Author Archives: dennislewis

Getting to Know SERS

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A retirement system for public employees in the state of Ohio.

Join us for an online presentation on Zoom to learn more about how SERS works for
you to help you prepare for retirement. 

SPEAKER: Cameron Vaughan, Member Education Coordinator, School Employees Retirement System (SERS) of Ohio

DATE: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

TIME: 5pm

WHERE: Online, you can join on your phone or your computer

Register at https://tinyurl.com/y2ct22a8

All OEA members are welcomed to attend.

OEA-R SERS webinar flyer_Jan 2026 

Sponsored by OEA-Retired  https://oea-r.ohea.us

Join the OEA-Retired Racial and Social Justice Committee Book Study

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All OEA members are invited to join us on this journey. We aim to inspire engaging conversations in books that relate to everyday experiences on the topics of racial and social justice. This will help us learn from each other and grow in understanding.

All sessions will be virtual on Zoom and will take place the third Monday of each month from 7pm-8pm (unless otherwise stated).

Please contact Makia Burns, OEA-Retired Liaison, burnsm@ohea.org with questions.

Book Reading Schedule:

  • February 23 – Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King Jr.
  • March 23 – Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • April 20 – Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • May 18 – Bloody Lowndes by Hasan Kwame Jeffries
  • June 15 – Bloody Lowndes by Hasan Kwame Jeffries
  • July 20 – The Third Reconstruction by Peniel E. Joseph
  • August 17 – The Third Reconstruction by Peniel E. Joseph
  • September 21 – Slave Ship by Marcus Rediker
  • October 19 – Slave Ship by Marcus Rediker
  • November 16 – Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson

OEA-R Racial and Social Justice Committee 2026 Book Study Flyer

click to register

 

 

OEA Wellness Wednesdays

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OEA-R Spring Conference

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NEOEA-R will host the 2026 OEA-R Statewide Spring Conference at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

We are planning a guided tour with the availability of self-guided tours of the grounds and other buildings afterwards as part of the package. In addition, we will all be able to have lunch together in their on-site café.

Stan Hywet was built and lived in for 40 years by the Sieberling family, co-founders of Goodyear Tire and Rubber. The tour will explore the history of the mansion and show what life was like in the early 1900s.

Save the date and we’ll have registration details in the spring.  

Action Alert – Public Employer Pension Funding

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Urge Opposition to HB 473 – Prohibiting Public Employers From Funding Pensions

On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, OEA testified in opposition to House Bill 473, sponsored by Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson). The bill would prohibit public employers from paying any portion of an employee’s pension contribution to a state retirement system. You can read OEA’s opposition testimony to HB 473 here.

HB 473 is an attack on the collective bargaining rights of Ohio’s public employees. A prohibition on this type of compensation narrows the scope of bargaining and creates needless disruption for locals who have bargained a pension pickup. This would lead to labor disputes. OEA was joined in opposition by other labor allies such as the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters, and the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio.

Another argument against the bill is that it would increase costs to taxpayers just to pay an employee the same effective pay rate. If pension pickups are no longer permissible, salaries would need to increase to avoid a de facto pay cut. However, increased salaries also increase other costs to the public employer (employer pension contributions, Medicare taxes, and other salary-based payments).

Urge your state representative to oppose House Bill 473 and reflect how this issue affects you and your school district.

 

October 2025 Newsletter

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Download the NEOEA-R-Oct2025 Newsletter

  • VOTE for NEOEA-Retired Delegates to OEA Representative Assemblies
  • STRS Board Lawsuit Injunction
  • NEOEA Liaison and OEA-R NEOEA Representative’s Report
  • State Board of Education Update – The Path to Public Office
  • Racial and Social Justice Book Study
  • OEA Wellness Wednesdays
  • Vote for Public Education on November 4
  • OEA Governmental Relations Updates
  • OEA-R Membership 
  • End of Summer Celebration 
  • Discounts
  • Calendars
  • OEA News Subscriptions
  • Member Information Updates

OEA Governmental Relations Update Calls

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OEA’s Government Relations team is hosting a monthly, one-hour update call on the last Thursday of each month. These member-facing briefings will keep you plugged in on fast-moving Statehouse activity and, most importantly, make it easy to share your stories and take timely action to ensure your voice is heard at the Statehouse. 

What you’ll get each month:

  • What’s moving at the Statehouse (bills, hearings, amendments) in plain English. 
  • A Spotlight Issue (e.g., vouchers/ESAs, property taxes & funding, collective bargaining, STRS governance, voting access). 
  • What can you do to help right now— digital actions, training opportunities, and other ways you can engage your legislators on important issues impacting public education.  
  • Q&A and ready-to-use slides, recording, and shareables after the calls.  

When (Fall 2025) 

  • Thu, Dec 18 at 5:00 PM 

Register once here: ohea.zoom.us/meeting/register/iiTgpvfwRdC6xnfkCxIlUg  

Who should join 

  • Member leaders, building reps, Political Action/Legislative Committees, and any member who wants to stay current and engaged. (We may also invite coalition partners for select topics.) 

Bring your examples! 

  • Have a success story or photo of member-led legislative engagement (school visits with lawmakers, testimony you provided, LTEs/op-eds, town halls)? Please send these to OEA Government Relations at govtsrv@ohea.org with who/what/where/impact and any images/quotes we can amplify during the call. 

Thank you for everything you do for Ohio’s students, public schools, and your colleagues. We’re excited to see you later this month! 

In solidarity, 

Daniel A. Ramos 
Director, OEA Government Relations 
Ohio Education Association 

2025-2026 OEA-R Delegate Election Results

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Congratulations to the following persons who will serve on the OEA-Retired Advisory Council and as NEOEA Delegates or Alternates to the OEA Representative Assembly this school year.

OEA-Retired Advisory Council

Chair, Mary Binegar
Vice Chair, Phil Long
Secretary, Judy Buschle
Past President/Chair, John Hoyes
CAPITAL Representative, Carol Dixon
CENTRAL Representative, Barry Alcock
ECOEA Representative, Kathleen Purdy
EOEA Representative, Lee Gillison
NCOEA Representative, Becky Radel
NEOEA Representative, Jené Wilson
NWOEA Representative, Lisa Scott Marshall
SEOEA Representative, Jeff Slattery
SWOEA Representative, Damian Dagenbach
WOEA Representative, Joni Watson
At-Large Representative, Carol Kinsey
ESP At- Large, Nola K. Brooks
OEA Board of Directors Representative, Deloris Rome Hudson
Higher Education, Samuel Adu-Poku 

Delegates

Peg Ham
William Lavezzi
Hank Haynes
Marti Franks
Nancy Wonson
Karen Carney

Alternates

Sandra Peloquin
Diallas York
Valenta G. Ward-Gravely