Dear Local 30 member,

Our General Membership meeting on July 23rd will be held as scheduled.  Out of an abundance of caution, members who plan to attend any of the meetings in person will be required to wear face coverings, (masks will be provided), and we will practice strict social distancing at all locations.  Given that some of our regions are again enforcing shutdowns, we are now offering members the option of joining the meetings remotely by Zoom if they would prefer not to attend in person.

If you should choose to attend by Zoom, please send an email to info@opeiulocal30.org for a link to register.

The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, is outraged by the murder of George Floyd and stands in solidarity with the peaceful protesters calling for an end to the racial injustice and inequality that plague this nation.

OPEIU has always been committed to finding solutions to economic and societal inequalities both on and off the worksite. The murder of George Floyd is the latest in a long line of instances of police brutality against people of color, and just one of the many insidious examples of systemic racism in this country. This is clear as our nation struggles with a much higher rate of infection among communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All elected officials and people of conscience must fully commit to rooting out instances of institutionalized racism in the United States and implementing policies that address abuse at the hands of law enforcement, as well as income inequality, education inequity, minimum wage reform and affordable housing shortages.

It's time for real and positive change. It's time for our nation to end the centuries-long abuse of communities of color and instead commit ourselves to building a fair and equitable nation for all our citizens.

Because of the current economic and health uncertainty facing many of our members, your union is making it possible for all students who enroll through the OPEIU Low-Cost Degree Program at Central State University this summer to complete their degree with no out-of-pocket costs.

OPEIU members who enroll in the term beginning May 18 can do so under the same terms as the OPEIU Free College Program. All new and continuing students who are enrolled this summer will be eligible for a Free College last-dollar scholarship, which allows students to complete their degree (through graduation) with no out-of-pocket costs for tuition, fees or e-books. This represents a savings of more than $9,000.

Students can finish their teacher education or business administration bachelor’s degree affordably and safely. You must have earned an associate degree or have at least 60 credits in either field to be eligible. And remember, if you haven't earned your associate degree you can do so as always for NO COST through the OPEIU Free College Program.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to jeopardize the well-being of our sisters and brothers bravely working on the frontlines, we owe it to those who came before us and to those who will come after us to demand that every working person in the United States has the right to come home after work.

Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act a half-century ago, but its goal – to ensure a safe workplace for every U.S. worker – is still far from reality. Union members and our allies continue to fight each day to realize that promise, but as working people throughout the nation know, the struggle is far from over.

This April 28, OPEIU invites you to join us in observing Workers Memorial Day to remember and honor our friends, family, neighbors and colleagues killed or injured on the job. This remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice also serves as a renewal of OPEIU’s commitment to ensuring workplace safety for every person in the U.S.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 OPEIU Student Debt Reduction Program. Full details, rules and applications can be found here as well as on the OPEIU app*.

OPEIU will provide five awards of $2,500 to OPEIU members who have at least $10,000 in student debt and are able to prove their account is current. A member can receive an award only once in a lifetime, and must have completed an associate or undergraduate degree.