OEA’s Bargaining Boot Camp is an intensive, team-based training offers the opportunity to learn about, and incorporate, essential organizing and bargaining concepts into your local association’s bargaining preparation. Bargaining teams will walk away from this weekend with dozens of tools they can immediately use to prepare for a successful contract campaign including local-specific financial and health insurance information and a core contract language assessment. This year’s training will include both full team training and separate tracks for new participants and those that have previously attended a boot camp.
Check-in for each boot camp will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and the program will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. Participants should plan to attend the entire day on Saturday as the program will not end until approximately 8:00 p.m. The boot camp will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday and will conclude by 2:00 p.m. OEA will cover the cost of all on-site meals, materials, and single occupancy lodging on Saturday night for each participant.
To ensure maximum participation each boot camp will be limited to a total of 75 participants, including each local’s OEA Labor Relations Consultant (LRC). Acceptance into a boot camp will be based on two factors:
- Willingness and availability of a local’s entire bargaining team to participate in the boot camp; and,
- Expiration of the local’s collective bargaining agreement during the 2024-2025 school year.
Boot camps will be held in four geographic areas of the state on the following dates. A local can apply to attend any of the offerings.
**ALL BOOTCAMPS ARE FULL BOOKED** Watch this webpage for 2025 Bargaining Boot Camps applications beginning Summer 2025.
| DATE | LOCATION | DEADLINE |
| October 26-27 |
Marriott Cincinnati Northeast (Southwest) |
September 20 |
| November 2-3 |
Four Points Cleveland-Eastlake (Northeast) |
September 27 |
| November 9-10 |
Hilton Polaris (Central) |
October 4 |
| November 23-24 | Hilton Garden Inn Perrysburg (Northwest) | October 18 |
Registration will be completed by the “team leader” registering their local’s entire team. To complete the registration, the team leader will need confirmation from each participant that they are willing to attend and provide the following information:
- Member’s Name
- Home Email Address
- Contact Phone number
- Any known food allergies or dietary restrictions
- Whether each participant has participated in a previous boot camp
Click Here to download an information sheet to use with team members.
An email regarding your application status will be sent to the team leader approximately three weeks prior to the scheduled Boot Camp.
Questions? Contact Eric Watson-Urban, Collective Bargaining, and Research Consultant at urbane@ohea.org or Kelli Shealy, Research Technician at shealyk@ohea.org.
This program is offered by the OEA Education Policy Research & Member Advocacy department.