Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) President Melissa Cropper joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed an organizing campaign of teachers at KIPP Columbus and the anti-union tactics used by the administration.
Over 78 percent of the employees signed union cards to join OFT and asked management to recognize their Union. Despite receiving over $15 million in public funds annually, the administration instead implemented captive audience meetings and sued to block the election under the National Labor Relations Board, a move Cropper described as a delay tactic she believed had no hopes of winning. The teachers remained resolute and Cropper said she thinks they will ultimately prevail in their union election.
Cropper also talked about several bills that failed in the Ohio Legislative lame-duck session, including Ohio House Bill 151 which would have restructured the Ohio Department of Education to give the governor more power. She also spoke about the Cleveland Reads Event, a collaborative effort by the Cleveland Teachers Union to collectively read 1 million books in 2023.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.