TO:            OAPSE Members       

FROM:       Joe Rugola, Executive Director

DATE:        June 16, 2020

Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education have again delayed the release of the Education Reset/Restart Plan. We do not have word from state officials about why the plan has not been released.

But a draft document has been leaked, and school districts are aware of the contents, including the proposed health and safety and operations standards.

Regardless of the final contents of the plan, OAPSE will continue to advocate for the job security and health of our members, and will fight any efforts to undermine them. 

In fact, we beat back a late effort at the Ohio legislature to change Ohio law to allow employers more power to layoff and furlough employees and override our collective bargaining agreements. The Ohio House is now in recess and will not return until after the fall election.

 We have been communicating with our professional staff, and they understand that our first priority is your job security and the maintenance of health and safety standards in your workplaces. We urge you to work with your field representatives and regional directors to have meaningful input as your school districts implement their version of the state plan — whenever it is released.

 OAPSE continues to remind the ODE and the governor that in any plan to reopen schools, districts will need ALL school employees to make sure that reopening goes safely and smoothly for students, families and staff. And the OAPSE staff is emphasizing that with school districts all across Ohio.

 Finally, we continue to advocate for additional federal and state funding for school districts, libraries, boards of developmental disabilities, head start facilities and community colleges so that layoffs in the fall will not be necessary and those who were temporarily furloughed due to budget cuts will be returned to work.

 We will continue to share information with you as we know it. And we will remain on the job for you throughout the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

 Stay safe and stay well.

To: OAPSE Members

From: Executive Director Joe Rugola

Re: Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Education Reset and Restart Education Planning Guide

As we end this school year, many OAPSE members are wondering about the start of the next one. I know many of you have questions about what your job will look like in the fall.

Next week, we will have a better understanding of how the state of Ohio views the next academic school year because Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education are scheduled to release the Reset & Restart – Education Planning Guide.

For the last two months, we have been working with the ODE, the governor, and other organizations – including our allies in organized labor – to figure out how schools can reopen safely for staff and students. We have given input on key questions, such as health and safety; scheduling; staffing; and transportation.

We do not know what the final planning guide will include, but it is clear that aside from the health and safety standards – which will be mandatory – local school districts will have great flexibility in implementing parts of the planning guide. That’s why it is critical that OAPSE local unions be involved in discussions and decisions around the reopening of schools.

Your OAPSE field representatives and regional directors will be working with you to prepare for next year. We will have an initial reaction when the plan is released. And we will keep fighting for your job security, your pay and your benefits.

To: OAPSE Members

From: Executive Director Joe Rugola

Re: Help us Pass the Heroes Act

URGENT ACTION NEEDED TODAY AND TOMORROW

Sisters and brothers, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote tomorrow (Friday, May 15) afternoon on the Heroes Act, a $3 trillion stimulus package that includes hundreds of billions in funding for schools and state and local governments. We need your help to make sure the Heroes Act passes.

Representatives Joyce Beatty (D-03) and Steve Stivers (R-15) joined me and State President Lois Carson on a press call today to talk about the need to pass a robust stimulus package that will fund our schools and state and local governments. The representatives and the media also heard from OAPSE members Tim Warren, a bus driver for Nelsonville-York City Schools, and Donna Ragland, a food service manager at Columbus City Schools. Tim and Donna were able to tell their stories of working during this health emergency to prepare and deliver food to thousands of children.

Both Beatty and Stivers agree that we need to fund critical public services. They are both calling for billions to come to Ohio with no strings attached. That will allow school districts and local governments to spend the money as they see fit to fill budget holes. And our local unions will expect to be meaningfully engaged in the process of allocating those funds.

We are asking for you to urge your member of Congress to support the Heroes Act. Click here to find your representative, and then use the list below to call his or her office. Tell them to support public workers and the families we serve by supporting the Heroes Act.

And call Senator Rob Portman at 202-224-3353 and urge him to support the package that is voted out of the U.S. House. Senator Sherrod Brown has committed to stand with us on a stimulus package, and we thank him for always being with OAPSE members.

We need this stimulus relief. In my 42 years with OAPSE, I have seen three major challenges: the privatization fights of the 1990s, the Senate Bill 5 fight in 2011, and this COVID-19 health emergency.

During March and April, the state took in $1 billion less in tax revenue than they had budgeted for. As a result, cuts were made to every school district in Ohio for the academic year ending June 30.  We expect deeper cuts to come. That is why passage of the Heroes Act is so critical. That money will fill some budget holes.

OAPSE will continue to work with Governor Mike DeWine, the Ohio Department of Education and other critical agencies to protect your pay, benefits and job security. We are going to be here for OAPSE members and your families.

Take a look at the video below for a message about our future together.

And stay safe and well.

To: OAPSE Members

From: Executive Director Joe Rugola

Re: Governor Mike DeWine’s Cuts to Ohio’s K-12 Education Budget and Other Public Services

Today, Governor Mike DeWine announced deep cuts to K-12 education and other public services which may affect the services our members provide. 

The education cuts of $355 million, or 3.7 percent, impact May and June of this academic year. Details of the cuts will be unveiled tomorrow by the governor’s budget director. Until then, we don’t know how these cuts will impact individual school districts.

No cuts have been announced for the 2020-2021 school year. However, we anticipate – and have been sharing with you – that tax revenue collections will be down significantly and will result in budget shortfalls in school districts and local governments across Ohio. Unless, that is, we get additional funding from the federal government.

That’s why it is critical that you take action today to urge Congress to pass a Phase IV Stimulus Bill – expected to be called the Heroes Bill.

AFSCME International and OAPSE are working with members of Congress to gain support for the more than $700 billion we need to fund critical public services like those you provide. 

It is important that they hear from you, the people in their districts who vote for them. They need to hear that Ohioans need and deserve the critical services you provide in all the jobs you do all over our state in our schools, head start agencies, libraries, boards of developmental disabilities, community colleges and residential services sites.

AFSCME is running ads on your behalf across the country urging Congress to approve a $700 billion stimulus bill. You can see them by clicking here. Please share widely on your social media accounts.

Click here to find your U.S. Representative and call him/her today.

Call Senator Rob Portman at 202-224-3353

Call Senator Sherrod Brown at 202-224-2315

Obviously, this health emergency presents many uncertainties. But one thing is sure — OAPSE will continue to fight to protect your jobs, your pay and benefits. And we will stay in touch with you to provide answers as we know them.

Thank you, sisters and brothers, for making these calls and your support to make sure Congress #FundstheFrontLines. 

Stay safe and stay well.