Building Union Power 7 Conference
April 21, 2007

Prepared Remarks by
Ronald C. Alexander,
OCSEA President

MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS.  WELCOME TO BUILDING UNION POWER AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING UP YOUR WEEKEND.

LAST YEAR I STOOD BEFORE YOU…AND I TOLD YOU…WE FACED SOME DARK, GLOOMY AND FOREBODING TIMES.

I DESCRIBED…AND I QUOTE…

“A PERFECT ECONOMIC STORM WHOSE DARK CLOUDS HAVE ROLLED ACROSS OHIO LEAVING DESPAIR AND DEVASTATION IN ITS WAKE.”

I DID NOT EXAGGERATE.  OUR STATE HAS NEVER, EVER, IN ALL MY YEARS AS YOUR PRESIDENT, FACED SUCH A CRISIS.

BUT I ALSO TOLD YOU…

THAT IF WE STOOD TOGETHER…AGAINST THE WINDS OF THIS STORM…THERE WOULD BE A BRIGHTER DAY AHEAD.

WE DID STAND TOGETHER.

WE STOOD, HANDS CLASPED, AS THE LAST THIN “BLUE” LINE AGAINST ANOTHER DECADE OF INCOMPETENT AND CORRUPT REPUBLICAN RULE!

AND WE ARE HERE TODAY…STRONGER THAN EVER BECAUSE…

YOU DIDN’T STAND BY AND LET THEM WIN!

YOU DIDN’T STAND BY AND LET THEM DRIVE THIS STATE INTO A FURTHER DEPRESSION!

YOU DIDN’T STAND BY AND LET THEM LINE THEIR POCKETS WITH CASH AND COINS!  

NO.  YOU STOOD UP TO THEM…AND TOGETHER WE DELIVERED!

SO - STAND UP!

STAND UP!…FOR EVERYONE WHO POUNDED THE STREETS, KNOCKED ON DOORS, MADE TELEPHONE CALLS, RAISED MONEY AND WORKED THEIR HEARTS OUT…STAND UP! AND GIVE THEM THE APPLAUSE THEY DESERVE!

THANK YOU.

YES, THERE IS AN OLD SAYING:

“IT IS ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN.”

WELL, DAWN HAS COME…IT IS A BRIGHTER DAY AND…WE SEE THE LIGHT!

WE SEE – WE HAVE ELECTED A DEMOCRAT – SHERROD BROWN AS UNITED STATES SENATOR.

A DEMOCRAT – TED STRICKLAND AS GOVERNOR:

A DEMOCRAT – JENNIFER BRUNNER AS SECRETARY OF STATE.

A DEMOCRAT – RICHARD CORDRAY AS STATE TREASURER,

A DEMOCRAT – MARC DANN AS ATTORNEY GENERAL,

AND WE SEE DEMOCRATS ARE STRONGER ALL ACROSS THIS GREAT STATE FROM LAKE ERIE TO PORTSMOUTH, FROM CELINA TO STEUBENVILLE.

YES, WE SEE THE LIGHT OF A NEW DAY IN OHIO!

BUT THE GREAT ECONOMIC STORM WE HAVE EXPERIENCED HAS LEFT UNIMAGINABLE DEVASTATION IN ITS WAKE, AND THE “CLEANUP” WON’T BE EASY.

JUST ONE OF THE RESIDUAL EFFECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS BEEN HOME FORECLOSURES.  HOME FORECLOSURES ARE UP 30 TO 40% IN EVEN OUR MOST AFFLUENT AREAS.

TO STOP AND REVERSE STATISTICS LIKE THAT, IT’S GOING TO TAKE EVERY ONE OF US TO PITCH IN TOGETHER….

IT’S GOING TO TAKE DEMOCRATS AND RIGHT THINKING REPUBLICANS…LABOR AND MANAGEMENT, THE STATE OF OHIO AND OCSEA…ALL OF US…WORKING TOGETHER, IN HARMONY…TO SEE THE LIGHT AND MOVE THE MOUNTAIN OF DEBRIS LEFT OVER FROM THIS STORM.

I BELIEVE, AND I BELIEVE GOVERNOR STRICKLAND AGREES…THAT ONLY TOGETHER, THROUGH COOPERATION, CAN WE BUILD A NEW PROSPEROUS OHIO. WHY?  BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A MONUMENTAL TASK.

“COOPERATION” WILL BE KEY.

BUT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TWO OTHER ELEMENTS.

“RESOLVE” AND “PERSEVERANCE.”

“RESOLVE,” “PERSEVERANCE” AND FINALLY “COOPERATION.”

LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES…OF ALL THREE OF THESE ATTRIBUTES…WORKING FOR US…FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY…IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT.

