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

Hopefully Christmas will come a little early for public employees who have paid into Social Security. The U.S. Senate has cleared the path to a final vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. With a 73-27 vote this week to limit debate on the bill, the Senate can move forward with repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset once and for all.

The Senate’s vote makes way for a floor vote that could happen in the next 24 hours, barring a government shutdown. If enacted, the legislation would repeal WEP and GPO, two provisions of Social Security that reduce or sometimes eliminate benefits for certain public servants, as well as their surviving spouses. The House previously passed the bill in November. While this has certainly been an arduous process, with heavy bipartisan support, this is the closest Congress has ever come to repealing the 40 year old provisions. 

AFSCME and OCSEA continue to call for the passage before the holiday break! The GPO-WEP unjustly targets those who have dedicated their careers to public service — including many OCSEA members. Nationwide, this leaves over 2 million retirees vulnerable to cuts to their already modest Social Security benefits, drastically decreasing their quality of life in retirement.

Stay tuned to your email, the OCSEA website and social media for updates. 

Below, Marcus is sworn in as a Board member at the December OCSEA Board of Directors meeting by Executive Officers Chris Mabe, Kathy Gersper and Rocky Jolly.

We were so excited to celebrate our union membership this holiday season with OCSEA's annual 12 Days of Christmas. The raffle drawings continued every day December 2 through December 13. Congratulations to our 12 winners that are listed below. 

We always find the festive 12 days of raffle prize drawings to be a perfect way to say THANK YOU to our active union members, public employees, who give so much of yourselves every one around you! We say thank you this holiday season and will continue to fight all year-long to protect and support you and the public services you provide.

One raffle prize per day was awarded to one active OCSEA member starting Monday, December 2 and each day for the 11 days that follow through Friday, December 13. Daily winners were contacted at the phone number and email on file with the union. 

The OCSEA Les Best Scholarship application process for the 2025 school year opens up on January 1 and runs through the end of April. The scholarship program offers up to $12,000 in educational financial assistance to OCSEA members, members' dependent children and members' spouses. Start early and apply starting January 1, 2025 at OCSEA.org/lesbest.

These Mansfield News Journal photos spotlight the charitable work of union members and inmates at Richland Correctional Institution.

Members of Richland Correctional Chapter 7021 are going above and beyond to give back to their communities, reduce waste and help Richland Correctional Institution inmates build skills.

Robert Bair, an OCSEA union carpenter in the maintenance department at RiCI, was recently joined by RiCI Warden Angela Stuff and Karen Eshbaugh, RICI corrections officer and chapter secretary, at the Furniture Bank of North Central Ohio in Mansfield. The team donated two refinished dining room tables and chairs. The sets, originally unusable, have been refurbished by Bair and four inmates to be given to families in need.

The Furniture Bank of North Central Ohio collects gently used furniture to provide to families and individuals who have lost everything due to homelessness, mental illness, addiction, incarceration, crisis and poverty.

In an article by the Mansfield News Journal, Robert said that this project helped "incarcerated persons hone their skills and showcase their talent. The four men who worked on the project enjoyed giving back to the community," he said. The tables included an oak table and a large dining room table made of hickory. The Chapter is currently planning a project with the furniture bank to build twin platform beds for children in need.

Click to learn more about the Furniture Bank of North Central Ohio.

Allison Hockett, an Administrative Professional 1 at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, receives her chapter's Employee of the Quarter Award.

Every quarter, the chapter leaders at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility Chapter 7330 celebrate the good work of one chapter member who goes above and beyond. President Leslie Ellis and chapter leaders say that the SOCF Chapter 7330 Employee of the Quarter Award is just one way to say "thank you" and recognize union brothers and sisters. 

The Employee of the Quarter for the fourth quarter is Allison Hockett, an SOCF Administrative Professional 1 in the Institutional Inspectors Office. She has worked in corrections since 1991.

"Allison is what we call 'on top of her game' regarding all aspects and duties outlined in her job description and completes all tasks to the best of her ability," wrote the chapter. The chapter says she is always willing to help others and other departments when called upon and is known for her hard work and "easy-going, no fuss character." 

Congrats Allison and all of this year's award winners!  

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