Speakers light up Friday

Friday’s session commenced with an address from OCSEA Vice President Rocky Jolly who reminded leaders how important their roles are in the union. “Your leadership roles are not easy on a good day,” he said. “But you are the eyes and ears of this union. Without you, there is no union,” he said.

Jolly said OCSEA activists have risen to our current challenge and have found new and exciting ways to talk to our members and reach out to each other this past year, despite often working remotely or being restricted in terms of movement. He said it’s times like this, that show what the union really stands for: “When we show up and stand up, we have a fighting chance to make change in our workplace,” he said.

President Mabe introduced U.S Congressman Tim Ryan as one of those elected leaders who doesn’t just “talk the talk,” he truly “walks the walk” when it comes to his support for labor unions. Ryan has union blood in his veins; his mother and aunt are retired AFSCME members and others family members are in the Building and Contruction Trades. Ryan told delegates that working people have been held back long enough in this country. “We should be cutting workers in on the deal,” he said. “We need to make sure working people have a stable existence,” he said. He said the U.S. should be dominating those industries of the future and that it all starts with unions and working people. 

Lee Saunder gave a big shout to the OCSEA State Bargaining Team for avoiding an 8 percent wage cut (4 percent wages, 4 percent Cost Savings Days) and locking in the best OCSEA contract in over 10 years. He also talked about how our polarized environment in this country has weighed heavily on leaders and their relationships with the ranks and file. He discussed how we can recommit and strengthen some of the broken bonds with our members. “It’s not just a one and done conversations, or an email,” he said. “It’s got to be a deeper relationship than that. We need to engage members at all these key points in their lives,” said Saunders.  He told attendees that despite this, he’s encouraged and that our union leadership “We will get it done!”

AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride in the afternoon recognized that Ohio’s prisons and hospitals were “ground zero” for the pandemic that OCSEA members in those facilities and other agencies showed tremendous courage this past year.  She also commended the delegates for their determination to keep mobilizing and engaging members, even in the face of these difficulties. She recognized OCSEA’s organizing efforts around State contract negotiations and OCSEA’s New Employee Orientation program, which has signed up hundreds of new members.

“As we work to rebuild, let’s keep up this energy. Let’s keep leaning on each other to get through the hard times,” concluded McBride.