In December 2024, OCSEA members received an amazing early Christmas gift. Under the leadership of then U.S Senator Sherrod Brown, the U.S. Senate voted to pass the Social Security Fairness Act which repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.

For decades, WEP and GPO have reduced Social Security benefits for public employees and their surviving spouses, including members of OCSEA. A bipartisan majority of the Senate voted 76-20 to pass the Social Security Fairness Act after the bill passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin a month ago. The bill now goes to President Biden to sign it into law. When that happens two million retirees from public sector unions will finally receive their full Social Security benefits and future retirees can look forward to a better quality of life in their golden years.

“It’s time for OCSEA members to celebrate a great victory!” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. “It’s been a long fight but your calls and emails helped make a difference.”

President Mabe also gave credit to Senator Sherrod Brown who spent years leading the fight to repeal WEP and GPO. Sen. Brown sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate and held a hearing in Columbus last summer to build support for the legislation.

“Sherrod has been a great friend of labor and deserves credit for making sure our members receive the Social Security benefits they deserve,” Mabe said. “We can’t thank him enough.”

WEP and GPO had cut benefits for more than 270,000 Ohioans who split their careers working between the public and private sectors. Now that injustice will come to an end.