SPECIAL LABOR DAY PULL OUT SECTION
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SPONSORED BY
THE UNITED LABOR COMMITTEE The United Labor Committee is proud to present the 2025 Labor Day Parade to honor and celebrate the working families throughout Northwest Ohio. The purpose of Labor Day is to recognize the time and efforts of organized workers in the construction, education, government, private, and various other sectors within the Northwest Ohio area. The 2025 Labor Day Parade is a time for the community to come together and show appreciation to the hard-working men and women throughout this area.
This year, local unions will march through Downtown Toledo to celebrate the hardworking individuals who are the backbone of our country.
PARA MAPDE INSID E
David Green
Director, United Auto Workers Region 2B John Clemons
President, Toledo Port Council Kevin Dalton President Toledo Federation of Teachers Local 250 David Fleetwood
President, Greater NWO AFL-CIO Dawn Bailey
Regional Director, AFSCME Ohio Council 8 Mark Schmiehausen
President, Teamsters Local 20 Shaun Enright
Executive Secretary, Northwestern Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council
UAW Local 12 Retired Local 12 President Bruce Baumhower
2025 Labor Day Parade Grand Marshall
After decades serving UAW Local 12, President Bruce Baumhower announced his retirement. Bruce served for 32 years. The longevity and success of his leadership is a direct appreciation from the membership and the community. Baumhower has proven his leadership, strength, organizing skills, political stamina, public relations, financial management, community actions, and constitution and by-laws expertise with a wealth of industry knowledge.
Baumhower started work at the Jeep plant in 1972. Bruce was elected in 1993 as president, replacing Danny Wilson who passed away and has served faithfully. Over the years he became a force in the labor community, fighting for fairness and equality for union members
all over Northwest Ohio. President Baumhower was pivotal in spearheading and overseeing multiple plants, with the latest being at the former Overland Park, which is now Industrial Park and the Toledo Jeep Complex. First and foremost, Bruce has always included the members to keep them involved with the ten standing committees and, most importantly, education of this great union.
“I owe so much to my wife, Kim, and my family who have stood by me and my decisions and have been my rocks all these years. I want to do this while I still have my health and feel good, just want to thank the Local 12 members and it has been an honor to serve you.”, said President Baumhower.
Thank You Bruce! 2025 Labor Day Parade
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The parade will start on Summit Street at the intersection of Monroe and proceed North on Summit to Jackson Street, left turn onto Jackson and head west to Huron, where the parade will end at Huron/Monroe and participants can disperse along the way.
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CONGRATULATIONS BRIAN SIMS Su mm it S
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9am PARADE START 9 amHERE Parade START
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9am MONDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2025
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GRANDSTAND
The membership of Local 12 has elected Brian Sims to serve as the next president of the amalgamated local union. The members also elected Jim Rowe to serve as Vice President and Amy Marcero to serve as the local’s financial secretary treasurer.
Sims was first elected to the board in 2019 as vice president, and has served in that role until his election earlier this month. Sims was unit chairman at the Toledo Jeep Assembly Plant. Prior to being elected unit chairman, Sims was elected to several leadership roles throughout the Jeep facility. Recognized by his co-workers as a strong, honest, and competent leader, Sims rose through the ranks to the top leadership post at Local 12.
RICHARD T. GOSSER SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO TWELVE STUDENTS
Congratulations!
Twelve outstanding high school seniors from Region 2B UAW families have been awarded a $10,000.00 college scholarship by the Richard T. Gosser Scholarship Awards Program.
The Gosser Scholarship Awards Program, named in honor of the late UAW Vice President and Regional Director, Richard T. Gosser, was established in 1962. Seven (7) of the Scholarships will be awarded in the name of Richard T. Gosser and one (1) Scholarship each will be awarded in the name of Ruthann GosserHarrison, Joseph Tomasi, Jack Sizemore, Lloyd Mahaffey and Ken Lortz. Including the 2024-2025 winners, 428 students have received Gosser scholarships. An additional 205 students have been awarded runner-up scholarships. In all, $3,491,000.00 in scholarships have been awarded since the program began in 1962.
The selections were made by a seven-member Board of Judges composed of: Joe Balderas, Director, Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center
Vallie Bowman-English, Toledo Clerk of Court, Toledo, Ohio Timothy Kuhlman, Judge, Toledo Municipal Court
Thomas Luettke, Re-Entry Coordinator, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Toledo, OH
Jack Puffenberger, Judge, Lucas County Clerk of Courts of Common Pleas, Toledo, Ohio
Sandy Simon, University of Toledo-Retired, Toledo Public Schools Career Coach, Toledo, Ohio John Tharp, Retired Lucas County Sheriff, Toledo, Ohio
The 2024-2025 Scholarship Winners are: Austin Stephen Maag, a senior at Pandora-Gilboa High School, Pandora, OH, who ranked 1 out of a class 44 students. Craig Maag, father, is a member of UAW Local 2147 and works at General Dynamics, Lima, OH. Marley Michele Mollenhauer, a senior at Genoa Area High School, Genoa, OH, who ranked 3 out of a class 109 students. Nate Mollenhauer, father, is a member of UAW Local 5242 and works at Toledo Public Schools, Toledo, OH. Kendall Grace Oeder, a senior at Little Miami High School, Morrow, OH, who ranked 27 out of a class 398 students. Rick Oeder, father, is a member of UAW Local 863 and works at Ford Motor, Cincinnati, OH.
