Attorney General's anti-solicitation site HERE. As election season ramps up (who needs more emails, right?), they could also likely try to harass you outside your workplace, through your personal email, on your personal cell phones and at your home. Report any activity to UnionYes@ocsea.org.

 

Remember! They don't really care about putting more money in your pockets. Their real agenda is to DISMANTLE public services, CUT public payrolls, and DEPLETE public pensions. They don’t care about you, your family, the size of your paycheck or how union benefits make your life better. Learn more at ocsea.org/StopFreedomFoundation