The Ohio Education Association - An Awful Employer

Lately I’ve been posting quotes from Ohio Education Association (OEA) staff, members, and bosses, because We Are Ohio trades in dishonesty that is stripped bare simply by quoting the group’s largest in-state donor.

An OEA employee protest sign: OEA Exec. Director Larry Wicks was paid $210,858 in 2010

Fact: OEA has been led by snake-oil salesmen since at least 2004, when the union decided to pull health benefits out from under its retirees.

In the Spring of 2004 OEA served notice that it was terminating all Medicare Supplemental health care coverage for its retired staff employees. Those benefits have been contractually guaranteed for over 25 years.

Because OEA leadership refused to even talk with retirees to try to bring the issue to a reasonable resolution, retirees were forced to file a class action lawsuit in Federal Court in order to seek a just and fair resolution.

Unfair allegations, no doubt! Revoking retirees’ benefits would be impossibly hypocritical, since convincing government employees that taxpayers are out to steal their benefits is OEA’s entire business. Solidarity-loving workers’ advocates wouldn’t have to be sued to make a deal with their own retirees.

On May 10, 2010 the Sixth District approved a settlement between the parties. Retirees have finally achieved the just and fair resolution they sought for over six years.

What resolution was that? A panel of federal judges found that OEA had wrongfully denied benefits in violation of a series of collective bargaining agreements. The class-action lawsuit against Ohio’s largest government union resulted in OEA creating a new benefits account for retirees and paying $3,750,000 in damages. Granted, this lawsuit is only relevant if OEA is a government union and not an elaborate satire…

Have you heard a single anti-reform argument that wasn’t based on an emotional appeal from We Are Ohio’s supposed moral high ground? Are you glad, Ohio teachers, that you pay hundreds of dollars in dues each year to keep OEA bosses’ wallets fat?

On November 8, vote to reform the power of dishonest union bosses who implement the exact policies they claim to stand against: Vote Yes on Issue 2!

Follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart
Cross-posted at that hero.