Electing Your Own Boss

An Overview of what we will Cover in this Workshop

• Why it’s so important to be involved politically

• How to go about being involved politically at your workplace

• What we can help with and offer from the State Office

• How to carry out the plan/the campaign itself

• The ins and outs of a Levy Campaign• The PEOPLE program

Why be Involved in the Election Process

• To have a voice and influence what happens at your job and workplace

• To elect a good, competent, and qualified boss

• To elect someone who supports OAPSE’s issues

• To impact contract negotiations• To keep a good boss or remove a bad boss

from office• To gain or retain control of a board

How to go about being involved politically at your workplace

• Defining the context of the Election:– Running for an open seat– Running as an incumbent– Running against the incumbent– The mood of the voters– Determine available resources– Talk with your field staff– The earlier you start the better

Candidate Recruitment1. Determine if they share OAPSE values– Verbal inquiring of candidates positions on

issues important to OAPSE members– Are they labor friendly– Have them complete a written

questionnaire2. Are they Electable– Do they have name recognition– Are they well respected and thought of in

the community

Candidate Recruitment (cont.)

3. Offer a Pledge of OAPSE Local’s Support– Volunteers• Call members, pass out literature, phone

bank, place yard signs, circulate petition for candidacy

– Possible campaign donation– Involvement of OAPSE political

department/organization

What we can help with and offer from the State Office

• Help develop a strategy and campaign plan

• Polling• Phone banks• Develop campaign message and

literature• Donations• Mailings

How to carry out the plan/the campaign itself

• Election Information Research– Newspaper Articles• About candidates• Any pertinent issues in the community

– Data Collection• Voter file information• Previous election results

How to carry out the plan/the campaign itself (cont.)

• Campaign Plan– Implementation: Getting the message

out• Core committee/volunteers• Attend functions in district• Phone banks• Endorsements• Door-to-door• Yard Signs• Mailings – message and/or endorsements

The ins and outs of a Levy Campaign

• Early Involvement– Timing of levy– Ballot Language– Research

• Strategy of the plan– OAPSE coordinating with local

committee– OAPSE coordinating with professionals– OAPSE driven campaign

The ins and outs of a Levy Campaign (cont.)

• Resources– Field Staff– Donations– Phone banks–Mailings– Polling

The PEOPLE Program• Public Employees Organized to

Promote Legislative Equality• Where we get the monies to conduct

our political action activities and provide a strong political voice for public employees

• Great information on the OAPSE and AFSCME websites explaining the program

Examples of why it matterswho we elect – State Budget Bill• Issues included by

Governor Strickland and Ohio House Democrats in their budget proposals

• Eliminates school bus privatization language that had been passed into law by former Governor Taft’s last State Budget (HB 66)

• How these issues were dealt with by the Republican controlled Senate in their budget proposal

• Removed the House and Governor’s language to repeal this issue

Examples of why it matterswho we elect – State Budget Bill• Eliminates RIF language

that had been passed by former Governor Taft’s last State Budget (HB 66)

• Places a moratorium on new Charter Schools

• Prohibits for-profit management companies from running Charter Schools

• Removed the House and Governor’s language to repeal this issue

• Removed the House and Governor’s language to place a moratorium

• Removed Governor Strickland’s language to repeal this program

Examples of why it matterswho we elect – State Budget Bill• Language requiring

Charter Schools to be held to the same standards as public schools

• E-school funding per student will be reduced from $5,600 to $2,500/student

• Severely watered down Governor Strickland’s language to ensure a continued lack of accountability

• Restored the funding back to $5,600/student

Examples of why it matterswho we elect – State Budget Bill• The Governor

vetoed both of these ideas

• The Governor and the House Democrats deleted this language in HB 1

• Increased the funding amount for vouchers and those that were eligible to receive them

• SB 192 re-introduced and passed the Senate

2010 November Election-Statewide

• Governor Strickland and McGee Brown• Secretary of State Maryellen

O’Shaughnessey• State Auditor David Pepper• Attorney General Richard Cordray• State Treasurer Kevin Boyce• Ohio House of Representative• Ohio Senate • Ohio Supreme Court Brown and Trapp

2010 November Elections-Federal

• U. S. House of Representative• U. S. Senate• ARRA-Jobs package • Health Care• Second Jobs package• Government Pension Offset and

Windfall• President Obama’s election in 2012