The Ohio Civil Service Employees Association
Union News / DECEMBER 20, 2022
Wishing you a safe and joyous Holiday from your Union
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
We write today to wish you a very Happy Holidays! On behalf of your elected union officers, State Board of Directors and OCSEA staff, we wish you a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a joyous New Year. We hope your holiday season is filled with happiness and great blessings with family and friends.
We're so excited to see that our chapters across the state have been getting back together this month for holiday gatherings after a long COVID hiatus. This has allowed so many of our brothers and sisters to meet in person and celebrate true solidarity and friendship as well as their accomplishments and goodwill. We thank those chapters that have used this holiday season to give back to their communities. Chapters like Grafton Correctional Chapter 4710 that participated in a coat, hat and glove drive for a local school and ODNR Central Ohio Chapter 2515 that raised funds for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association goodwill program. These are just a few of many.
As a union, we're definitely looking forward to the year ahead as union organizing continues to gain much needed steam and workers lead the way in rebuilding what the workplace should look like. The world is paying attention, and we couldn't be more proud as a growing number of workers see the value in fighting for a unified workplace voice and respect and dignity on the job.
Here at OCSEA we're going to be putting a lot of focus on training and union building over the next year. It's no secret that Ohio's public workforce has lost a lot of valuable public employees and union members through the pandemic and as the result of retirements. It's time to rebuild! It's time to get back to basics with trainings on Union 101: everything from contract interpretation, steward training, leadership skill building, union history and more. We look forward to growing with you over the next year and beyond and building the next generation of union leaders. See some New Year's resolutions below that can help you kick off the New Year right!
We know how hard our members work each day, so we also want to take a moment to thank you for your work as a public service worker, and we hope you can find some time over the holidays to relax and recuperate. And for those who work during the holidays, as always, we say, Thank You for all you do to keep Ohio safe and well!
In Solidarity,
President Chris Mabe
Vice President Rocky Jolly
Secretary-Treasurer Kathy Gersper
OCSEA's offices will be closed on December 23-December 26 for the Christmas holiday as well as December 30-January 2 for the New Year's observance.
resolve to reconnect with your union in 2023 and beyond
It's almost time to ring in the New Year. Why not let 2023 be the year you reconnect with your union! Just a reminder, OCSEA is a member-driven union. That means it takes the hard work and dedication of ALL members of the union to make a difference, from contract enforcement and labor/management to communication and chapter building. As a public union member, here are just a few resolutions that you can make to become more active and involved as a union member.
- Get Trained - Resolve this year to take at least one OCSEA training. This could be as simple as taking a Basic Steward training to get to know your union contract. Remember, you don't have to become a steward to take Basic Steward training, but the more members who know the contract, the better off we all are and the more leverage we have to make change.
- Get Involved - Resolve to get involved in your local chapter. Every member is assigned to a chapter. Ask your chapter leaders how you can attend an upcoming meeting and get more involved. Not sure who to contact? Get in touch with the OCSEA Member Resource Center at 888-OCSEA11 or MRC@ocsea.org to get help. Don't forget that State contract negotiations is coming up at the end of next year and we'll need everyone's involvement to ensure we get a strong contract.
- Stay Informed - Resolve to keep up with union news. A good way to do that is make sure your email is up-to-date so you get weekly union emails. You can check your profile HERE. And, make sure you visit OCSEA.org often, too, for the latest news and events.
- Promote unionism - Resolve to talk up the power of being union. With so much negativity in the world, talking positively about the good things in our lives can really help. For more than a century, unions have built up the middle class and given workers a voice when they had none. We still need this today. And we need union members to spread the word about all the good that comes with being union, to their families, friends, social media friends and communities.
- Take Action - Resolve to take action when public services and unions are under fire. There are two things that OCSEA members have in common: all are government employees and are union members. So, when public jobs, benefits, pensions and union power are attacked, we must all come together in solidarity. And when there is a call to action, we must all be ready to answer that call. For example, Ohio's House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6) threatens over 100 years of democracy that gives Ohioans a right to a citizen-led ballot initiative. That's right, the same right that let us defeat Senate Bill 5 is under attack this new year. Just like SB5, we will need every member to take action! Stay tuned to keep informed and take action on this and many other issues impacting public union members.
12 days of Christmas wraps up
On December 12, we wrapped up OCSEA's 12 Days of Christmas daily giveaway. See the list of winners at OCSEA.org/12DaysOfChristmas. If you won a prize, someone from OCSEA will be directly in touch with you.
We greatly appreciate all our OCSEA members and hope this 12 days of gift-giving has brought joy to your holiday season. And we hope you've learned a little bit more about the gifts of being a union member. Check out the 12 Days of Union Benefits at OCSEA.org/12DaysofChristmas to read more about the many benefits that come with being a public employee union member.
If you have any questions about your union contract or getting involved in your local chapter, contact the OCSEA Member Resource Center at 888-OCSEA-11 or MRC @ocsea.org.
Make the most of the holidays with member-only discounts
Looking for holiday adventures to do with family and friends or while the kids are out of school on break? Make the most of your union-membership with discounts to several attractions this holiday season.
Kings island winterfest
WinterFest is an unforgettable holiday experience at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, with 11 enchanting winter wonderlands. And OCSEA members get a discount.* The annual event runs through Dec. 31 and features ice skating on the Royal Fountain, the Eiffel Tower turned into a magical Christmas tree, the WinterFest Wonderland Parade, more than five million lights and live entertainment throughout the park. King's Island Winterfest was voted as one of the top Theme Park Holiday Events in the country. Tickets can be purchased HERE. Username: KIAFSCME | Password: KINGSISLAND
COSI center of SCience and industry
OCSEA members can save $5 per ticket to COSI,* Central Ohio's dynamic hands-on science center. COSI is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., now through Dec. 23. The center is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And don't miss out on COSI's special holiday hours. The center will be open every day from December 26 through January 7, including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Reserve your tickets HERE. No promo code needed for online ticket purchases.
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Wildlights
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Wildlights daily discount tickets* are now $15.00 for adults, and $10.00 for children and seniors, and they're available through the end of the season. The Zoo opens at 10 a.m. daily, with Wildlights beginning at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The zoo is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Discount tickets* can be purchased HERE using the following: Username: CIVIL | Password: OCSEA11
*Extras benefit offers are subject to change. Visit OCSEA.org/EXTRAS for all up-to-date member-only discounts and offers.