Important Bargaining Updates
Click the links below to log in to your MyOCSEA account and read the full member-only bargaining updates:
- NEW! Bargaining Update - March 27, 2024 - What to know about the Fact-Finding process and contract voting
- Bargaining Update - March 23, 2024 - Union improves position as Fact Finding begins (login required)
- Bargaining Blitz: Building solidarity for a fair contract - March 20, 2024
- Bargaining Update - March 13, 2024 - BARGAINING BLITZ
- Bargaining Update - February 29, 2024 (login required)
- Bargaining Update - February 23, 2024 (login required)
- Bargaining Action - Fair Contract Now! - February 21, 2024
- Bargaining Action - Hands off Pick-a-Post! - February 20, 2024
- Bargaining Update - February 16, 2024 (Login required)
- Bargaining Update - February 1, 2024 - What's Mediation?
- Bargaining Update - January 26, 2024 (Login required)
- Bargaining Update - January 19, 2024 (Login required)
- Bargaining Update - January 12, 2024 (Login required)
- Bargaining Update - December 14, 2023 (Login required)
Bargaining News
What to know about the Fact-Finding process and contract voting - posted March 27, 2024
As Mediations wrapped up, a Fact-Finding hearing was held over multiple days, during the week of March 18, 2024. During the hearing, management and the union presented their cases regarding the contract articles still open in front of Fact Finder Tom Nowell. For public employees in Ohio, the Ohio Revised Code dictates that when the parties are at an impasse during contract negotiations, a third-party Fact Finder is brought in to decide outstanding issues.
While the Fact Finding hearing is over, the Fact-Finding process does not conclude until the Fact Finder issues his/her report.
Currently, the parties are preparing written briefs laying out their arguments, including any exhibits, data, documents and witness statements. Union and management have until April 26 to complete their written briefs and submit them to the Fact Finder.
After that, the Fact Finder will consider all the evidence and write a written “Report and Recommendation.” There is no date yet regarding when the Fact Finder will issue his report.
Once the Fact Finder’s Report is issued, OCSEA union members will have 21 days to ratify the Tentative Agreement and the Fact Finder’s Report.
While it is likely to be many weeks before contract voting occurs, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Once the Fact Finder’s Report is issued, OCSEA and the union Bargaining Team will hold Online Roadshow Sessions via Zoom (in the interest of time) to talk about the Tentative Agreement, the Fact Finder’s Report and contract voting.
- The Tentative Agreement and the Fact Finder’s Report will be sent to members’ personal emails and will be made available on the OCSEA website.
- Voting will be done in-person and will take place at the chapter level only.
- Only dues-paying OCSEA members can vote on the contract.
- It is up to each chapter to set up their voting schedules once the contract voting “window” is established.
Ballots are not sent to members’ homes but are only available through the chapter.
What's Fact Finding?
Fact Finding is a LAST RESORT in bargaining because there is no more negotiations and no more give and take. In Fact Finding, the union and management give evidence and testimony and present witnesses in a hearing before a third-party arbitrator. It's up to the Fact Finder to make the final decision. The Fact Finder may side with management or they may side with the union, or they may split the baby. The point is, there is no more negotiations once the sides are at impasse. And the Fact Finder’s decision is final.
What's Mediation?
Most of you have heard by now that the OCSEA and Management State Bargaining Teams are headed to “mediation” when they come back to the bargaining table on February 12. Currently, mediation is scheduled for seven days and is always the next step in the bargaining process.
Mediation involves bringing in a neutral “mediator”––a respected expert in labor relations––who tries to help settle disputes by resolving misunderstandings, setting goals, helping reach agreements and compromises, and lending independent perspective to the two sides. In this round of bargaining, the sides agreed to select Jack Buettner, an experienced arbitrator and someone knowledgeable about the current State contract.
Sometimes, a mediator can only go so far, either because the sides refuse to bargain and compromise any further, or because time runs out. That’s when a fact finder would come into play.