A FEW YEARS AGO, DURING THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS, THE STATE DIDN’T “SEE THE LIGHT” OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND WANTED TO ELIMINATE IT.

I SAID NO WAY…EVERY RANK AND FILE MEMBER MUST HAVE ACCESS AND THE RESOURCES TO LIFE-LONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
 
THAT IS CRITICAL TO OUR EMPLOYMENT SECURITY.

SO WE “RESOLVED” TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE.  WE NEGOTIATED AND PERSEVERED TO FORM THE NEW UNION EDUCATION TRUST.

WE MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES AT OUR DISPOSAL WE HAD UNDER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

HOWEVER, WITH CAREFUL PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE MANY BENEFITS THAT PROVIDE OUR MEMBERS WITH ACCESS TO A VARIETY OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 

AND HERE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY, THROUGH CAREFUL FISCAL MANAGEMENT, THE UNION EDUCATION TRUST IS INCREASING ITS BENEFIT UNDER THE CAREER IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FROM $2,000.00 TO $2,250.00 PER FISCAL YEAR.

THIS INCREASE RAISES THE MONEY AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN UET PROGRAMS TO $ 4,000.00 PER YEAR.

HERE’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE.  IN ADDITION TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THE STATE ALSO ATTACKED THE COMPUTER PURCHASE PROGRAM.  IN THEIR WISDOM, THEY ERADICATED THIS EXCELLENT PROGRAM.

THEY COULDN’T SEE THE LIGHT!

THEY COULDN’T SEE THAT COMPUTERS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR LIVES AND OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.

I WAS ASTOUNDED.

I SAW NO REASON IN THE WORLD WHY THE STATE WOULD WANT TO KILL A PROGRAM THAT MADE COMPUTERS EASILY AFFORDABLE TO OUR MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

BUT THEY DIDN’T SEE IT MY WAY.

BUT I HAD A LITTLE PRIVATE “RESOLVE” …THERE’S THAT WORD AGAIN…OF MY OWN.  “RON’S RESOLVE” IF YOU WILL.

AND “RON’S RESOLVE” WAS…THAT SOMEDAY, SOMEHOW …WE WOULD “PERSEVERE” AND GET THAT COMPUTER PURCHASE PROGRAM BACK.

THEREFORE, AS PART OF THE “UNION EDUCATION TRUST” PROGRAM WE FIRST ATTEMPTED TO WORK WITH DELL COMPUTER TO RE- ESTABLISH THE PROGRAM.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS OF THE TRUST, WE FOUND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

IT WAS TIME TO FOLLOW “RON’S RESOLVE” WITH SOME GOOD OLD FASHION “PERSEVERANCE.”  WHO, IF NOT DELL, COULD WE COOPERATE WITH TO GET THIS FINE PROGRAM RE-ESTABLISHED?

YOU KNOW, FORMER GOVERNOR JIM RHODES HAD HIS FAULTS, AND THEY WERE MANY, BUT IN ADDITION TO SAYING “PROFIT IS NOT A DIRTY WORD IN OHIO,” HE ALSO SAID, “NEVER GET SO MAD AT ANYONE” THAT YOU CAN’T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM.”

THAT’S ADVICE THAT I HAVE TAKEN TO HEART IN MY MANY YEARS WORKING FOR YOU AS YOUR PRESIDENT. 

AS A CONSEQUENCE, I HAVE MAINTAINED, FOR THE WELL BEING OF OUR UNION, A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MANY, MANY PEOPLE I HAVE SOMETIMES VEHEMENTLY DISAGREED WITH OVER THE YEARS. 

ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE IS STEVE LOEFFLER, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

STEVE IS A GOOD MAN BUT SOMETIMES STEVE FAILS TO SEE IT OUR WAY.

HE ACTUALLY THINKS HE’S RIGHT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE!  HARD TO BELIEVE!

STEVE HAD BEEN OPPOSED TO THE COMPUTER PURCHASE PROGRAM, BUT I RESOLVED TO APPROACH HIM AGAIN TO SEE IF WE COULD OPEN HIS MIND AND HELP HIM “SEE THE LIGHT” OF OUR ARGUMENT.

HOWEVER, THIS TIME I WENT WITH A TORCHBEARER.  A TORCHBEARER BY THE NAME OF JOHN HASELEY, WHO IS THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF GOVERNOR STRICKLAND.

MY ARGUMENT WAS SIMPLE.  THE STATE OFFERS A COMPUTER PURCHASE PROGRAM TO EXEMPT EMPLOYEES BUT TOOK THE PROGRAM WE STARTED AND THEY COPIED AWAY FROM OUR UNION SISTERS AND BROTHERS!

