State Budget:
2008 Archive
Your source on political action, voter info & legislation
Legislature wraps up capital/corrections bill
June 12, 2008 – As their last piece of business before retiring the spring session, Ohio legislators wrapped up work on the $1.3 billion capital/ corrections bill. FULL STORY
House and Senate spar over budget correction/capital bill
June 3, 2008 - Ohio Senators made a slew of changes to the House version of the capital budget bill (HB 562) before wrapping up the spring general session. Not surprisingly, the changes represent a Christmas tree of provisions the Senate would like to boast to their constituents about as they begin to campaign for the fall election. FULL STORY
Union leaders say job cuts could affect security
May 30, 2008 – Union members who work in the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections today participated in an informational picket outside of the Corrections Medical Center and Franklin Pre-Release Center in south Columbus in opposition to proposed job abolishments within the agency. FULL STORY
ODNR releases layoff rationale; Union leaders help displaced workers
May 16, 2008 - OCSEA Assembly leaders met with Ohio Department of Natural Resources management and were provided a layoff rationale for the agency. The plan calls for a total of 22 positions to be abolished, of which 13 are represented by OCSEA. FULL STORY
ODJFS announces 77 position cuts;
Union’s focus turns to displaced members
May 2, 2008 - 10 a.m. - Yesterday ODJFS Assembly union leaders and OCSEA staff met with ODJFS management to review their budget plan, including the rationale for the abolishment of 77 positions currently occupied by OCSEA bargaining unit members. The ODJFS plan was submitted to DAS today. FULL STORY
MRDD, MH union leaders do paper layoffs
May 1, 2008 - Union leadership in MR/DD has wrapped up its "paper layoff" process, and chapter officers in MH are in the process of concluding their process as well. Thanks to savvy negotiations by the union, the total number of OCSEA members’ jobs slated for abolishment has been drastically reduced in both agencies.
FULL STORY
Agreement signed to save jobs in DR&C
April 30, 2008 - OCSEA leaders in Corrections, including Assembly
President Charlie Williamson, recently met with management from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to strike a deal that will allow the state to continue to post Correction Officer jobs. FULL STORY
JFS budget reduction plan anticipated soon
April 29, 2008 - ODJFS union leaders anticipate, based on conversations with ODJFS management, that the agency's budget plan and rationale for layoffs MAY be released later this week. This also was the message ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelly and other members of management brought to the ODJFS Assembly meeting this past Saturday, April 26, at the ODJFS Air Center complex in Columbus. FULL STORY
OCSEA / ODNR Assembly activists lobby legislators on Earth Day
April 23, 2008 ( Columbus, Ohio) - More than 100 environmental activists and stewards of Ohio’s natural resources participated in an Earth Day lobbying event at the Statehouse, sponsored by the Ohio Environmental Council. FULL STORY
Natural resources activists on Earth Day to lobby legislators
April 10, 2008 - Union leaders from the OCSEA / Ohio Department of Natural Resources Assembly are inviting all OCSEA members to participate in a Lobby Day sponsored by the Ohio Environmental Council on Tuesday, April 22, at the YWCA and Statehouse in downtown Columbus. FULL STORY
OCSEA members in DR&C shoulder unfair burden of cuts
April 10, 2008 - One day after the announcement that Ohio’s prison population hit another high watermark, OCSEA employees in DR&C learned that 701 total positions would be abolished in Ohio’s state prisons. FULL STORY
Budget Update: Union leaders work to minimize damage to agency programs, jobs
March 12, 2008 - Weeks after Gov. Strickland announced a budget shortfall and subsequent cuts to state agencies, OCSEA is working with several agency union leaders to try to delay or minimize the damage. FULL STORY
Bush administration to fund employment services at -100% (yeah, that's ZERO)
March 12, 2008 - Once again federal Employment Services funding is at risk. Except this time—instead of chiseling away at the funding like they have for years—the Bush Administration has recommended just not funding these services at all. FULL STORY
Agency budget squeeze prompts assembly leaders' plea for help
March 4, 2008 - The State of Ohio's budget sqeeze is on, but you can help to save your job at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The union's ODJFS Assembly
is requesting your input
on ways to cut costs.
FULL STORY | EMAIL IDEAS | DOWNLOAD FLYER (PDF)
Urge legislators to stop psychiatric hospital closings
Feb. 27, 2008 - Over the last two days community stakeholders told the House Finance Committee that closing state psychiatric hospitals in Dayton and Cambridge is bad for patients, their families, and the community. FULL STORY | TAKE ACTION
Strickland's second State of State outlines plans for new veterans affairs agency, job stimulus package
Feb. 6, 2008 - In Gov. Ted Strickland's second State of the State Address he called for the creation of the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs. This "Turn Around Ohio" governor also announced a $1.7 billion investment in Building Ohio Jobs, a stimulas package anticipated to create more than 80,000 good-paying jobs for Ohioans. FULL STORY | PRESS RELEASE | FULL TEXT
Union analysis projects fewer than 500 layoffs with early retirement, attrition impacting rest of 2,700 job cuts
Feb. 4, 2008 - OCSEA is hopeful that less than 500 union members will be laid off as a result of the state's projected budget shortfall for 2008 - 2009. Douglas noted that a recent survey showed an average of one supervisor for 2.7 employees, revealing a bloated middle management.
FULL STORY | COLUMBUS DISPATCH ARTICLE
Lacking data, union reserves judgment on budget cuts, layoffs
Feb. 1, 2008 (updated 5 p.m.) - OCSEA leaders said they have too many unanswered questions about the budget cuts and job elimination proposals announced yesterday by Gov. Ted Strickland and members of his administration and, therefore, would withhold comments until they know more of the details. FULL STORY
Governor announced budget cuts, 2 closings
Jan. 31, 2008 (updated 4:33 p.m.) - Gov. Ted Strickland held an 11 a.m. press conference where he announced budget cuts for agencies and institutions, including 2 mental health hospital closings (Cambridge and Dayton). Staff reductions are estimated between 1,500 to 2,700. Union leaders and staff met with state officials throughout the day and were set to meet with the governor this evening in an effort to learn more about how cuts might impact union members.
FULL STORY | AGENCY CUTS
Agencies consider options to fill budget gap
Jan. 23, 2008 - On the heels of a less-than-rosy budget report in December and the persistent rumor that the state budget must be re-balanced, the governor has asked state agencies to look at strategies for cost savings, including implementing Early Retirement Incentive Plans for some departments. FULL STORY
Resources
Agency Budget Cuts
Agency Budget Cuts (PDF)
Executive Order on Budget Cuts (PDF)
Gov. Strickland's News Release
ERI OCSEA Education Factsheet (PDF)
Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) Plans Memo from OBM Director Sabety (PDF)
Budget Forecast - January 2008 (PDF)
Agency Review Teams request member input; Frontline workers know best how to improve processes, services
See Articles
State budget might suffer massive cuts; Gloomy revenue forecast says shortfall could near $1.9 billion (Jan. 23, 2008 - Columbus Dispatch)
State faces big budget shortfall (Jan. 23, 2008 - The Plain Dealer )
State predicting budget shortfall up to $1.9 billion (Jan. 23, 2008 - Akron Beacon Journal / Ohio.com )
Financial woes push Gov. Strickland to consider ERIs (OCSEA Blog - Jan. 15, 2008)
State considers early retirements (OCSEA Blog - Jan. 8, 2008)
> Archived 2007 Budget news
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RESOURCES Union budget activists are encouraged to review the following Grassroots Facts:
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