Holiday Message from OAPSE Executive Director Joe Rugola.

Our union’s school employees work every day to protect and nurture Ohio’s schoolchildren. For many kids, a kind word and a firm presence provide examples of that caring and guidance. It is also a reality that many children depend on the meals they receive at school for their nutritional and learning needs.

HELPING THE NEEDIEST

Every year, our union focuses special attention on kids in some of Ohio’s most challenged school districts through our OAPSE Making A Difference program. Under the leadership of OAPSE State Secretary Sheila Dawkins-Flinn, OMAD delivers take home meals and snacks for children whose nutritional needs are especially acute.

OMAD CONTINUES ITS WORK

OMAD has been changing Ohio schoolchildren’s lives for the better for more than a decade now. One school district is selected for special attention and our OAPSE State Officers, District Leaders and staff participate in distributing sacks of food to kids in their school cafeterias and gyms. “It is truly heartwarming and gratifying to see the excitement and joy that the kids feel when they receive the special attention they deserve.”, said Dawkins-Flinn. “We work hard to raise the money for this program, but we are repaid many times over when we see the little ones so happy to get these treats”. OMAD is a non-profit operation and can accept donations from individuals or OAPSE Locals and Districts for this worthy cause.

To donate to OMAD CLICK HERE

GROVEPORT, Ohio, – After six months of collective bargaining, OAPSE Local #686 and the Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools (EFCTS) Board of Education reached an impasse that required the State Employee Relations Board (SERB) to appoint a third-party neutral fact-finder. This Fact-Finder, Gregory Lavelle, Esq., conducted a thorough review based on the district’s financial standing and comparisons to similar districts, ultimately issuing recommendations that included wage increases deemed fiscally responsible.

On December 8, 2024, in a highly irregular move, the EFCTS Board preemptively rejected the Fact-Finder’s recommendations before their scheduled meeting on December 11. The board subsequently issued a Last, Best, and Final (LBF) offer early Monday morning, December 9, which fell far short of the Fact-Finder’s recommendations.

On the same day, OAPSE Local #686 members convened and unanimously voted to accept the Fact-Finder’s recommendations, despite not securing several of their proposals. This demonstrated the union’s commitment to compromise and the well-being of its members and the community. However, the Local also voted unanimously to reject the Board’s LBF offer and authorized a strike.

The Fact-Finder’s recommendations, including higher-than-proposed Board salary increases, address the long-standing undervaluation of classified staff, such as custodians, cooks, IT technicians, and maintenance workers. These wage increases align with regional comparables and ensure EFCTS remains competitive in retaining and attracting talent.

“The board’s rejection of the Fact-Finder’s recommendations sends a troubling message that it does not value the vital contributions of classified staff,” said Sean Dahl, OAPSE Field Representative. “Our members accepted the neutral party’s recommendations in good faith. Yet, the board has disregarded a carefully balanced solution that addresses both the district’s financial health and the needs of its workers.”

The EFCTS Board’s LBF offer failed to match the Fact-Finder’s proposed wage increases and neglected to address inflationary pressures affecting its employees. The Fact-Finder’s report specifically highlighted that EFCTS has the financial capacity to implement these recommendations without compromising its fiscal integrity or its service to students and the community.

The strike vote underscores the union’s frustration with the lack of respect and recognition for classified employees. These dedicated workers ensure EFCTS schools are safe, clean, and operational, contributing directly to the district’s success.

“OAPSE Local #686 remains steadfast in advocating for fair compensation and respect for our members,” Dahl added. “We urge the EFCTS Board to reconsider its position and join us in adopting the Fact-Finder’s recommendations to avert a strike and restore faith in the collective bargaining process.”

Workplace safety issues are a concern for every OAPSE member across the state. From increasing numbers of assaults on school employees to high profile violent incidents to school bus safety problems, our union is responding to all of these dangers.

OAPSE State Vice President Mike Lang has been our union’s leading voice at the state and national levels on matters related to safety. Vice President Lang recently called together OAPSE leaders from around Ohio to discuss how we can protect our members and the students and communities we serve. “The OAPSE Safety Committee will continue to explore the problems and the solutions”. Lang said. “We can’t fix everything, but we can work to raise awareness about these critical questions.”

Currently, Vice President Lang and OAPSE’s State Safety Committee are working on passing HB 525 in the Ohio legislature. HB 525 would give ALL school employees protections on school grounds that currently only apply to teachers and administrators.

Heather Vermillion, OAPSE Northwest Central District President and Executive Board Alternate, has been appointed by State President Lois Carson, to chair the Union’s PEOPLE Committee.

Heather fills the shoes of OAPSE’s longest serving chair, Barb Ward, from the Southeast District. The PEOPLE Committee is charged with fundraising to help OAPSE Locals pass school and other levies, elect school board members and local officials who believe in our right to negotiate on behalf of our members and support the work of our union at the Ohio Legislature to protect members’ jobs, wages, benefits and pensions.

“Heather will bring a renewed energy and enthusiasm to the work of the PEOPLE Committee”, President Carson said. “We all look forward to her work to take our fundraising to a new level which will benefit our members in every Local across Ohio”.