Press

Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), released the following statement congratulating Michelle Flanigan on her election to the STRS Ohio Board and responding to recent news reports about STRS Ohio: 

COLUMBUS — Equitas Health Workers United (EHWU), a union representing more than 200 frontline client-facing employees at fifteen Equitas Health locations across Ohio, ratified their first collective bargaining agreement today with a 96.3% majority. The union contract includes a wage increase, a signing bonus, a binding grievance and arbitration process with direct participation from the Board of Trustees, a labor-management committee, and more. 

"On behalf of all the workers at Kaleidoscope Youth Center, the organizing committee is expressing our deepest gratitude to the Board of Directors for voting in favor of voluntarily recognizing the Kaleidoscope Workers Union. This decision represents a significant milestone in our collective journey toward fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace. By recognizing the union, Kaleidoscope Youth Center leadership has demonstrated a commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of all workers and a dedication to serving the LGBTQIA+ youth in our community."

UPPER ARLINGTON, OHIO — Today, an overwhelming majority (69.3%) of librarians and library workers at Upper Arlington Public Library (UAPL) called on their Director and Board of Trustees to voluntarily recognize their union. Copies of signed union cards from an overwhelming majority of library employees were delivered to management, while the originals were filed with the State Employee Relations Board (SERB) to request voluntary recognition of the union. 

For workers at Grandview Heights Public Library (GHPL), today is the first workday covered by a union contract. This is the first contract agreement for GHPL and Grandview Heights Public Library United (GHPLU) – the union of librarians and library workers. The contract makes meaningful improvements on paid leave and job security, ensures continued competitive wages, and provides a framework for ongoing collaboration. 

“Every Ohio student, no matter what they look like or how they identify, deserves respect and an equal opportunity. HB 68, particularly the ban on allowing trans students to participate in sports teams with their gender, flies in the face of this goal by writing discrimination into the law and targeting some of Ohio’s most vulnerable students."

COLUMBUS — Educators at KIPP Columbus filed an unfair labor practice charge this week with the National Labor Relations Board due to management’s decision to unilaterally end a coverage stipend that was in place to cover teachers’ lesson planning times. This action was the latest union-busting tactic in a pattern of intimidation and retaliation that began when educators initially filed for their union election on November 15, 2022. The NLRB has previously found merit in three other unfair labor practice charges filed by educators.

PICKERINGTON, OH — Today, a strong majority of staff (92%) at Pickerington Public Library (PPL) voted to form their union, Pickerington Public Library United Staff (PPLUS), in a secret ballot election administered by Ohio’s State Employment Relations Board. The new union, which includes 25 librarians and library workers, is the third group of Central Ohio library workers to successfully organize with the Ohio Federation of Teachers since 2021.

COLUMBUS — Today, an overwhelming majority of the 154 full-time and adjunct faculty at the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) voted to form their union with the Ohio Federation of Teachers, naming themselves the CCAD Faculty Alliance (CFA). They voted by secret ballot administered by the NLRB after the CCAD Board of Trustees refused to voluntarily recognize their union.

“We could not be more thrilled to have finally won our union after months of organizing,” said Patrick Lay, an adjunct faculty member. “Having our union in place will allow us to focus on providing the best education possible instead of being bogged down by struggles to make ends meet or fighting to change an inefficient and inequitable system. It is a win-win for students, faculty and our community.”