THAT IS NOT RIGHT!   IF THE PROGRAM IS GOOD FOR EXEMPT EMPLOYEES THEN IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT IT SHOULD BE OFFERED TO BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES!

AFTER I EXPLAINED THE COMPUTER PURCHASE PROGRAM TO HIM, JOHN AGREED THAT THIS WAS A DIRECTION THAT THE STATE SHOULD MOVE IN.

TOGETHER, JOHN AND I WENT BACK TO STEVE LOEFFLER OVER AT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, AND DISCUSSED HOW WE COULD GET THIS DONE…AND SOON.

I AM VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY THAT I HAVE JUST RECEIVED A WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM OUR FRIENDS IN THE NEW STRICKLAND ADMINISTRATION…FROM STEVE LOEFFLER IN FACT… AND I QUOTE….

 “WE AGREE IN PRINCIPLE TO THE REESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPUTER LOAN PROGRAM…(WHICH) IS OF BENEFIT TO ALL.”

(APPLAUSE)

AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT NOT ONLY HAS THE NEW ADMINISTRATION GIVEN IT’S SUPPORT TO THE COMPUTER PURCHASE PROGRAM…BUT ALSO ALL OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT ARE SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS.

SO WE HAVE MOVED YET ONE STEP CLOSER…ONE STEP CLOSER…THROUGH RESOLVE, PERSEVERNCE AND COOPERATION.

BUT LET ME JUST SAY THIS…THERE ARE THOSE WHO STILL OPPOSE THIS INITATIVE…SOME BECAUSE THEY SAY THESE ARE TIGHT TIMES FOR THE STATE BUDGET.

I SAY TO THEM…THIS IS NOT A HAND OUT…THIS IS A HAND UP!

IT WILL NOT COST THE STATE OF OHIO MONEY…IT WILL MAKE THE STATE OF OHIO MONEY…BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A MORE COMPUTER LITERATE WORK FORCE.

SO THIS IS GREAT NEWS…GREAT NEWS.

HOWEVER THE FAT LADY HAS NOT YET SUNG…

AND IN THE FINAL ANALYIS WE NEED TO HEAR THAT VOICE RING OUT..

BUT, WE KNOW THIS FOR SURE… SHE IS WARMING UP AND GETTING READY TO STEP ON THE STAGE!  OH HOW SWEET THAT SOUND WILL BE WHEN IT BEGINS TO PLAY! 

I WANT TO GIVE MY THANKS AGAIN…TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE STRICKLAND ADMINISTRATION FOR MAKING THIS COMMITMENT.

“RESOLVE.” “PERSEVERANCE.” “COOPERATION.”

THAT’S THE NAME OF THE GAME NOW HERE IN THE STATE OF OHIO.  

YES, WE “SEE THE LIGHT” OF A NEW RELATIONSHIP.

A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE AND IT’S EMPLOYEES IN WHICH OCSEA CAN HOPEFULLY COOPERATE WITH …RATHER THAN FIGHT…THE STATE OF OHIO TO BETTER THE LIVES OF IT’S MEMBERS.  

BUT LET ME ASSURE YOU, THAT I HAVE ANOTHER “RON’S RESOLVE.”

AND THAT IS TO NEVER EVER LET AN OPPORTUNITY GO BY…THROUGH MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND YEARS OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS…TO HELP OUR MEMBERS.

EVEN IN THE NEW LIGHT OF DAY WE MUST BE VIGILANT…THAT NO OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OCSEA EVEN GREATER IS LOST.  AND I PLEDGE TO DO SO.

IN THAT SPIRIT, TODAY I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OCSEA IS LAUNCHING A NEW RECOGNITION PROGRAM FOR UNION STEWARDS.

THIS NEW PROGRAM WILL KEEP OUR UNION STRONG.

I BELIEVE THAT THE UNION STEWARD IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT JOBS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT.  UNION STEWARDS ARE THE EYES…EARS AND… VOICE OF THE UNION AT THE WORK SITE.

THEY ARE ON THE FRONT LINE REPRESENTING OUR MEMBERS AND PROTECTING THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.

I WOULD LIKE ALL THE UNION STEWARDS TO STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED FOR ALL THE FINE WORK THEY DO.  (APPLAUSE)  ALL UNION STEWARDS PLEASE STAND UP.  LET’S GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!

IT IS TIME OCSEA FORMALLY RECOGNIZES THEIR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS GREAT UNION.

THE FORMAL RECOGNITION WILL BEGIN THIS FALL WITH A CONFERENCE EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY FOR STEWARDS.

