OHIO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
UNION NEWS / MAY 27, 2026

This year marks 40 years since OCSEA bargained and ratified its first union contract under Ohio Collective Bargaining Law. After embarking on one of the largest organizing drives in union history, OCSEA emerged as one of the lead labor organizations and voices of Ohio public workers on the job.

 

The 1986 contract marked the first time that state employees––32,000 across Ohio at the time––had the right to bargain a comprehensive collective bargaining agreement that would govern every aspect of their working lives. This accomplishment was the result of immense foresight and a five-decades-long effort by OCSEA, AFSCME and its allies in the fight for workers’ rights in Ohio.

 

Over the past 40 years, OCSEA, a member-driven labor organization, has grown and built its main state contract and benefits––well beyond what our founders likely even imagined. But it is also not lost on us that our right to collectively bargain could be gone with the stroke of one Governor’s pen. With the election of an anti-union, government-cutting, and profit-over-workers Governor and State Legislature, collective bargaining and public union contracts as we know it could be gone.

 

Read more in the Spring edition of the Public Employee Magazine (PEM) about how voting our jobs is how we make and maintain real progress for working people. Collective Bargaining feature starts on page 2.

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AFSCME International President Lee Saunders will join leaders at the upcoming OCSEA Steward Conference to say thank you to Ohio's public union members and to say goodbye as he prepares to retire from the office later this year.

 

After 14 years as president and a lifetime of service to working people and the labor movement, President Saunders announced his decision to retire from his role as International President in February of this year. His retirement will take effect at the conclusion of the next AFSCME International Convention in August 2026, where delegates will elect new leadership to carry forward the union’s mission.

 

Saunders, always an electrifying speaker within the labor movement––and an OCSEA favorite––will also inspire activists to fight hard for union rights and to get involved in Get Out the Vote efforts this fall and beyond.

 

"It has been an honor to work on behalf of America’s public service workers. Leadership changes hands, but the power stays exactly where it has always been, with the workers. Worker power endures, and AFSCME is built for the fights ahead," said Saunders of his retirement. 

 

The annual OCSEA Steward Conference will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Columbus. The event, open to all members who registered by May 22, will be in-person at The Ohioan Hotel & Event Center located at 100 Green Meadows Drive South, Lewis Center, Ohio 43035. Pre-conference trainings will also be held on Friday, June 5 in the evening starting at 6 p.m.

 

Additionally, attendees will hear from Mediator and Labor Relations professional Joe Trejo. Mr. Trejo, a familiar face to many seasoned stewards, is known for his balanced approach, practical experience, and collaborative leadership style. He continues to help organizations successfully navigate complex workplace and labor relations challenges.

 

Attendees will also have the opportunity to talk with our Discount College partners from Employee Benefit Systems (EBS) Union College Benefit and Edvance Union College Benefit. All dues-paying OCSEA members and retirees as well as their extended family members have access to discounted college rates. The programs cover a diverse range of discounted educational programs, including degrees and certifications at online colleges and universities nationwide.

 

Visit OCSEA.org/StewardConference to view the Steward Conference tentative agenda and get speaker bios.

LEARN MORE

FEATURED DEAL: 1/2 PRICE ADMISSION!

Half price tickets to Zoombezi Bay are on sale for OCSEA members through May 31, 2026. Tickets are REDEEMABLE May 16 through July 5, 2026. Children under 3 are free and do not require a ticket. Tickets must be purchased online in advance.

PLUS: Save $3 on souvenir cups when purchased in advance; $11.95 each

 

Purchase tickets at this member-only link
Username: CIVIL
Password: OCSEA11

Purchase tickets

You will find this deal under Zoombezi Bay tab.