Kathleen Grace Timbrook, a senior at Notre Dame Academy High School, Toledo, OH, who does not rank students. Renee Timbrook, mother, is a member of UAW Local 5242 and works at Toledo Public Schools, Toledo, OH. Frank Dewees Hanzes, a senior at Newton Falls High School, Newton Falls, OH, who ranked 1 out of a class 77 students. Margaret Hanzes, mother, is a member of UAW Local 1112 and works at Ultium Cells, Lordstown, OH. Lily Ann Perris, a senior at Open Door Christian High School, Elyria, OH, who ranked 3 out of a class 47 students. Tiffany Perris, mother, is a member of Local 2192 and works at Lorain County Children Services, Elyria, OH. Aiden Anthony Workman , a senior at Marion L. Steele High School, Amherst, OH, who ranked 1 out of a class 278 students. Anthony Workman, father, is a member of UAW Local 2000 and works at Ford Motor, Sheffield, OH.
Madelynn Jean Zervas, a senior at Whitmer High School, Toledo, OH, who ranked 9 out of a class 493 students. Melissa Zervas, mother, is a member of UAW Local 5242 and works at Toledo Public Schools, Toledo, OH. Jack Anthony Bergman, a senior at Xenia High School, Xenia, OH, who does not rank students. Kathleen Bergman, mother, is a member of UAW Local 674 and works at General Motors, West Chester, OH. Emma Elizabeth Escalier, a senior at Berea-Midpark High School, Berea, OH, who ranked 39 out of a class 430 students. Elliot Escalier, father, is a member of UAW Local 2192 and works at AVI Foodsystems, Elyria, OH. Mason Alexander Nawrocki, a senior at Boardman High School, Youngstown, OH, who ranked 72 out of a class 313 students. Thomas Nawrocki, father, is a member of UAW Local 1112 and works at Ultium Cells, Lordstown, OH.
Audrey Catherine Anne Gildea, a senior at Mount Notre Dame High School, Cincinnati, OH, who does not rank students. Darrell Gildea, father, is a member of UAW Local 863 and works at Ford Motor, Cincinnati, OH.
www.toledocitypaper.com | September 2025
NECA
Are You Interested in a Career within the Unionized Electrical Industry?
HAPPY LABOR DAY! This Labor Day, we honor the hardworking men and women of the union construction industry-the people who build our schools, stadiums, bridges, and communities. From skilled tradespeople to project leaders, the Associated General Contractors of Northwest Ohio salutes your dedication, grit and craftsmanship.
IBUILDTHE419.COM
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The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have great career opportunities in the Electrical Construction Industry. If you are currently a journeyman and desire better pay and benefits, along with the best retirement plan available, please contact IBEW Local 8 at (419) 666-8920. Ask for an organizer or use extension 5. If you are working in the Electrical Industry and not enjoying these benefits for you and your family, you need to contact us immediately. If you have an interest but are not currently working in the Electrical Construction Industry, we offer a variety of educational opportunities in Inside Commercial, Residential, and Voice-Data-Video. NECA and IBEW Local 8, in partnership, have a state-of-the-art journeyman training facility. Each of the apprenticeship programs provide a clear-cut path for career development and occupational training, limited only by one’s interest and aptitude. Quality training programs such as these provide workers with the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to maintain performance superiority leading to a high standard of living. Contact the Toledo Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee at (419) 666-8088.
The recruitment, selection, employment, and training of apprentices shall be without discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or age. The sponsor will take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship and will operate the apprenticeship program as required under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 30, and the equal employment opportunity regulations of the state of Ohio.
MAKE THE SWITCH 866-ASK NECA
www.toledocitypaper.com | September 2025
Susan Pratt Re-Elected President of UAW Local 2213 Nurses at Mercy Health St. Vincent Pratt leads Toledo nurses in winning higher pay and safer working conditions
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In April of 2023, Susan Pratt, the President of the Professional Registered Nurses – UAW Local Union 2213, was asked by the then newly elected UAW International President Fain to join his transition team as the Director of the International Union’s Education and Mobilization Department. After completing her tenure on the transition team, in October of 2024, Ms. Pratt returned to Mercy Health St. Vincent Hospital, where she has worked as a registered nurse for since 1996.
