Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Votes Bus Tour. She also talked about a contract fight between the Lordstown Teachers Association and their school district, plus the potential impact of Ohio’s capital budget funds going to private schools.
Cropper said the AFT Votes Bus Tour started in Cleveland on Oct. 12 and made its way to Toledo before heading down to Columbus on Oct. 14. She discussed the different stops, including a rally in Columbus to support Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) that featured seven national labor leaders, including AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and IUPAT General President Jimmy Williams Jr. Cropper then listed future AFT Votes Bus Tour stops.
Discussion then turned to Ohio’s capital budget, which included funding for private schools. The Ohio legislature has set a dangerous new precedent in their ongoing push to raid public funds to support private schools, she said. Cropper is concerned. If this practice continues or expands, it will place an even greater strain on Ohio’s public education funding. She noted that Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a national non-profit organization, announced it is investigating this use of public funds as a potential violation of the U.S. and Ohio constitutions.
The Lordstown Teachers Association (LTA) recently agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and it was a big win. Cropper said the school board presented the LTA with an offer in March, which the union voted down. The school board then refused to resume contract talks. Once LTA members voted to strike, the school board came back to the bargaining table and reached a deal with the union.
To hear more about these topics, listen to the episode above.