OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / JuLY 1, 2026

Our congratulations goes out to Joseph Gray who was one of the awardees of this year's national AFSCME Family Scholarship. He is one of only ten winners, out of hundreds of great candidates who applied for the national scholarship. Joseph is the son of Arkeeta Humphrey, a member of OCSEA Cleveland Chapter 1801 and a Tax Examiner Specialist at the Ohio Department of Taxation.

 

Joseph wrote in his essay that he learned a key life lesson from his mother’s experiences as a member of OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11. “I developed a meaningful understanding of what stability really means. It is not a life without hardship. It is the ability to withstand hardship because you are supported, respected, and not alone,” he wrote of his support system that helped him reach his goals. He says he has carried this understanding into his work as a mentor for younger students in his high school, realizing that as a Black student he could “help create spaces where they feel seen and supported...It is about using your voice to strengthen a community,” he wrote.

 

Joseph will attend Kent State University as a freshman in the fall where he will be studying architecture.

 

This $2,000 AFSCME Family Scholarship is available to high school graduating seniors and is renewable for up to four years, as long as the student remains enrolled full-time. The scholarship may be used for any field of study. Learn more about the AFSCME Family Scholarship HERE.

As we prepare to celebrate our nation's semi-quincentennial birthday and 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are quickly reminded of the legacy of working Americans and their unions throughout the vast history of the United States of America. There is no greater school of democracy than the American Labor Movement.

 

"There is an undeniable correlation between higher levels of unionization and stronger economic, community, and democratic outcomes. States with a larger share of workers represented by a union enjoy higher incomes, greater access to health insurance, and fewer voting restrictions," writes the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). "When workers join together in a union and collectively bargain with their employer, they can improve their pay, benefits, and working conditions," in turn providing workers with higher wages, reduced income inequality, healthier and safer workplaces, more secure retirements and so much more.

 

This year marks the 90th anniversary of AFSCME. That’s nine decades of public service workers coming together to collectively bargain for fairness and dignity at work.

From the 1930s to today, AFSCME and OCSEA members have fought, organized and won for working people. And our story is still being written but the legacy on the American Dream is undeniable. Learn more at about union democracy in action at www.afscme90th.org.

 

"Despite the challenges we face, AFSCME members continue to win a voice on the job and strong contracts that improve their lives and their communities. At the state and local levels, we are mobilizing to protect public services. Now, it’s our time to show those who seek to exploit us that we will never give in," said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. "When we stand together, we decide what our collective future looks like."

If you’ve been thinking about earning a degree, certificate, or diploma, now's the time to take a closer look at your discount college union benefit through Edvance before fall enrollment.

 

The updated Edvance website makes it even easier to explore what's available - with more detail on schools, programs, and costs, all in one place. Browse on your own time, from your phone or computer, before you ever talk to anyone, or get matched to a school based on your program interests and goals.

 

Through your Union College Benefit, OCSEA members and their families have access to:

• Discounted tuition on 200+ fully online programs across accredited schools in the Edvance network. Plus, savings that can be combined with eligible financial aid and scholarships.
• Programs that fit your life––100% online certificates, associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in business, healthcare, criminal justice, social work, IT, and more.
• Support from real people––Edvance's unionized Student Success Coordinators help you explore options, choose a program, and get enrolled. No pressure, no runaround.

This benefit extends to your family, too. Spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, and dependents can all access discounted tuition and personalized guidance.

 

There's no cost to explore or apply.

 

Explore programs and savings HERE.

EXPLORE EDVANCE

Were you there during the fight against Senate Bill 5 in 2011? Tell your SB 5 story HERE.

 

This is the 15th anniversary of our historic SB 5 fight, when people across Ohio came together to protect collective bargaining rights for 350,000 frontline essential workers like teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, snow plow drivers, bridge and water inspectors, corrections officers and so many others who make our communities safe and great places to live and raise families.

 

This week marks the 15th anniversary of the famous Million Signature People's Parade in which thousands of public union members and their supporters delivered 1 million signatures to place No on Issue 2 to Repeal SB 5 on the ballot. The law was soundly defeated at the polls in November 2011.

Tell Your Story