Last week, OCSEA called for an immediate meeting with the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Office of Collective Bargaining (OCB) regarding a recently proposed staffing change that could potentially impact hundreds of ODJFS union members who provide federal job services.

 

Wagner-Peyser is a federally funded program providing labor exchange services in each state. Currently these services are provided by highly qualified OCSEA union members within ODJFS’s Office of Workforce Development.

One of those potentially impacted OCSEA members is Shelly Bailey, an OCSEA union activist and President of Northwest Chapter 3510. As an ODJFS Customer Service Representative with nearly 18 years of experience, Shelly says that OCSEA member employment professionals do much more than simply connect people to jobs.

 

Shelly’s concern is that state leaders do not understand the difference between employment professionals and staffing agencies. She says positions like hers help unemployed workers understand their unemployment notices, create a professional resume, navigate their unemployment requirements, use and complete their resumes/career profiles on ohiomeansjobs.com, prepare for interviews, resolve certain issues that could delay their unemployment benefits, connect people with local resources and so much more. This includes serving Ohio veterans and working with Corrections for those who need help reentering the workforce. “We’re there for the people. We’re there to help them when they’re sometimes at the lowest part of their life,” she said.

 

The strongest emotional thread is Shelly’s belief that this work is rooted in public service. She emphasizes that workers stay in these jobs because they care about helping people, not because the work is easy or lucrative. “My hope is that [ODJFS] will see that there’s a value in what we do and understand what it takes to do our job. And not outsource our positions to somebody else,” she said.

 

Shelly says outsourcing or eliminating merit staff would not just reduce headcount—it would remove trusted, experienced guidance for Ohioans at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.

 

ODJFS and OCB responded to the union's request for an impact meeting stating a commitment to continued discussions with the union. The union reiterated its reminder to the State of Ohio its obligation to follow the union contract regarding staffing changes and communication with the union.

 

The union said it will provide the ODJFS/OCB, as requested, with dates and times to discuss the staffing proposal and information formally requested by the union.

 

Stay tuned for updates on this issue in future emails and on the OCSEA website at OCSEA.org.

 

OCSEA is calling for an immediate meeting with the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Office of Collective Bargaining (OCB) regarding a recently proposed staffing change that could potentially impact hundreds of ODJFS union members who provide federal job services. The staffing change proposes moving work, now done by OCSEA members under the Wagner-Peyser Act, to an undefined “partnered local model.”

 

OCSEA is demanding that ODJFS and OCB sit down with union leaders to review the proposal and discuss its impact on state union employees as well as its compliance with the OCSEA collective bargaining agreement.

 

“OCSEA has serious concerns regarding the Department’s decision to communicate this initiative directly to bargaining unit employees without providing advance notice to OCSEA Headquarters. An initiative of this nature, particularly one involving potential changes to bargaining unit work, warrants prior communication and meaningful discussion with the union,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe in a letter to ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder and to OCB.

 

Wagner-Peyser is a federally funded program providing labor exchange services in each state. Labor exchange services include job matching and placement for employers and Ohio job seekers, including our veterans. Currently these services are provided by highly qualified OCSEA union members within ODJFS’s Office of Workforce Development.

 

Until recently, federal rules required that states use state “merit staff” to provide Wagner-Peyser services. Merit staff under the Wagner-Peyser Act refers to a state government employee who is hired to perform delivery of public labor-exchange services.

 

Effective October 19, 2026, the Trump Administration’s U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) will remove the mandatory merit staff rule, a requirement that OCSEA has fought to protect for more than two decades. While the DOL says this is purely “voluntary” for states, the union is concerned that Ohio’s workforce development leaders are jumping at the opportunity to reduce union merit staff at the first sign of a lapse in the rule.

 

“Basically, this administration is asking for forgiveness instead of permission. And it’s a slap in the face to hard-working state union members who provide these services,” said OCSEA ODJFS Assembly President Damon Neal.

 

“What will happen to reemployment activities is anyone’s guess, and that’s a big concern. It hinges on where you live and what resources are available,” he said. Neal says the union will protect its members and the services they provide.

 

Stay tuned for updates on this issue in future emails and on the OCSEA website at OCSEA.org.