On May 28th, OAPSE Making a Difference (OMAD), the Ohio Association of Public School Employees’ non-profit organization, was in Akron City Schools helping with the nutritional needs of students in the district. Working with the Akron Schools administration, OMAD identified two elementary schools facing significant food security challenges in the district.

Members from the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE), along with other volunteers, handed out bags to students from Glover and McEbright Elementary Schools. Over 700 students received bags full of non-perishable meals, snacks and drinks from OAPSE Making a Difference.

“I love these OMAD events. Being able to help the children we serve where the need is so high makes me so proud of my union and the entire OAPSE family,” explained Lois Carson, OAPSE State President. “OAPSE will continue to help the community every chance we can.”

Sheila Dawkins-Flinn, OAPSE State Secretary and OMAD Chairwoman, was overjoyed. “OMAD has been doing such great work around the state the past decade and it’s nice to see the program in Akron this year. The poverty rate is double in Akron compared to the state average and there are so many food insecure children in the district. We are doing what we can to help the children we serve.”

OMAD is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, established by OAPSE/AFSCME to focus on reducing hunger among the students we serve. We know that hungry children are not at their best and cannot learn to their full potential. Yet many of our students come to school hungry every day. We wanted to help as many of “our kids” as we could with volunteer hours and donations – and OMAD is the result.

Since the spring of 2014, OMAD has raised more than $160,000 from OAPSE leaders, members, staff, and vendors. Past OMAD projects include establishing a permanent food bank at Fairland Local Schools in southern Ohio – among the poorest school districts in the state – and providing take-home meals and tote bags to thousands of students in schools districts across Ohio.

With the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law, OAPSE retirees and other Ohioans collecting a public pension will now be receiving the FULL Social Security benefits they have EARNED. OAPSE retirees are even receiving back pay for the unfair cuts to their Social Security checks over the past year. Retirees are seeing checks from Social Security for thousands of dollars, a few even getting lump sum payments of over $10,000! OAPSE has been receiving calls of gratitude from some of these retirees and hearing just how impactful these changes are to the OAPSE family.

“I wanted to shout from the rooftop! OAPSE has been fighting these unfair provisions for decades!” Carol Harper, OAPSE Retiree

Claude Brisco, an OAPSE retiree from Central Ohio and former Vice President of Local 580, said it was a hard pill to swallow when he retired. “I lost almost 60% of my Social Security benefit just because I worked in a public school,” Claude explained. “Getting that 60% back is very significant to me and my family. It’s just wonderful!”

Pat Squibb, a former OAPSE member from Northwest Ohio who was very active in Local 320, is very thankful for the repeal of the GPO and WEP. “Both my husband and I worked in schools during part of our career. We’ve been retired for over 7 years now and the devastating cuts to our benefits have been tough.” Pat continued, “It’s a blessing to get what we deserve moving forward. I am so thankful for how hard OAPSE fought for this repeal, and also Sherrod Brown.”

Carol Harper, former Southeast District President and Local 252 member, thought she would never see this day. “When President Biden signed the Bill, I wanted to shout from the rooftop!” Carol exclaimed. “OAPSE has been fighting these unfair provisions for decades. We earned these benefits.” Carol ended with a thank you. “I know how hard the OAPSE State Officers, Board Members and staff worked on this. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is life changing for some OAPSE retirees.”

The repeal of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) is the culmination of decades of effort by OAPSE and its members. Members across Ohio made phone calls and sent emails to their Representatives in Congress during each step of the process. OAPSE also ran a petition campaign which collected thousands of signatures, showing the overwhelming support to repeal these unfair provisions. At the forefront of this fight were our State Officers. President Lois Carson, Vice President Mike Lang, and Secretary Sheila Dawkins-Flinn, Sheila also chairs the committee OAPSE formed to repeal the GPO and WEP. They led the charge by educating and activating OAPSE members across the state, while also taking the time to lobby Congress on behalf of OAPSE members every chance they had.

“It was a tough battle,” President Carson explained. “Some days I felt frustrated and defeated, but we kept fighting and it paid off. The last few days my heart has been filled from all the happy and joyful calls I’ve received from retired OAPSE members. This is why we do what we do, and why I’m sticking with my union!”

