OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4

What OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4 does

OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4, formally the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, is a non-profit labor union founded in 1942 and headquartered at 6805 Oak Creek Drive, Columbus, Ohio. It represents more than 34,000 public school support employees across Ohio — including more than 8,200 school bus drivers, classroom aides, secretaries, custodians, food service workers, librarians, maintenance staff, and, more recently, safety and security officers — organized through 30+ numbered local unions grouped into district executive boards. The union is affiliated as Local 4 of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, 1.4 million members) and through AFSCME with the AFL-CIO, giving it access to national bargaining, legal, and political infrastructure.

The union's core product is membership itself: recurring dues (modeled as a subscription) fund collective bargaining, grievance representation, contract enforcement, and a portfolio of member benefits including the MyOAPSE online portal, the AFSCME PEOPLE political-action program (voluntary contributions at $100-$1,000/year tiers), the OAPSE Higher Education Program (partnerships with Eastern Gateway Community College, Central State University, and Cuyahoga Community College/Tri-C), $2,500 memorial scholarships, AFSCME Advantage discounts, Family Fun Days entertainment discounts, and leadership training. A wholly-owned 501(c)(3) subsidiary, OMAD (OAPSE Making a Difference, Inc., established 2014), runs a charitable program that has raised over $135,000 to feed hungry Ohio public school students. Technology is limited to a standard web presence (oapse.org, my.oapse.org, members.oapse.org) plus Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, email/text alerts, YouTube, and the long-running OAPSE News print publication; there is no proprietary software, API, or AI capability.

The business model is fundamentally a recurring-dues subscription funded by Ohio public school employees' payroll deductions, augmented by voluntary political contributions and modest ancillary income from member-benefit programs. Go-to-market is community-led: field staff, local officers, and member activists conduct annual membership drives and organizing applications across Ohio school districts. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The union's operating footprint is single-state (Ohio), its staff headcount is small (1-10 reported), and its strategic differentiation rests on contract-protected wage premiums (members earn $3,964 more annually than non-union peers, per the union's data), seniority and pension protections, grievance machinery, and advocacy wins such as the 2025 repeal of the GPO/WEP Social Security penalties.

Name

OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4

Legal name

Ohio Association of Public School Employees

Website

https://oapse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4 is a Columbus-based non-profit labor union representing more than 34,000 Ohio public school support employees — bus drivers, aides, secretaries, custodians, food service workers, and others — through collective bargaining, contract enforcement, and a portfolio of member benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: OAPSE generates revenue through membership dues paid by public school employees across Ohio. The dues structure supports union operations, member services, advocacy, and political activities.
2. PEOPLE Program Contributions: The AFSCME PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality) program accepts voluntary monetary donations from members. These contributions fund political campaigns and legislative advocacy. Since by law union dues cannot be used to fund political campaigns, voluntary member contributions support electoral activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4 provides union membership and collective bargaining representation for Ohio public school employees, including bus drivers, aides, secretaries, custodians, food service workers, librarians, and other support staff. The union negotiates contracts, handles grievances, advocates for members' wages and benefits, and offers member-exclusive programs such as scholarships, free college benefits, discounts, and political action through the PEOPLE program.

Product overview

OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4 is a labor union offering a unified membership service for Ohio's public school employees. The core offering is union membership providing collective bargaining and job representation. This is supported by the MyOAPSE digital portal for member access, the AFSCME PEOPLE political fundraising program, the OMAD charitable foundation for student hunger relief, and the Higher Education Program for free college benefits. Additional member value services include Memorial Scholarships, AFSCME Advantage discounts, Family Fun Days entertainment discounts, and Leadership Training programs. The portfolio operates as a membership-based union service model rather than a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OMAD (OAPSE Making a Difference): Charitable foundation focused on reducing hunger among public school students across Ohio through food donations and community service programs
• PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality)

