A 'new' question on the horizon: Why would OEA want to 'control' the STRS Board?

From John Curry, March 8, 2008
Subject: So, why would the OEA want to "control" the STRS Board?

In recent days I have been asked this question by both actives and retirees. The best way to relate an answer to this question is to ask the question in a way that will be better understood by both active and retired educators. So, if you please, I will do so. The question at hand is:

"Why would the OEA not want to see a non-OEA-affiliated educator elected to the Ohio STRS Board?"

I think that by restating the original question that I can better explain why:

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that legal expenses for STRS staff members had been paid for staff members who hired their own lawyers without prior knowledge and consent of the STRS Board. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that huge bonuses were paid for over 300 non-investment staff members/employees who did no more than their regular day-to-day jobs. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that bonus checks for investment staff members were based, at least in part, on subjective factors instead of solely on benchmark factors. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that STRS employees who adopted children were getting (from STRS) a $5,000 stipend for doing such. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that STRS staff members and their family members were using STRS owned vehicles at their own discretion and it was permitted by official STRS Board policy. This practice was stopped after it w-s called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that as many as seven former Board members took expensive trips to faraway places such as Hawaii, Palm Springs, Anchorage, Kiawah Island, China, and Africa and stayed at fancy hotels with a minimum of "business" being conducted. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that free meals at fancy restaurants, free alcoholic beverages, and even beach bar bills for STRS Board members were being paid for with STRS monies. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that free credit cards, free newspaper subscriptions, personal long distance phone calls, and personal fax machines were enjoyed by STRS Board members. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that unitemized lunch and dinner bills were furnished to and paid for by STRS Board members. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that expensive first-class plane tickets were furnished to STRS Board members with no Board requirement that more economical reservations be made at least 30 days in advance of the flight. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that Broadway shows, professional baseball games, concerts, trips to Kings Island, trips to the Columbus Zoo Light Show were furnished to the STRS Board members at the expense of STRS or as gifts from companies (contractors) doing business with STRS. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that the STRS Executive Director was advising the Board to approve "big money" contracts without the STRS Board members having a copy of the contract or a summary of the contract placed in front of them. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that lawyers were inserting language into contracts after the Board approved them. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that some Board members were enjoying free second night stays (for no legitimate reasons) in hotels following meetings. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that some STRS Board members were also furnishing hotel accommodations/meals for their spouse/partner with STRS paying the tab. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member furnished information to Ohio legislators re. Senate Bill 133 (The Ohio Pension Reform Bill - which now is State Law) which mandated the addition of investment experts to all five Ohio public pension systems. These experts are non-OEA affiliated. This bill was signed into law in the presence of and by invitation of the Ohio Governor to the non-OEA-affiliated Board member who furnished this valuable information to these very same Ohio legislators.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member's 13 page presentation caused the "ousting" of former STRS Executive Director, Herb Dyer, after this non-OEA affiliated Board member related the misspending, mismanagement, and entitlement philosophy of former STRS Board and administration. These practices were stopped after they were called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated individual who went on to be a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that STRS was subsidizing thousands of dollars of child care services to STRS associates. This practice was modified to an "at cost" operation after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that the STRS had paid $5,000 at Christmas to beautify the front lobby at Christmas with poinsettias. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that free college courses were being furnished (by STRS) to desiring STRS associates regardless of whether they received a "C" or a "D" in the college courses. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that reimbursements for unused sick leave/vacation were being given for associates who didn't qualify for them. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.
A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that the STRS had no policy prohibiting the awarding of sick leave accumulation to rehired retirees who were already paid for their accumulated sick leave at their previous public employer. This practice was stopped after it was called to the attention of the entire STRS Board by the a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the STRS Board that the STRS Executive Director was issuing severance cash and severance healthcare insurance to laid off STRS associates without STRS Board approval. This practice has been modified and requires Board approval after it was called to the attention of the STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member disclosed to the Board that they could not use executive session illegally to discuss proposed policies. This practice has been stopped after it was called to the attention of the STRS Board by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member (after listening to STRS retirees' concerns re. Pharmacy Benefits Manager practices) had several fiduciary obligation items included into a PBM contract with a new PBM vendor for STRS. This well-studied and beneficial inclusion was initiated by a non-OEA-affiliated Board member and was presented to the Board.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member advised(to the STRS Board) that secret balloting by STRS Board members in an open STRS Board meeting was not a legal activity. A CORE (Concerned Ohio Retired Educators' member and non-OEA-affiliated retiree) member issued a complaint to the Attorney General, Marc Dann, in reference to this illegal practice. Attorney General Dann advised STRS that this practice was not acceptable. This practice has now been stopped.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of legislators the excessive spending habits of former STRS Board members (and OEA members -- OEA Executive Council also) Jack Chapman, Hazel Sidaway, Eugene Norris, and Debbie Scott. Because of Senate Bill 133 (now since passed and in the Ohio Revised Code) Chapman, Sidaway, Norris, and Scott are prevented from ever running for a seat on the Ohio STRS Board.

A non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member brought to the attention of the legislators of the past practice of at least one STRS Board former member (and OEA-affiliated and former OEA Executive Council Member) had listed on his literature that he was an educator at Perry Local Schools when in fact he never taught at Perry Local Schools. Thanks to this relation to legislators by a non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member this practice will no longer allow an individual using this practice to run for the STRS Board. In short, this practice has now been stopped.

.... in summation, I think we now have a good answer as to why the OEA would want to control the Ohio STRS Board. OEA-affiliated Board members just wouldn't ask these kind of questions or bring these kinds of issues before the entire STRS Board, would they?

Soon, this spring, there will be another STRS Board election for an "active educator" seat on the STRS Board. I would encourage all active educators who read this to consider voting for Dr. Dan Vincent to fill the active seat on the Ohio STRS Board. Dr. Vincent is not OEA-endorsed but I can fairly say (because of this) to you he will approach this seat with an open and inquisitive mind and won't be afraid to ask "hardball" questions of the STRS administration without wondering if his question(s) will have been approved or endorsed by the OEA!

John Curry
A PROUD CORE member

P.S. In case you haven't guessed, the "non-OEA-affiliated STRS Board member" mentioned in all of the above paragraphs is our current STRS Board member, Dr. Dennis Leone. Thank you, Dennis.