Working people who keep our schools running every day deserve fair pay, strong health care and a real say in their future. That belief is what brought AFSCME members in Springfield Township, Ohio, together for a contract fight they recently won.
Last week, school employees of the Springfield Local School District — members of Local 478 of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4) — ended a weeklong walkout after reaching a tentative agreement with the district. The vote to ratify was 64 to 1. That kind of margin does not happen by accident. It happens when people are united and know they have each other’s backs.
The agreement includes a 3% wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2025. Just as important, workers fought back proposed concessions on health care and secured a contract with minimal changes to their health insurance. That matters. Health care is not a perk. It is how working families take care of their kids, their parents and themselves.
Too often, when budgets get tight, the first instinct of management is to ask working people to give up something. Less coverage. Delayed raises. More uncertainty. Springfield Township school employees said no. They drew a line and stood together until the district listened.
This win is a reminder of what makes AFSCME strong. Real power comes from working people coming together, speaking up for one another and refusing to be divided. When we stick together, we can protect what matters and win real improvements for our families and our communities.