Products and services

• OAPSE/AFSCME Membership Union membership for public school employees in Ohio, providing collective bargaining representation, job protection, contract negotiation, grievance handling, advocacy, and access to member benefit programs. Available to bus drivers, aides, secretaries, custodians, food service workers, librarians, instructional assistants, paraprofessionals, safety officers, and other school support staff across Ohio.
• MyOAPSE Member Portal Self-serve online member portal providing OAPSE members access to exclusive benefits, resources, news updates, applications, scholarships, and union services.
• AFSCME PEOPLE Program Voluntary political contribution program (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality) enabling members to fund pro-worker candidates and legislative advocacy through tiered annual donations: MVP ($100/year), MVP Bronze Champion ($250/year), MVP Silver Champion ($500/year), and MVP Gold Champion ($1,000/year), each with associated merchandise rewards.
• OMAD (OAPSE Making a Difference) 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that feeds hungry public school students across Ohio through food distribution programs. Funded by tax-deductible donations from union leaders, members, staff, OAPSE, and vendors; has raised more than $135,000 since spring 2014.
• OAPSE Higher Education Program Free and reduced-cost college program for OAPSE members and their families through partnerships with Eastern Gateway Community College (over 1,000 members enrolled, nearly $2 million in scholarships provided), Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), and Central State University.
• OAPSE/AFSCME Memorial Scholarship $2,500 scholarships awarded annually to children of OAPSE members for higher education at colleges and trade schools.
• AFSCME Advantage Member discount program providing deals on mortgages, flowers, and other products and services available exclusively to OAPSE/AFSCME members.
• AFSCME Family Fun Days Members-only discounts on entertainment venues including Cedar Point, Kings Island, zoos, and amusement parks across Ohio.
• OAPSE Leadership Training Training programs for OAPSE members covering Local Officer training, collective bargaining, grievance handling, and union stewardship, delivered through biennial conferences and ongoing workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• OAPSE members earn $3,964 more annually than non-union counterparts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2023OAPSE announced a partnership with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) offering exclusive discounts to OAPSE members and their families on top of federal and state grants and various scholarships. This provides free and reduced-cost higher education opportunities for members.
• OMAD (OAPSE Making a Difference, Inc.)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014OMAD is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by the OAPSE/AFSCME State Executive Board to help feed hungry public school students across Ohio. Since spring 2014, OMAD has raised over $135,000 and fed thousands of students. The foundation is funded by tax-deductible donations from union leaders, members, staff, OAPSE and vendors.
• AFSCME InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPSE is AFSCME Local 4, affiliated with the 1.4 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. AFSCME International provides resources, legal support, political action infrastructure (PEOPLE program), training, and represents OAPSE at the national level.
• AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPSE/AFSCME Local 4 is affiliated with the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations), connecting Ohio's public school employees to the broader American labor movement.
• Eastern Gateway Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPSE Higher Education Program partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College providing free college courses online. Over 1,000 OAPSE members have taken advantage of this benefit. The program has provided nearly $2 million in scholarships.
• Central State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAPSE members and families are eligible for educational benefits at Central State University as part of the union's free college program.
• AFSCME Ohio Council 8coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSCME Ohio Council 8 is another AFSCME affiliate in Ohio representing state and local government workers. OAPSE works collaboratively with Council 8 on legislative issues, public service rallies, and shared advocacy goals.
• OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCSEA/AFSCME Local 11 is an Ohio AFSCME affiliate. OAPSE has joined with OCSEA and other affiliates for joint events including rallies to address staffing vacancies across Ohio.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): 2 million-member union representing public sector, healthcare, and property services workers. Comparable as a large public-sector union with similar collective bargaining structures and political action programs.
• AFL-CIO: National labor federation of which OAPSE is an affiliate. Provides the broader political and organizing framework within which OAPSE operates, with shared advocacy goals for American workers.
• AFSCME International: Parent organization with 1.4 million members nationwide. Provides OAPSE with legal, political (PEOPLE), and training resources; serves as the umbrella structure under which OAPSE operates as Local 4.
• National Education Association (NEA): Largest U.S. labor union with 3 million members, primarily representing educators. Operates in the same K-12 public education space as OAPSE though focused on certified teachers rather than support staff.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): National union representing 1.7 million educators, public employees, and healthcare workers. Comparable as a major AFL-CIO affiliate with overlapping public-sector membership categories.

Direct peers

• AFSCME Ohio Council 8: AFSCME affiliate representing Ohio state and local government workers. Directly comparable to OAPSE as a sibling AFSCME local in the same state with overlapping collective bargaining functions and shared parent infrastructure.
• Ohio Education Association (OEA): Ohio's statewide teachers' union and NEA affiliate. Operates in the same Ohio K-12 labor ecosystem as OAPSE and is a natural counterpart representing certified educators in the same school districts.
• OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11: Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, another AFSCME affiliate representing Ohio public employees. Closest direct peer given shared AFSCME affiliation, Ohio geography, and public-sector bargaining model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/oapse4
• Facebookfacebook.com/oapseafscmelocal4
• Instagraminstagram.com/oapse4
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oapse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4