Ohio’s official primary Election Day is long gone, but if you didn’t get to the polls on March 17 when the polls were closed because of the coronavirus, you can still cast your ballot.

The Ohio General Assembly has extended absentee voting until Tuesday, April 28, “but there are a few hoops to jump through,” said Council 8 Political and Legislative Director Robert Davis.

According to Davis, the first step is to request an absentee ballot. The fastest way is through the secretary of state’s website click here.

Fill out and print the ballot request, put a stamp on an envelope, and mail it to your local board of elections. In a few days you should receive an absentee ballot. If you don’t have a computer, call your county board of elections to ask that a ballot be mailed to you. Click here to find your county board of elections.

Make sure you fill out the ballot request carefully. Mistakes may cause the board of elections to reject it.  A common error is putting the current date where your birth date is supposed to go.

The board will then mail you an absentee ballot specific to your locality. “That means you will still be able to vote on tax, bond, and other local issues,” Davis said.

Your ballot will arrive with a postage-paid envelope. Fill out the ballot and drop it in the mail or take it to a drop box at your county board of elections.

“This is not an ideal situation because we were looking forward to primary election day to collect signatures to make sure issues like raising the minimum wage to $13 per hour would be on the November ballot. If you haven’t already voted, act quickly and cast your ballot in this extended primary election,” Davis said,

Ballots must be postmarked by April 27.

Members of AFSCME Local 1846 are working with the Athens public schools Board of Education to take care of their students’ appetites for food and knowledge during the present health crisis. 

Based on the results of a survey of the system’s families “our members are working to making sure our students are being well fed and will continue to be well educated with on-line learning,” said union president Monna French.

During the week Athens school food service employees prepare breakfast and lunch packages for students which are delivered by Local 1846 bus drivers and paraprofessional volunteers.

The school’s survey also revealed a shortage of internet learning devices for the now stay-at-home students. “Our members are making sure students will have school issued tablets to keep up with their studies,” said French, a student resource coordinator.

But a digital book is no good without internet access.  “Athens County is very rural so our members will also turn internet dead-spots into to internet hot-spots by delivering and setting up board provided access equipment so kids can keep on learning,” she said.

In addition to serving her local union, French is also a Volunteer Member Organizer.

Ohio’s education community – educators, education support personnel, superintendents and local school boards – is united in its commitment to ensuring the well-being of the students that we serve as we grapple with the spread of COVID-19 and its implications for public education. We applaud the strong leadership of Governor DeWine and his demonstrated willingness to make decisions that are in the best interest of Ohioans.

We are prepared to do whatever is necessary to adjust very quickly to the unprecedented reality of a global pandemic that threatens public health, has roiled our economy, and led to innumerable disruptions in our daily lives.

The Governor’s order to close all Ohio schools was a big step and we welcome the opportunity to work with Governor DeWine and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Paolo DeMaria, to chart a path forward for local school districts on how best to manage this pandemic.

Navigating these uncharted waters will require a lot of patience and creativity for everyone involved in decision-making at all levels.  We know there are major structural impediments to having to switch to an online learning environment. But as Ohio’s education teams strive to implement creative solutions, your associations stand ready to assist in any way possible. 

There are many questions that have no immediate answers. They include but are not limited to how missing days will be made up, how testing will be handled, and how accountability systems will be adjusted.  Please know that your input is invaluable, and we will make every effort to be responsive to your needs. As questions are considered and answers forthcoming, we will share that information with you in a timely fashion.

Controlling the outbreak of the virus is extremely important to the health and safety of Ohioans. Being able to influence some control over the growth of the outbreak will allow our healthcare system to have a better chance of having the resources available to provide treatment and medical care for those who do contract the virus. Also, please remember that while children do not seem to be as impacted by contracting the virus, they are known to be carriers and can infect the adults with whom they interact. This can lead to devastating consequences for high-risk adults.

We ask that you do all you can to keep yourself healthy and safe, including hand-washing, cleaning surfaces, and social distancing.  For more details on steps you can take to keep you and your loved ones safe, please refer to these guidelines from the Center for Disease Control.

