This is your official page for OCSEA Bargaining 2024. Visit this page often for updates on the state contract bargaining process, including news, events and resources, includingthe OCSEA Bargaining 2024 Toolkit below.TOOLKIT
BARGAINING TO DO LIST
SOCIAL MEDIA
BARGAINING BLITZ PHOTO GALLERY Click here. Download the Fact Finder's Recommendations Summary - June 21, 2024 Download the Tentative Agreement - June 10, 2024 Get early access to news. Sign up for bargaining text alerts! Bargaining Update - May 10, 2024 -Fact Finder report due by June 19; Virtual roadshows, voting to follow Focus on Fact Finding: What you need to know moving forward Bargaining Update - March 27, 2024 -What to know about the Fact-Finding process and contract voting Bargaining Update - March 23, 2024 - Union improves position as Fact Finding begins (login required) Bargaining Blitz: Building solidarity for a fair contract - March 20, 2024 Bargaining Update - March 13, 2024 - BARGAINING BLITZ Bargaining Update - February 29, 2024 (login required) Bargaining Update - February 23, 2024 (login required) Bargaining Action - Fair Contract Now! - February 21, 2024 Bargaining Action - Hands off Pick-a-Post! - February 20, 2024 Bargaining Update - February 16, 2024 (Login required) Bargaining Update - February 1, 2024 - What's Mediation? Bargaining Update - January 26, 2024 (Login required) Bargaining Update - January 19, 2024 (Login required) Bargaining Update - January 12, 2024 (Login required) Bargaining Update - December 14, 2023 (Login required) The Fact Finder’s Report was issued on June 19, 2024 and the wage increase over three years for OCSEA bargaining unit state employees. Additionally, the Fact Finder rejected management's proposed upheaval of the Pick-a-Post and Podium Pick process for the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and the Department of Youth Services. A new section in the contract, recommended by the Fact Finder, also sets in place requirements for management regarding telework, remote work or hybrid schedule. Read more about these recommendations below and get all of the Fact Finder's recommendations HERE. The Tentative Agreement includes only articles agreed to by the Union and the State of Ohio prior to the Fact Finding hearings. The contract language contained in this TA, in addition to recommendations made by the Fact Finder later this month, will serve as a temporary contract, presuming ratification. Members will vote on a combination of THIS Tentative Agreement and the Fact Finder's Report. This is your reminder that a very important post card on contract voting is arriving in your home mail box this week. That post card will include the link to the OCSEA website with each chapter's specific voting dates, times and locations. Additionally, the Tentative Agreement (TA) will be emailed to members on Monday, June 10. The TA includes only articles agreed to by the Union and the State of Ohio prior to the Fact Finding hearings. Starting June 24 through July 5, members will have chapter contract voting events to vote on a combination of the agreements in the TA and the Fact Finder's Report. The Fact Finder's Report will be released to the Union and the State by June 19. The items that will be included in the Fact Finder's Report, WHICH WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE TA, include: • Article 13 – Work Week, Schedules and Overtime; Remember: Only active, dues-paying members can vote on the Tentative Agreement and Fact Finder's Report. If you know someone who is a non-member who wants to vote on the contract, let them know they can sign a card online or at the chapter voting location. Have questions? Contact the OCSEA Member Resource Center (MRC) at 888-OCSEA-11 or MRC@ocsea.org. Contact your chapter leaders if you have questions specific to contract voting. The MRC can put you in touch with your chapter leaders. Fact Finder Tom Nowell has announced that he will issue the Fact Finder’s “Report and Recommendations” for the State of Ohio Contract by Wednesday, June 19. The fact-finding process does not conclude until the Fact Finder has issuedhis report. OCSEA chapters will have until Friday, July 5 at noon to vote on the Tentative Agreement and the Fact Finder’s Report. OCSEA will release a booklet of the Fact Finder’s Report over email to all active union members on Friday, June 21. This will be sent to personal emails on file with the Union. Following the release, OCSEA will hold two virtual Roadshows over Zoomon Monday, June 24 at noon and 7 p.m. to discuss the report directly with members. Links for the Zooms will be sent through email and posted on the OCSEA website. Once the first OCSEA Roadshow has ended, union leaders will hold in-person contract voting events for their chapter members. Only active, dues-paying members can vote. The times and locations for chapter voting will be posted on the OCSEA website. The OCSEA Tentative Agreement (TA), including any updated contract language that did not go before the Fact Finder, will be distributed to active members on Monday, June 10 via email. The Union made a request to extend the current contract until July 11, 2024 to allow enough time for ratification of a new contract and the state agreed to the extension. JUNE 10: The Tentative Agreement (T.A.) will be sent out digitally to all members. The Fact Finders reportwill notbe included with this email. JUNE 19:Fact Finder’s Report deadline. JUNE 21:Fact Finder’s Report sent to all members. JUNE 24:Zoom webinar roadshows start at noon. Voting starts this day (voting cannot begin priorto first roadshow.) July 5:Voting Deadline (all votes due to OCSEA by noon) JULY 11:Current contract extended to this date. As Mediations wrapped up, a Fact-Finding hearing was held over multiple days, during the week of March 18, 2024. During the hearing, management and the union presented their cases regarding