OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / October 22, 2026
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Contract Bargaining News!
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Bargaining support Pledge Cards available on chapter level
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State contract bargaining support Pledge Cards are being distributed by local chapters! Show the OCSEA state bargaining team that you've got their backs as they prepare to go to the table to protect our union contract and fight for the wages and benefits that OCSEA members deserve!
Get your bargaining support Pledge Card from you chapter president. Fill it out and return to them. OCSEA members who sign a Pledge Card will be entered into a weekly drawing for gift cards, laptops, and other electronic devices starting on Friday, November 6.
Two gift cards and an electronic prize will be given away EACH WEEK! Keep updated on bargaining news at OCSEA.org/bargaining.
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First-ever Future of Work Conference focuses on protecting public work, raising union voices
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There's no doubt about it, the future of work is being shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and shifting human-AI collaboration, changing how employers design roles, manage teams, and so much more. This includes public service! But they often forget one important element of that future: that workers and their union voices will not be silenced into nonexistence.
"It doesn't benefit any of us to deny, hide or lie about what the future potentially holds," OCSEA Vice President Cynthia Watiker told attendees at the first-ever OCSEA Future of Work Conference held this past weekend in Westerville. That's why the OCSEA Future of Work Committee is tasked to make sure our members have a voice at the table, are a part of the discussion, and our jobs are not just replaced."
Watiker, who heads the FOW Committee, said we must look at every alarmist statement about the future of public work, and AI in general, and be prepared for the good, the bad and the ugly. "The world's top AI and tech leaders say they have a deal, and we have nothing to worry about––AKA, no need for governance; they can police themselves! Really? That's supposed to build confidence? No thanks," said Watiker. A presentation in the form of a "game show" talked about the importance of all voices, past and present AND unions in dictating the future of work.
“We will continue to stand up for working people and claim our rightful place at the table,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. “We will fight harmful policies and look out for one another by keeping the union voice strong.”
Attendees also heard from union endorsed statewide candidates. This includes Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton, who joined the conference over Zoom, and Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State and State Rep. Allison Russo, who joined in person. Both spoke about how we move forward into the future starting with the upcoming Nov. 3 mid-term election.
Both underscored that those in power face a clear choice about whose interests to prioritize: billionaires and corporations, or workers and their unions? "If you want to do business with the state of Ohio, they are going to have to be good union jobs!" said Acton. "We must demand dignity in wage, working conditions and retirement," said Russo.
Attendees also heard from Hannah Halbert, Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio, on the impact of data centers, a highly contentious subject heading into the midterms. “In many cases, state leaders are writing blank checks to the wealthiest of corporations,” said Halbert, who emphasized the impact data centers have on community resources, the environment, taxation that funds public services and more. Halbert says we must focus on transparency and policy to ensure our communities are not robbed. She says unions have an important role to play in pushing those priorities.
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Labor at the Polls: Union activists speak out about supporting union-endorsed candidates
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"When we talk about ‘vote your job,’ it’s not just a bumper sticker, it’s not a tagline,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe at the OCSEA Presidents Conference this summer. The event kicked off OCSEA’s Get Out the Vote (GOTV) season, inviting labor-friendly candidates and advocates to speak on the importance of electing candidates who support public workers, their unions and the services they provide.
The results of the November 3 election will be monumental for all Ohioans, and particularly for state employees as we elect the person who will lead the state in contract negotiations. “It’s time we get the best seat at the table to move us forward,” said Mabe.
That's why OCSEA union activists are speaking up about what voting and the upcoming midterms mean to them. From protecting the union contract and public services to making sure members are safe on the job and families are getting a fair shake, these activists advocate that voting your job matters!
Ohio’s razor-thin gubernatorial race is between Dr. Amy Acton, a pro-union Democrat and public servant, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican billionaire with a record of cutting public services. The choice is clear: Acton supports public collective bargaining in Ohio whereas Ramaswamy wants to reduce labor’s power and strip union rights in the name of “government efficiency.”
"This November, working people must vote like our jobs, our freedoms, and our families’ futures depend on it, because they do. We must elect candidates who will lower costs, protect public services, and stand up for working people, not billionaires,” said newly elected AFSCME International President Patrick Moran in his Labor Day message.
Read the activist spotlights plus get more Vote Your Job Resources in the Fall edition of the union magazine, The Public Employee Magazine. The mailed magazine also includes a union-endorsed sample ballot.
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Labor-to-labor GOTV events are underway! Get involved!
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Our union values are on the ballot! That's why thousands of Ohio union members are volunteering in Get Out the Vote efforts by canvassing neighborhoods and making calls about labor-endorsed candidates. We're having critical conversations with brother and sister union members and their families about the candidates who have earned labor’s endorsement—why they earned it––and why they deserve your support in the upcoming election. Keep scrolling for upcoming GOTV events. Stay tuned to these emails and visit OCSEAVotes.org for updates on GOTV activities, union endorsements and more.
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Dropkick Murphys for "For the People" Rally is tomorrow in Cleveland
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Join the Ohio AFL-CIO at the "For the People" Rally this Friday, October 23 to elect union member candidates up and down the ballot. The Cleveland-area event, celebrating the AFL-CIO's Path to Power candidates, will include AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and a performance by labor's favorite band: the Dropkick Murphys!
The "For the People" Rally will take place October 23 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at Local UAW 1250, 17250 Hummel Rd., Brook Park, OH 44142.
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Join 'Fighting for Ohio' Rally with President Barack Obama
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Join President Barack Obama, Sherrod Brown, and Dr. Amy Acton as they fire up Ohio voters and kick off the final stretch of the 2026 election into high gear.
Saturday, October 24
Cleveland, OH
Doors will tentatively open at 10:30 a.m. The location will be announced 24 hours before the event. RSVP today to be notified. Space is limited. An RSVP does not guarantee entry. Guests will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Labor Votes 2026 Canvass Events: Every Saturday!
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Toledo Federation of Teachers, 115 S St. Clair St.,Toledo, OH 43604 | Contact: Mike Noll mnoll@ohaflcio.org
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Tri-County Regional Labor Council, 720 Wolf Ledges Pkwy | Contact: Kyle Weidleman, kweidlem@aft.org
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Cleveland labor GOTV calls and postcards every Tuesday and Thursday
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Location
North Shore AFL-CIO
3250 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44115
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Click image for Early Voting hours and more:
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