The general rules that guide public employee negotiations are established by Ohio law. The law allows the union and management to submit disputed issues to a fact finder after negotiations and mediation have failed and an “impasse” is formally declared.
Bargaining Pledge Cards line Union Hall walls
Your OCSEA Bargaining Team is excited to show off some of the thousands of Bargaining Pledge Cards that line the walls of your OCSEA Union Hall. The Pledge Card raffle entry ran through January 12 to build support for a fair contract!
Bargaining sessions start up again week of January 8
State contract bargaining kicked off again the week of January 8 with the team heading to the table with management to discuss proposals and to fight off unreasonable takeaways that management has proposed.
“Management’s proposals fly in the face of what they said was most important, which was to recruit and retain employees,” said OCSEA President and Chief Negotiator Chris Mabe. “Not only that, management is trying to chip away at the very foundation of our contract, the items that have built this union and state employment. These are the things that have protected us and kept us safe,” said Mabe in an update to members on Dec. 14.
As we head into the New Year, the support of every single state member is critical to let management know that takeaways in this current climate will not be accepted. OCSEA's Pledge Card Drive is one way to show solidarity at the table.
Solidarity Wednesdays - Every Wednesday through bargaining
Another way to show support for the Bargaining Team is for chapters and members to participate in Solidarity Wednesdays. Yes, it seems simple, but showing management that you support your Bargaining Team 100% is dire to fight back against management's proposed takeaways!
Here's how Solidarity Wednesdays work. Every Wednesday throughout bargaining, wear an OCSEA shirt or green attire, whether at the office or at home. And encourage other union co-workers to do the same to show we stand together for a fair contract! Read more.
Pledge your support for your Bargaining Team: Learn how!
OCSEA's Bargaining Pledge Card Solidarity Drive is underway through January 12. This Pledge Card drive is the first of many ways your OCSEA Bargaining Team, working with the local chapters, will be reaching out to members to build support. Every chapter will have enough pledge cards for every member of their chapter to sign one and will be reaching out to you asking for your tried and true support of the OCSEA Bargaining Team!
The OCSEA Bargaining Team's is currently covering the walls of OCSEA’s Headquarters with the signed pledge card section so when we negotiate in our Union Hall, management will see that our Bargaining Team has the support of the entire OCSEA membership behind them. It’s symbolic, yes. But it’s much more than that. No one can stand on the sidelines. We need everyone involved in this fight. Read more.
🏆 Pledge Card Weekly Raffle
Besides building our solidarity, the Pledge Card Drive will give you a chance to win prizes each week. OCSEA members who sign a pledge card will be entered into a weekly drawing for gift cards, laptops, and other electronic devices.
There will be drawings for eight weeks. Two gift cards and an electronic prize will awarded to members each week. Read more.
If you have any questions about the process, please contact chapter president or contact the Member Resource Center at 888-OCSEA11(627-3211) or MRC@ocsea.org.
OCSEA Bargaining Team 2024 elected
Nearly 350 OCSEA OCSEA activists attending the OCSEA Bargaining Council elected the 2024 OCSEA Bargaining Team. The Team includes 24 OCSEA leaders representing every OCSEA bargaining unit as well at OCSEA's three executive officers. See the Team list below. Read the full story HERE.
2024 Bargaining Team
- Bargaining Unit 3: Wilson Humphrey, Bill Homer, Doug Korba, Raymond Harker, Brian Miller & Bill Rager
- Bargaining Unit 4: Marcus Harris & Deborah Weaver
- Bargaining Unit 5: Jeff Condo
- Bargaining Unit 6: Michael Sheeter
- Bargaining Unit 7: Scott Buckridge, Lisa Schroeder & Toni Tuck-Newsome
- Bargaining Unit 9: Shirley Hubbert, Willis McClure & Damon Neal
- Bargaining Unit 13: Treva Knasel
- Bargaining Unit 14: Cathy Deck, Roschelle Holcomb, Leslie Tilton & Melissa Yank