Press

NEW LEXINGTON, OHIO — Yesterday, members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Career Technical Education Committee, AFT President Randi Weingarten, and U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown toured New Lexington City School District facilities, including the middle school, the Workforce Development Center, and the school farm. The tour focused on the innovative and expansive career technical education program that the district has built up in recent years. 
 

ATHENS, OHIO — Ohio University faculty engaged students and their families about their fight for a fair union contract today, during the university’s move-in weekend. The faculty, members of the United Academics of Ohio University (UAOU), flyered on the corner of Washington and Court Street and asked students and families to sign UAOU’s solidarity pledge. Faculty also arranged for a mobile billboard about contract negotiations to drive through campus all day.

“It’s critical that we negotiate a strong first contract because it will help OU faculty gain fair and competitive pay, greater job security, and safer and healthier workspaces at a time when higher education is under attack,” said Courtney Koestler, an Associate Professor of Teacher Education. “Legislation like SB1 is eroding academic freedom, faculty protections, vital support systems for students and faculty, all of which harm our institutions of higher education. Through collective bargaining, we can work with university leaders to secure the rights of faculty now. Having a strong and protected faculty is the foundation for high-quality education for students.”

“For decades, Sherrod Brown has stood up for Ohio workers and for quality public education. He fought against unfair trade agreements that hurt Ohio communities; passed the American Miners Act to keep Ohio mineworkers safe and healthy; passed the Butch Lewis Act to restore pensions for more than 100,000 Ohio workers; and protected Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act from relentless attacks. Most recently, in December 2024, Sherrod was able to pass the Social Security Fairness Act which ended financial penalties for public sector workers who were also due to receive social security benefits."

NEWARK, OHIO — On Friday, June 6, the United Faculty/Central Ohio Technical College (UF/COTC) filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge over COTC’s refusal to sign a contract agreement and their insistence that the union return to the bargaining table and accept concessions. The contract agreement became binding after it was ratified by the union and the COTC Board failed to act within the time limit that is set in Ohio law. The administration’s refusal to sign the contract signals that they have no intention of following the contract.

“Union members negotiated our contract in good faith, reached an agreement with our college, and overwhelmingly ratified the agreement,” said Martin Schmerr, a Biology Professor at COTC and President of UF/COTC. “Ohio law is clear. Since we ratified the contract and our administration didn’t vote on ratification within the allotted time, our contract is officially approved. It’s outrageous that our Board is ignoring the law and acting as if we’re still in negotiations. It’s time for the Board to sign the contract so we can move forward together.”

OU flouts overwhelming faculty union majority and SERB decision with frivolous appeal.

ATHENS, OH — Members of the United Academics of Ohio University (UAOU) are undeterred by Ohio University’s (OU) appeal of their unsuccessful objection to certification of the faculty union. OU’s action ignoring the will of the majority of their faculty threatens to divide the university community at a time when unity is needed to push back on state and federal attacks on the academic and financial independence of universities and colleges. 

Leaders representing rural, suburban, small town, and big city school districts across Ohio are calling on the Ohio General Assembly to ensure all children can attend a public school that meets their needs and prepares them for success regardless of their ability or background.

Across the state – from Medina County to Big Walnut to Cincinnati – districts have worked with community members to organize informational town halls about fair school funding in the state budget. So far, more than 230 school board members have signed on to the All in For Ohio Kids (AOK) letter asking the General Assembly to fully implement and update the Fair School Funding Plan in the 2026-27 State Budget. Ohioans, including school district superintendents and treasurers, showed up in large numbers to testify before the Senate Education Committee earlier this month, and many were forced to wait in an overflow seating room.

ATHENS, OH — Members of the United Academics of Ohio University (UAOU) responded to Ohio University’s (OU) objection to their union certification, by stating that they are undeterred and will continue preparing for eventual contract negotiations with the University.

“We're proud of what we've accomplished by working together as faculty to build a union, and grateful for the support we've gotten from students and community members,” said John O’Keefe, an Associate Professor of History at Ohio University's Chillicothe campus. “The university is still trying to delay this process based on claims that haven't convinced the State Employment Relations Board, but we are ready to sit down and start negotiating a contract that will improve faculty working conditions, and therefore student learning conditions.”

“Michael Harkness and Chad Smith have pledged to work with the current Board majority to continue improving transparency and accountability at STRS and to continue stabilizing the fund’s financial conditions,” said OFT President Melissa Cropper. “These ongoing efforts, spearheaded by Board members that OFT has endorsed in past elections, has allowed STRS to begin restoring benefits by providing cost of living adjustments to retirees and lowering the years of service requirement for contributing members.”

"The House budget throws the Fair School Funding Plan out the window, pulling the rug out from students and from districts that need a reliable source of funding to make long term plans. While Rep. Stewart claims that the state can’t afford full and fair school funding, the House budget proposal would direct more public dollars toward a new voucher for non-chartered, private schools which follow practically no state guidelines on student safety or academics."

“The Senators who voted to pass SB 1 may think that they’re targeting 'woke' professors, but the expansive nature of the bill means that they’re targeting every single student, professor, and staff member at Ohio’s public colleges and universities. They are so angry over their unproven theory that higher education is ideologically biased that they’re willing to take down our world-class system of public colleges and universities. Instead they should focus on the real issues affecting higher education in Ohio, like keeping tuition affordable and surviving tumultuous threats to federal scientific and health funding that schools rely on. As this bill moves to the Ohio House, we are urging representatives to either scrap this flawed bill or give serious consideration to amendments that will blunt the worst of the impacts.”