Tom Curtis to active teachers: The OEA is the problem, stop paying them dues!!!

From Tom Curtis

October 30, 2021

ATTENTION ACTIVES: 

This post is in answer not only to active Donald Digman, but to all active teachers. First, in order to stop the corruption at STRS, the membership all has to come together under our watchdogs group. There is no other way and we must remain in solidarity, outside of the equally corrupt OEA. Stop paying them dues!

STRS has caused all of us irreparable financial damage we will likely never get returned. Please understand that retirees have been the only ones that have had the time and ability to bring about any change at STRS. We have been at it since 2003. We have made some ground, but only a few, because we have always been thwarted by the STRS and OEA.

We have not had actives helping because they have no time or inclination to do so. That is in part due to the fact that the OEA and STRS have been lying to their membership for 30 years about the true status of STRS. STRS has always spent our money to find companies that will produce very glowing reports about how great STRS is doing for their membership. The majority of that is propaganda.

STRS went South when Herb Dyer was the executive director during the 90's and up until he was removed from his position in 2003-04 no one listened to us retirees. The corruption atmosphere he created has NEVER stopped. This is also because our equally corrupt Ohio government and the ORSC over the many years choose to sweep it all under the rug. We had no oversight to go to and believe me we tried every venue of government and law enforcement we could find.

Actives have only been left to rely on the OEA and what they tell teachers. That is why you pay them dues. Well, look at how that turned out? The OEA has controlled the Board for 30 years. The OEA has been in collusion with the STRS management for 30 years. The OEA is totally responsible for the pension reform. The OEA never admitted to the blatant misspending at STRS, while they have had at least 5 members on the Board riding high on travel and entertainment for 30 years. Their Board members even charged bar bills on the STRS credit card back in the early 2000's and may still do so.

The OEA has never helped us retirees that have been trying to bring about change. Instead they have labeled us different names and discredited us. They don't want the gravy train to end. The OEA spent big money to get one of their people (Rita Walters) elected to a retiree seat on the Board and last year 20,000 to try to get her re-elected. For many retirees the COLA maybe their only concern and that is why that suit was put in place as it is. I sincerely hope retirees will continue supporting the plethora of changes that need to continue to be made at STRS. A clean sweep of the swamp needs to take place, ASAP.

If you actives don't chose to support us, then you are creating a division of the membership and where else do you have to turn? I tried tirelessly in 2003-06 to get actives involved in the future of their retirement system, obviously long before the pension revisions. Actives would not give me the time of day and continued on with their naivety that the OEA and STRS would never let anything go South with our pension system.

I will say I did exactly the same thing when I was an active. I trusted the OEA and STRS implicitly. It wasn't until one year after I retired that I began hearing rumblings that STRS was out of control and started to see my benefits provided at retirement being paired back. HC was the big issue then and still is. I immediately contacted OEA. The OEA would not even respond to me. I was no longer a dues paying teacher so what did they care. Besides their hands were dirty.

OK, this is already way to long, but I will tell you my first concern is that our STRS defined benefit plan remains intact for all future retirees, period! If I get a COLA next year, that means little to me. The future of our defined benefit plan and the removal of many of the 2013 pension reforms, most importantly a return to 30-year full pension is my main concern. That is a must! STRS simply wants to make you mentally or physically sick so you may die before you even get to draw a pension.

ACTIVES, please support us watchdogs, we are your only salvation. The OEA is the problem, stop paying them dues!!!

Tom Curtis