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EXCITING NEW PROGRAM BY VISITING THE STEWARDS TABLE IN THE HALLWAY.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT ALL THE TABLES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR GREAT UNION AND THE PROGRAMS THEY OFFER.

THERE IS ONE OTHER TABLE I URGE EVERYONE TO STOP BY…THE PEOPLE TABLE.

PEOPLE PROVIDES THE RESOURCES FOR OCSEA AND AFSCME TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE POLITICAL ARENA. 

EVERYONE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO PEOPLE RAISE YOUR HAND. 

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS MADE A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN “2006” AND ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR “2008”.  

ONE OF THE REASONS OCSEA IS A GREAT UNION IS BECAUSE OF OUR AFFILIATION WITH AFSCME.

IT IS THE LARGEST UNION FOR WORKERS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE WITH 1.4 MILLION MEMBERS NATIONWIDE.

I WILL MAKE SURE THAT ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, IN MY CAPACITY AS A SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND SERVING ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF AFSCME INTERNATIONAL … ALONG WITH MY GOOD FRIEND AFSCME INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT GERALD MCENTEE, THAT OUR UNION RIGHTS ARE ALWAYS PROTECTED. 

AFSCME LAUNCHED A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN TO MAKE AFSCME AN EVEN STRONGER UNION IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

I SERVED ON SEVERAL COMMITTEES TO HELP AFSCME DEVELOP THEIR PLAN…AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING AFSCME ACHIEVE ITS GOALS.

ONE OF THE KEY GOALS IS TO SUPPORT LABOR-FRIENDLY CANDIDATES AT BOTH THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL. 

WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN THE STATE’S ELECTION BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVED FROM AFSCME.  THANK YOU AFSCME!

AND SO MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS…WE HAVE INDEED “SEEN THE LIGHT” SPREAD ALL ACROSS THIS GREAT STATE.  AND, GOD WILLING, WITH THE HELP OF OUR WONDERFUL NEW ELECTED OFFICIALS WE WILL CLEAN UP THE DEBRIS OF OUR TERRIBLE ECONOMIC STORM AND MOVE ON TO TOMORROW.

BUT WE ARE NOT DONE…

NO.  FAR FROM IT.

WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT.

BUT WE MUST ALSO JOIN THE FIGHT! ….
TO DO WHAT WE HAVE DONE HERE IN OHIO…ACROSS AMERICA.

WE MUST MOVE TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL!

WE MUST TAKE BACK AMERICA!

AND WE CAN’T WAIT UNTIL 2008 TO DO IT.

IN 2004 WE BEGAN OUR POLITICAL EFFORT IN EARNEST AND LEARNED SOME VALUABLE LESSONS.

IN 2006, THANKS TO OUR “THE PEOPLE CARE” PROGRAM…”PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ORGANIZED TO PROMOTE LEGISLATIVE EQUALITY”… WE CONTACTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OHIOANS, RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND CHANGED THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.

WE …THE THIN BLUE LINE…WE TURNED OHIO FROM A RED STATE INTO A BLUE ONE!

AND IN 2008 WE ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING FOR AMERICA!

AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY.

BECAUSE OHIO WILL BE AN EVEN BIGGER PLAYER IN THE NATIONAL ELECTION THAN IT WAS LAST TIME.

BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE LEARNED MORE THAN WE KNEW LAST ELECTION.

WE WILL BE BETTER ORGANIZED.

ALSO…WE WILL HAVE MORE PEOPLE.

WE WILL HAVE MORE MONEY.

AND WE WILL HAVE THE BACKING OF ALL THE GREAT STATEWIDE OFFICE HOLDERS THAT YOU HELPED ELECT LAST YEAR!

LET ME ASK YOU…LET ME ASK YOU…

DO YOU WANT TO BE LIED TO TIME AND TIME AGAIN ON EVERYTHING FROM WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION TO GLOBAL WARMING?

DO YOU? NO! OF COURSE YOU DON’T!

DO YOU WANT SCANDAL AFTER SCANDAL…FROM HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DOLLARS LOST IN IRAQ…TO ATTORNEY GENERALS BEING FIRED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES?

DO YOU? NO! OF COURSE YOU DON’T!

DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE MORTGAGED TO THE HILT BY THE LARGEST NATIONAL DEFICIT IN HISTORY?

DO YOU? NO! OF COURSE YOU DON’T!

DO YOU WANT FOUR MORE YEARS OF A GEORGE BUSH REPUBLICAN CLONE?

DO YOU? NO! OF COURSE YOU DON’T!

THEN MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS,

YOU HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!
JOIN THE FIGHT!
DON’T WAIT UNTIL 08!

THANK YOU.  I AM PROUD TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT.