This month, Cleveland Heights City Council passed a resolution focused on helping school employees, and all public workers, get the retirement they deserve. Cleveland Heights City Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, which would repeal the unfair GPO and WEP provisions Ohio public sector workers face in retirement.

Davida Russell, OAPSE State Executive Board Member and Northeast District President, also sits on Cleveland Heights City Council as Vice President. Davida recently introduced four resolutions to City Council, all of which highlight how important it is to elect candidates that understand and care about OAPSE members and working families.

Davida was able to pass a resolution in support of repealing GPO and WEP, a resolution supporting S. 3681, the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act, which aims to offer grant money to train and retain school employees, a resolution recognizing April 23 as National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, and a resolution proclaiming April 28 Workers Memorial Day.

Davida Russell, and elected officials like her, know how important OAPSE members are in the workplace and in the community. We know that Davida will keep fighting for us, and we’ll keep fighting for her. Thank you Davida!

This week, the Social Security Subcommittee of the US House Ways and Means Committee had a hearing for H.R. 82 and OAPSE was there. OAPSE’s State Officers, Lois Carson (President), Mike Lang (Vice President), and Sheila Dawkins-Flinn (Secretary), were in attendance continuing to fight for the repeal of the unfair GPO and WEP provisions that devastate OAPSE members in retirement. As this process continues to move forward, OAPSE and AFSCME are making sure we have a presence and our voice is heard!

While Lois, Mike and Sheila were in Washington DC, they met with staff of Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and JD Vance. Senator Brown is the sponsor of the companion Senate Bill (S. 597) to repeal GPO and WEP, and Senator Vance has recently become a co-sponsor. The OAPSE State Officers were able to thank the Senators for their work to repeal these provisions and also remind them just how unfair and harmful GPO and WEP are to Ohioans who work in the public sector.

“We have a lot of support in the House and Senate, but more is needed and educating Congress is key.” President Carson explained. “We don’t have the number of Senators we need to move the Bill along yet, so we need our allies, like Senator Brown and his co-sponsors, to explain the importance of repealing GPO and WEP to their fellow Senators around the country. We need OAPSE members to call our Ohio Senators and thank them for their support. We also need to stress how important it is for Senator Brown and Senator Vance to keep working and educating the Senate until we have the 60 votes we need!”

The US House Social Security Subcommittee plans on holding more hearings in the future and even holding a markup, which is the next step to bring repealing GPO and WEP to the floor of the US House.

For members who would like to reach out to Senator Brown and/or Senator Vance, their office numbers are below. We are closer than we’ve ever been to repealing GPO and WEP, so lets keep fighting!

Senator Brown phone numbers: (614) 469-2083 (Columbus) (216) 522-7272 (Cleveland) (202) 224-2315 (Washington DC)

Senator Vance phone numbers: (614) 369-4925 (Columbus) (216) 539-7877 (Cleveland) (202) 224-3353 (Washington DC)

Delaware City Schools secretaries and educational aides, OAPSE Local 767, had an extra reason to celebrate during spring break. They secured a huge win and ratified one of the largest raises ever for the local! Local 767 President, Kim Estes, was overjoyed with the outcome. “I’m so grateful that the hard work of our bargaining committee and all our members led to this remarkable outcome. Our members greatly needed this increase.” Kim exclaimed. “Both sides came together in a collaborative effort to make this contract possible. The hard work of our membership and Local Officers, Melissa Gilligan (Vice President), Jeanne Stout (Treasurer) and Rose Long (Secretary), really paid off!”

Last year, Local 767 only received about 10 cent increases with a promise to see more when funds were available. Kim and Local 767, with help from their field representative Andre Washington, worked tirelessly to hold the administration to that promise. That effort led to a contract, and raise, everyone could agree on. The local ratified the agreement with 100% in favor.

Congratulations to Local 767 and all the OAPSE locals with similar stories. Fighting for what our members deserve is what makes us OAPSE Strong! Together we fight, together we win!

OAPSE members understand that winning the wages and benefits they deserve happens when we stand together. Members look to their OAPSE local to fight for them when it matters most. Strong OAPSE locals have been putting in the work and winning at the negotiating table across the state recently.

Below are just a few highlights of the gains OAPSE locals have been able to make.

Recently, OAPSE Local #268, Belpre City Schools, was able to bargain and ratify one of the best contracts they have ever negotiated. Not only did they get substantial wage increases in each year of the contract, but Local #268 was able to also get job specific incentives, an increase to their health savings account, and two more holidays. Local leaders at Belpre are using this contract win to run an internal membership drive and sign up the few non-members they have left.

OAPSE Local #36, Vinton County Local Schools, had another kind of fight on their hands this year. A wage incentive in their contract for paraprofessionals was deemed not eligible for pension compensation in 2023 by SERS (School Employees Retirement System), after being considered pensionable for the past 17 years! Before Local #36 even heard about this decision, the school district and SERS agreed to return up to 17 years of pension contributions to the affected members. This was devastating news for a handful of paraprofessionals in Local #36 who were about to retire. This decision was going to cut future pension payouts by as much as $200 a month! Luckily, for these members, OAPSE had their back. Local #36’s field representative, Sean Dahl, and OAPSE attorney, Kristen McKinley, jumped into action to help OAPSE Local #36 fight for what they worked for and deserve. With Sean working with the school district, and Kristen working with SERS, disaster was averted, and a new resolution was reached and agreed to. Paraprofessionals in Local #36 will see their pension benefits restored and their wage incentive will continue to count towards their SERS pension.

Thanks to the hard work of Local #268 and Local #36 OAPSE members are looking towards better days. Stories like these are happening around the state for OAPSE locals. Whether it’s fighting for better wages, better benefits, a secure retirement, or just helping members correct an unjust situation, OAPSE is there for you every day!

Sheila Dawkins-Flinn has been elected by the OAPSE State Executive Board to serve out the remainder of the current term of our union’s State Secretary position. Since 2015, Sheila has held the Executive Board seat from the Northeast District and has held numerous state and local positions in OAPSE. In recent years, she has chaired the OAPSE Committee that has worked to repeal the Social Security Offset and Windfall provisions which undermine our members’ retirement security.

OAPSE State President Lois Carson spoke about Sheila assuming this important role for our union. “Sheila has, for many years, devoted herself to working on behalf of every OAPSE member. I know that she will continue the legacy of excellence that has been established by past OAPSE State Secretaries. That is why the State Executive Board was unanimous in it’s vote for Sheila to fill the term of State Secretary.”

OAPSE Executive Director Joe Rugola talked about Sheila filling this critical role for OAPSE. “The State Secretary job is so important for the maintenance of quality records, particularly of our Executive Board meetings. Sheila has served her District and her Local in the Akron City Schools with dignity and intelligence, and I know she will bring those qualities to her new role at the state level.“

Sheila took on the responsibilities of State Secretary effective January 1, 2024. She will work with President Carson and State Vice President Michael Lang to fight for the interest of all OAPSE members.