the contract articles still openin front of Fact FinderTom Nowell. For public employees in Ohio, the Ohio Revised Code dictates that when the parties are at an impasse during contract negotiations, a third-party Fact Finder is brought in to decide outstanding issues. While the Fact Finding hearing is over, the Fact-Finding process does not conclude until the Fact Finder issues his/her report. Currently, the parties are preparing written briefs laying out their arguments, including any exhibits, data, documents and witness statements. Union and management have until April 26 to complete their written briefs and submit them to the Fact Finder. After that, the Fact Finder will consider all the evidence and write a written “Report and Recommendation.” There is no date yet regarding when the Fact Finder will issue his report. Once the Fact Finder’s Report is issued, OCSEA union members vote on theTentative Agreement and the Fact Finder’s Report. While it is likely to be many weeks before contract voting occurs, here are some things to keep in mind: Fact Finding is a LAST RESORT in bargaining because there is no more negotiations and no more give and take. In Fact Finding, the union and management give evidence and testimony and present witnesses in a hearing before a third-party arbitrator.It's up to the Fact Finder to make the final decision. The Fact Finder may side with management or they may side with the union, or they may split the baby. The point is, there is no more negotiations once the sides are at impasse. And the FactFinder’s decision is final. Most of you have heard by now that the OCSEA and Management State Bargaining Teams are headed to “mediation” when they come back to the bargaining table on February 12. Currently, mediation is scheduled for seven days and is always thenext step in the bargaining process. Mediation involves bringing in a neutral “mediator”––a respected expert in labor relations––who tries to help settle disputes by resolving misunderstandings, setting goals, helping reach agreements and compromises,and lending independent perspective to the two sides. In this round of bargaining, the sides agreed to select Jack Buettner, an experienced arbitrator and someone knowledgeable about the current State contract. Sometimes, a mediator can only go so far, either because the sides refuse to bargain and compromise any further, or because time runs out. That’s when a fact finder would come into play. The general rules that guide public employee negotiations are established by Ohio law. The law allows the union and management to submit disputed issues to a fact finder after negotiations and mediation have failed and an “impasse” isformally declared. Your OCSEA Bargaining Team is excited to show off some of the thousands of Bargaining Pledge Cards that line the walls of your OCSEA Union Hall. The Pledge Card raffle entry ran through January 12 to build support for a fair contract! State contract bargaining kicked off again the week of January 8 with the team heading to the table with management to discuss proposals and to fight off unreasonable takeaways that management has proposed. “Management’s proposals fly in the face of what they said was most important, which was to recruit and retain employees,” said OCSEA President and Chief Negotiator Chris Mabe. “Not only that, management is trying to chip awayat the very foundation of our contract, the items that have built this union and state employment. These are the things that have protected us and kept us safe,” said Mabe in an update to members on Dec. 14. As we head into the New Year, the support of every single state member is critical to let management know that takeaways in this current climate will not be accepted. OCSEA's Pledge Card Drive is one way to show solidarity at the table. Another way to show support for the Bargaining Team is for chapters and members to participate in Solidarity Wednesdays. Yes, it seems simple, but showing management that you support your Bargaining Team 100% is dire to fight back against management'sproposed takeaways! OCSEA's Bargaining Pledge Card Solidarity Drive is underway through January 12. This Pledge Card drive is the first of many ways your OCSEA Bargaining Team, working with the local chapters, will be reaching out to members to build support.Every chapter will have enough pledge cards for every member of their chapter to sign one and will be reaching out to you asking for your tried and true support of the OCSEA Bargaining Team! The OCSEA Bargaining Team's is currently covering the walls of OCSEA’s Headquarters with the signed pledge card section so when we negotiate in our Union Hall, management will see that our Bargaining Team has the support of the entireOCSEA membership behind them. It’s symbolic, yes. But it’s much more than that. No one can stand on the sidelines. We need everyone involved in this fight.Read more. Besides building our solidarity, the Pledge Card Drive will give you a chance to win prizes each week.OCSEA members who sign a pledge card will be entered into a weekly drawing for gift cards, laptops, and other electronic devices. There will be drawings for eight weeks. Two gift cards and an electronic prize will awarded to members each week.Read more. If you have any questions about the process, please contact chapter president or contact the Member Resource Center at 888-OCSEA11(627-3211) or MRC@ocsea.org. Nearly 350 OCSEA OCSEA activists attending the OCSEA Bargaining Council elected the 2024 OCSEA Bargaining Team. The Team includes 24 OCSEA leaders representing every OCSEA bargaining unit as well at OCSEA's three executive officers. See the Team listbelow. Read the full story HERE.Get the Road Show FAQ
RSVP for virtual contract voting road shows
Fact Finder releases recommendations, get recommendations summary now
Get to know the contract Tentative Agreement; download now!
