Buckeye Reporter

On Tuesday, The Buckeye Institute filed a charge with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) against the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA). The charge alleges that OCSEA violated the Janus rights of Ryan Smith, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran and client of The Buckeye Institute.

David C. Tryon, director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute, stated, “Few would contest that workers are both legally and morally entitled to make a free, uncoerced, and informed choice as to whether to join a union.” He further claimed that coercion was used by the union when Mr. Smith was asked to sign a union membership agreement without prior information about the union and was denied the return of this agreement after orientation.

The statement of facts describes an incident during Mr. Smith’s first-day orientation where Tim Federkiel, president of AFSCME/OCSEA Chapter 2200, had new employees sign union membership agreements before providing any information about the union. Mr. Federkiel reportedly made political statements during his presentation and refused Mr. Smith's request to have his application returned when he expressed his desire not to join the union.

The Buckeye Institute’s filing follows OCSEA's lack of response to a May 15 demand letter from Buckeye urging an investigation into Mr. Federkiel’s conduct during the orientation session. On behalf of Mr. Smith, Buckeye demanded that OCSEA rescind any agreement between Mr. Smith and the union or its affiliates.

Ryan Smith is from Castalia and joined the Marines immediately after high school, serving in various capacities in Iraq in 2004 as well as other countries including Lebanon and Jordan. After retiring from military service, he sought to continue serving veterans by working at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky since April 2025.

Smith's role involves assisting wherever needed at the home, often serving meals—a task described as honorable due to its focus on aiding fellow veterans.