Thank you for your leadership, your patience, and your commitment to the health and well-being of your students, staff, and community.

 

Melissa Cropper, President, Ohio Federation of Teachers

Scott DiMauro, President, Ohio Education Association

Sean Grayson, President, AFSCME Council 8

Kirk Hamilton, Executive Director, Buckeye Association of School Administrators

Rick Lewis, Executive Director, Ohio School Boards Association

Joe Rugola, Executive Director, Ohio Association of Public School Employees

AFSCME Local 3956 member Sherry Thomas has always been interested in the criminal justice system and how it works, so her career as a Deputy Clerk II in the Legal Department of the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court is a good fit.

And the free college program at Eastern Gateway Community College was also a good fit.  It enabled her to move forward on her chosen career path with an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement that she earned through the college’s free, on-line program.

“I always wanted to go back to school but between a full-time job and the cost I just wasn’t able to do it. So, when I saw the free college program offered by my union, I jumped on it,” Thomas said.

Thomas was able to reach her goal of going back to school by working on-line in the evenings. “If you have the passion and drive, you can do it. And Eastern Gateway is there to help get you started. I highly recommend it.” she said.

For more information on go to: www.council8education.org or call

1-888-590-9009.

The 2020 AFSCME Council 8 Family Scholarships are named in honor of two long-time Ohio Council 8 leaders who distinguished themselves as public employees and trade unionists and worked to improve the lives of all Ohioans: George Tucker and Betty Thomas.

    Betty Thomas, a mother of five, began her career in education as a school and library volunteer. In 1972 she took  a part-time job  as an Instructional Assistant for the Cincinnati Board of Education. 

  Her skill and dedication were quickly recognized and in 1974, Thomas was hired full-time and soon joined AFSCME Local 1938, the union for unclassified employees. She continued to work for the board of education and served the union for the next 19 years.

In 1995, Thomas joined the international staff as the Retiree Coordinator for AFSCME Ohio Retirees Chapter 1184.

  For the next 21 years she worked as a strong advocate for retired AFSCME members and helped build Chapter 1184 into one of AFSCME’s strongest retiree chapters.

  In addition, she was active in politics and could be depended upon for block walks, door knocking, attending rallies and phone banks.

  Thomas retired in 2016. She continues to be active with retirees in the Cincinnati area serving as Vice President of Retiree Sub-Chapter 107. 

  George Tucker is a Toledo native, who after graduating from high school in 1961, joined the United States Navy. Five years later Tucker joined the Toledo city workforce and immediately joined AFSCME Local 7, which has represented the city’s workers since 1937.

    Working in the city’s Division of Inspection and the sign shop, Tucker held numerous union positions and in 1972 was elected president of, at that time, the 1,100-member union.

  In addition, he served on the AFSCME Ohio Council 8 executive board first as a Toledo Regional Vice President and later as Secretary-Treasurer. 

  In 1984, Tucker joined Ohio Council 8′ Toledo regional staff, a post he held until 1987, when he was appointed Toledo Regional Director. Tucker retired in 2004 and in 2012, he agreed to come out of retirement and served as director for an additional year.

   At the same time, he has served the Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO steering committee and executive board and as President. He also holds a position on the national AFL-CIO’s advisory board.

   In addition, Tucker gives his time and talents to the United Labor Committee, the  Northwest Ohio Center for Labor and Management Cooperation, the Labor Management Citizens Committee, and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

  He is also President of the Toledo Library Board of Trustees and serves on the Toledo Port Authority.

Tucker is now retired, lives in Toledo and is still active in his community.

   AFSCME Ohio Council 8 First Vice President Marcia Knox, chairman of the scholarship committee said, “We strongly encourage every eligible student to apply for these scholarships.”

   Knox stressed that all applications must be postmarked no later than Friday, May 1, 2020. 

     It is suggested that applicants place their name on each page of their essays and to ensure verified delivery to AFSCME Ohio Council 8, mail the application with a return receipt request. 

  Scholarship applications can be downloaded here.

For more information click the link below.

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