The OCSEA Tentative Agreement is now available for download.This TA and the Fact Finder's Report (to come) will be the documents that OCSEA active state bargaining unit members will be using to vote YES or NO on the State contract later this month. Voting will take place via in-person chapter voting events (see below for chapter contract voting information). PLEASE NOTE: The Fact Finder's Report HAS NOT been released yet and is due to the Union and the State of Ohio no later than June 19. Members will receive the Fact Finder's Report and the Union's analysis of the Report via email on Friday, June 21.Contract voting post cards arriving this week, Tentative Agreement comes out Monday via email - update June 5
• Article 29 – Sick Leave; Article 36 – Wages;
• Appendix L – Pay Ranges;
• Appendix N – Work Area Agreements;
• Appendix Q – Agency Specific Agreements (only Corrections and Youth Services).Fact Finder to issue report by June 19; Virtual road shows, voting to follow - update: May 10, 2024
Important dates:
What to know about the Fact-Finding process and contract voting - update: March 27, 2024
What's Fact Finding?
What's Mediation?
Bargaining Pledge Cards line Union Hall walls
Bargaining sessions start up again week of January 8
Solidarity Wednesdays - Every Wednesday through bargaining
Pledge your support for your Bargaining Team: Learn how!
🏆 Pledge Card Weekly Raffle
OCSEA Bargaining Team 2024 elected
2024 Bargaining Team
We encourage you to use OCSEA's Bargaining 2024 Toolkit as a guide as we build support through the process. This branding toolkit will provide members and local chapters with materials to promote the “Fighting To Win” campaign.Click below to access Bargaining 2024 logos, informational flyers, social media sharing graphics and more. Check back often to OCSEA.org/Toolkit for updates! Member transparency is a TOP priority to the 2024 Bargaining Team, so making sure we have the correct contact information on file will ensure you get all the bargaining information you need. As we head into bargaining, there are a few things you cando to make sure you stay connected during the bargaining process. The first is making sure your contact information is up to date with the union so you get all the bargaining updates throughout the process. This includes double checking your personalemail, home and work address and cell phone number. PERSONAL EMAIL IS KEY! Bargaining news is for members' eyes only!! Make sure you have a good personal email on file with the union. Update your contact information in your member-only MyOCSEA profile by logging on at OCSEA.org/sign-in or send it to OCSEA's webmaster HERE. You can also contact the OCSEA Member Resource Center (MRC) at 1-888-OCSEA11(1-888-627-3211) or MRC@ocsea.org to check your contact information. Sign up for OCSEA State Bargaining 2024 text alerts now! text OCSEA2024 (no spaces!) to 237-263 on your cell phone.Follow the prompts to get signed up. We will text you when there are important bargaining updates, including actions aroundbargaining, supporting the team, including solidarity days, any tentative agreement and more.Contact information
Text alerts
The support and involvement of EVERY member is key to building a strong contract. Here's what you can do RIGHT NOW to support your Bargaining Team:
Around the country, there's been a lot of union contract buzz, from the UAW and writer and actor victories, with collective labor actions on the rise and gaining massive support. And the one element that connects them all? A strong, supportive union membership!!! And that's why the OCSEA Bargaining Team needs ALL YOUR support as they Fight to Win the strong contract you deserve. That's why we're asking OCSEA State members to show their support for the OCSEA Bargaining Team on their social media pages. This includes updating your Facebook and Instagram profile pics and cover photos with OCSEA-approved graphics. WE URGE YOU TO KEEP THESE SUPPORT GRAPHICS UP THROUGHOUT BARGAINING!!!! We also encourage you to SHARE bargaining support posts on your social media personal pages and in your stories. START SHARING! Download the OCSEA Bargaining 2024 Social Media Toolkit HERE. This will give you access to a Folder with bargaining support profile pic, cover photo, wall posts and story graphics that you can use on Facebook and Instagram. It will all be included in a ZIP file that you can save to your computer or phone. Or visit OCSEA's social media pages to add the art to your pages and to share with co-workers, family and friends! Make sure you follow OCSEA on Facebook and Instagram to get bargaining updates and shareable graphics, stories and reels! Click to Share: Click to Share:
OCSEA's Bargaining Pledge Card Solidarity Drive kicked off Nov. 20. Below you will see the list of pledge card raffle winners by week, starting Nov. 28. All winners signed a pledge card showing their support for the OCSEA Bargaining Team. Any member who signs a pledge card over the next seven weeks will be entered into a raffle. There are still plenty of chances to win. There will be one raffle a week for the next seven weeks, so make sure you sign a card with your chapter leader. The sooner the cards get in, the better chance you have of winning a prize.Week 1 Winners:
Week 2 Winners
Week 3 Winners
Week 4 Winners
Week 5 Winners
Week 6 Winners
Week 7 Winners
Week 8 Winners