Andy Douglas,
OCSEA Executive Director
CMCA Conference
Feb. 16 - 18, 2008

Madam Chair, President Parks, Vice President Mabe, Secretary-Treasurer Stewart, Members of the Committee, OCSEA Members and Guests, Brothers and Sisters:

I
Opening

          Once again I am honored to have the opportunity to present at what is now the 22nd Annual Conference of the Committee For Minority and Community Affairs. I always appreciate the warm reception and the chance to see so many of you on an informal basis. The Committee does great work and we are fortunate that you are willing to give so much of your time and effort to make our Union a stronger and better organization. I want to personally thank each of you for your dedication and commitment. I also want to thank my staff who are here to help make all of this possible – and especially Karen Brown – when I asked her to take the job, she resisted a little – now I couldn’t get it away from her.
II
Subject

          As I was thinking about the theme of the conference that “CHANGE IS GOING TO COME” it struck me as to how timely the conference is and how appropriate the theme. Every hour of every day these days I am dealing with “Change”. Given the announcements by the state of all the possible layoffs, the closing of institutions and the lack of revenue coming into the state treasury and, knowing as I do, that not all of what we are being told is the gospel truth, I sometimes feel like reacting to the promised changes in a rather non-judicial way. In fact I can relate to the feelings of one little boy.

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to “honor” thy Father and they Mother, the teacher asked: “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat, one little boy answered:

“Thou shall not kill.”

          These days I identify with that thought when I contemplate what certain folks are trying to do to some of our members and their lives as well as to our Union.

          I don’t have the time to even scratch the surface on the changes that are going to come. Just to give you a few facts with little or no detail right now, contemplate that currently: the

1. Department of Corrections plans staff reductions of about 450 people.
2. ODJFS plans staff reductions of 300-575
3. Ohio Department of Mental Health will close a Dayton facility where we have 117 members and a Cambridge facility where we have 143 members.
4. Ohio Department of Mental Retardation plans staff reductions of 400-550 and, we believe, that it is being planned to close the
5. DYS facility at Marion and the Ohio River Valley facility and, finally
6. Another 200 or so positions across the rest of state government.

III
Our Response

          Facing all of this the immediate question becomes: “How do we respond?” There are three possible responses as I see it.

1. First, we can recognize that change is coming and just quietly accept that change. To me that is no option and is completely unacceptable.
2. We could, as some are advocating, scream, pound the table, picket and protest which would be a direct attack on the Governor and the Administration that we helped elect. I would counsel against this approach, at least for the moment, because we shouldn’t pick a fight that we maybe can’t win – and remember that our contract negotiations are right around the corner.
3. The third approach is a middle course of action. We can be firm in our resolve and insist that if these changes are coming, then we must have a seat at the table and as a start – all of those middle managers who aren’t managing anybody have to go first. Then we will see how many, if any, of the real workers have to be displaced.

My time to speak with you is about up so let me conclude by telling you that we have plans underway and in place to pursue the middle course of action. President Parks and I met with the Governor, his Chief of Staff and the Budget Director as well as the heads of the Departments and Agencies that will be most effected. We have conveyed our message that we can be good partners if things are done fairly or we can be effective and determined opponents if we see that it is us who are bearing an unfair burden for the mismanagement that has occurred and is still occurring.

IV
Our Challenge

          So knowing all of this, what is our challenge? It is clear that change is coming and we can either manage that change or we can let that change manage us. I think there is no option for us. We must move to manage the change. All that we can control is ourselves. So, as these changes occur, the real key to dealing with the changes is to realize that the unexpected will occur and that each time it happens, we will deal with it. As we do we must keep in mind what a Greek Philosopher once said:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.”

          Our changing environment requires strong leadership at the local level. No matter how competent an individual is, no one person can take responsibility or provide all the resources and expertise for solving this crisis we face. In OCSEA we are blessed, for the most part, with strong local leadership and with your help, your cooperation and your support, this too we shall overcome.

          Let us remember that nothing in the world that is alive remains unchanging. All nature changes from day to day and even minute to minute. Only the dead stop growing and become silent. OCSEA never has, and OCSEA never will become silent or dead. We will meet this change and these challenges as we have all others – and we will manage those changes, fight those changes where appropriate and take advantage of the changes when it is beneficial to you and all our other members.

          So to all the budget cutters – HEAR US NOW – WE ARE HERE AND WE AREN’T GOING ANYPLACE. We will stand strong and demand our rights. This is our State too and our families like all families are important.

          Then finally when we gather at the river over on the other side we will know that during our watch our mission wasn’t tarnished and we can rightfully hear:

“Well done thou good and faithful servants. Enter into thy rewards.”

Sisters and Brothers, let there be no doubt. We will persevere and OCSEA and our Members will win. Are you with me? Thank you very much.