Alongside our State Officers, Barb Ward, former Executive Board member from Southeast District, became a spokesperson for the repeal campaign. Barb shared her story of just how unfair the GPO provision was to retirees who have lost their spouses. The GPO provision would cut her Social Security benefit by $15,000 a year. Senator Sherrod Brown used Barb’s story and testimony to gain the support needed in the US House and Senate and eventually pass the repeal. “Words can’t explain how happy I am to see the GPO and WEP repealed.” Barb exclaimed. “I joined OAPSE and became active in our union over 35 years ago. When I found out how unfairly public employees in Ohio were being treated in retirement, I had to get involved and fight for change!”

OAPSE and AFSCME members fought for decades to repeal the unfair GPO and WEP provisions that cut Social Security benefits for retirees who worked in the public sector. The Social Security Fairness Act ended these devastating cuts.

This week, the Social Security Administration announced it will “immediately” begin paying retroactive benefits and increasing monthly benefits for retirees previously affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO) or the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, and higher monthly benefits should be reflected in April.

“The agency’s original estimate of taking a year or more now will only apply to complex cases that cannot be processed by automation. The American people deserve to get their due benefits as quickly as possible,” Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of Social Security, said in a statement.

If you have become eligible for retirement benefits since Jan. 5 or had not applied because of WEP or GPO, you should see accurate payments when you apply and start collecting benefits. 

Beneficiaries can visit SSA’s dedicated website to learn more about the Fairness Act and see updates on the agency’s progress.

OAPSE and AFSCME members played a critical role in the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. Now more than ever, OAPSE members will be able to retire with the dignity they deserve and the benefits they have earned.

You can find the full, original article here.

Today, we are focused on calling some of the Eastland-Fairfield Board members. We want to make sure these members know just how much support the students, parents, and community have for Local 686 members during their strike. Show your support by making a call or two.

We are asking Board members to do their part to make sure there is a settlement at the negotiating meeting on the 20th. Let’s end this strike and get back to focusing on the students of Eastland-Fairfield.

Joyce Galbraith: Cell Phone – 614-397-1658

Landline – 614-836-2837

Mary Pierce: Landline – 614-837-6952

Barry Alcock: Cell Phone – 614-402-3780

Landline – 614-836-2423 Other – 614-795-1244

Anne Darling-Cyphert: Landline – 614-833-9030

Call Superintendent Shelly Groves (614-836-4530 ext. 1332) and let her know OAPSE members, school employees and the community stand together. Give Local 686 the fair wages and dignity they deserve on the 20th. Call: 614-836-4530 ext. 1332

Other administrators to contact:

Dawn Lemley, Treasurer: (614) 836-4530 ext. 1513

Jennifer Blackstone, Assistant Superintendent: (614) 836-4530 ext. 1503

You can also email the Eastland-Fairfield Board and ask them to end the strike on the 20th.

• Board President Bill McGowan: [email protected]
• Jean Parker: [email protected]
• Mandy Young: [email protected]
• Dion Manley: [email protected]
• Barry Alcock: [email protected]
• Joyce Galbraith: [email protected]
• Mary Pierce: [email protected]
• Anne Darling Cyphert: [email protected]
• Leo Knoblauch: [email protected]
• Superintendent Shelly Groves: [email protected]

Eastland Fairfield, [OH], February 4, 2025 – The Office of the Superintendent of Eastland Fairfield Career & Technical Schools (EFCTS) has scheduled the next negotiation session for February 20, 2025, more than two weeks from today. This decision comes amid an ongoing strike by members of OAPSE Local #686, which began on January 7, 2025.

Since the commencement of the strike, there have been numerous reports and documented evidence of deteriorating conditions within the school facilities, including moldy and substandard food being provided to our students. Despite the urgent need for resolution, the Superintendent’s office has cited a busy schedule as the reason for the delayed negotiation.

“The idea that our students’ well-being and the livelihoods of our staff are put on hold due to scheduling conflicts is absurd,” said, Sean Dahl, OAPSE Field Representative. “Every day that this strike continues is another day our community suffers. We find the delay in negotiations unacceptable and a clear disregard for the urgency of the situation.”

OAPSE Local #686 remains ready and willing to negotiate at any time and any place to bring an end to the strike swiftly and ensure the restoration of quality education and services to our schools. We urge the EFCTS administration to prioritize these negotiations over other engagements and address the pressing issues at hand.

Contact Information: Sean Dahl, Field Representative, OAPSE Cell: (614)560-4914 Email: [email protected]