In May of this year, Mrs. Pratt was reelected as President and Chairperson of the President of the Professional Registered Nurses – UAW Local Union 2213, a position that she previously held from 2006 through 2023. The Local Union represent’s approximately 1200 active and 300 retired nursing professionals from Mercy St Vincent Medical Center. As local union president in 2019 she led the first ever nursing strike in northwest Ohio, which lasted 38 days. Mrs. Pratt is a nationally recognized advocate for healthcare workers, and not just for better wages and benefits. She has continuously pushed for better working conditions through improving staffing to patent ratios by negotiating pioneering contract language as well as advocating for legislation at the state and national level. She has bargained for reasonable limits on the amount of time nurses must spend “on call” as well as workplace violence prevention measures. She notes that these types of improvement not only help workers but patients and theirfamilies.
Auditor Katie Moline is Proud to Support Her Union Staff Union workers are the force that makes the Lucas County Auditor’s Office run smoothly. Auditor Katie Moline knows this and supports her staff’s right to organize in the work force. If you have questions for the Auditor’s Office, union staff are working hard to assist taxpayers every day. Give the office a call at 419-213-4406 or email outreach@co.lucas.oh.us.
UAW Strong
September 2025 |
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Teamster Proud
Shortly after being elected, in May, Pratt and UAW Local 2213’s Bargaining Team (Sharon Maxcy, RN Erin Lyons, RN, Katie Zapata, RN) entered contract negotiations with Mercy Health St. Vincent Hospital for a successor agreement to the one that was set to expire at the end of July. The hospital and the union came to an agreement that was overwhelmingly ratified by the union membership. The new three-year agreement provided most nurses represented by the Local an 18% to 20% pay increase over the life of the agreement. It also reduced steps for such nurses to reach the top of the pay scale. It maintained health insurance with minimal increases in rates. The parties renewed their ongoing commitments to provide a safe environment for both patients and staff. This joint effort has increased police presence on campus, collaborated on the institution of safety touch badges for front line employees, and the implementation of other important safety measures.
Sheet Metal Workers Local 33 Local 33 Strengthens Workers and Community
The Sheet Metal Workers Local 33 Toledo District has been serving the Greater Toledo Area for just over 137 years. We are extremely proud of our heritage in this great city and have enabled tens of thousands of our members to bargain for an honest wage and benefits that has allowed them to sustain and raise their families within the middle class and retire with dignity. Local 33 has a state-of-the-art apprenticeship program and training facility. Apprentices earn money while attending school, and unlike college, which saddles many students with an enormous amount of debt, the member owes nothing after completing their 4-year apprenticeship and commonly earns twice the amount a recent college graduate makes. If becoming an apprentice with Local 33 interests you, we take applications on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 33 Hall at 27430 Crossroads Parkway, Rossford, Ohio 43460, or you can go to www. sheetmetaltraining.org/join-us/
The Local 33 Toledo District cares tremendously about our community. We continuously donate to local charities throughout the year to help those who need it the most. This year we were proud to donate $25,000 to the newly built Laurie’s Place which
doubles the capacity of Mom’s House to serve women and children, while providing parenting and education programs. We also raised over $7,000 for Local 33 Charities which gives directly to families in need in our community. Our work is not done with just donations; we also work with charities to provide apprenticeship opportunities for those that seek their help. It is not just enough to help someone in their time of need but to give them a chance at a career that will raise them up, so they never need assistance again, is our true goal. Now, more than ever, workers coming together to share a voice in the workplace is the only way to strengthen the middle class, shrink the divide of income equality, and secure benefits that will last a lifetime. The Sheet Metal Workers Local 33 strive every day to meet these goals and will continue to move forward to bettering our members’ lives.
Local 33 takes pride in our Union traditions and Labor Day is very important to our members. Toledo’s Labor Day Parade is one of the few that remain, and we feel honored to participate each year. We hope all will come out and share in this wonderful Toledo tradition!
www.toledocitypaper.com | September 2025
TOLEDO federation of TEACHERS
We Are the Union:
CELEBRATING THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF TOLEDO FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
By Therese Gordon TFT Board of Directors Member
A STORY OF SERVICE
Toledo Federation of Teachers Local #250 celebrated 90 years of service to Toledo in 2023. This historic anniversary marked the signing of its charter on February 11, 1933, establishing TFT as one of Toledo’s great unions. TFT has always been committed to supporting members in the classroom and out in our community. TFT leadership, along with the collective voice of its members, has successfully advocated for better working and learning conditions in our schools, positively impacting the decisions that most affect the students and families that the Toledo Public Schools serve.
A HISTORY LESSON
The Great Depression hit Ohio especially hard. The state’s unemployment rate reached 37.3 percent in 1932, according to Ohio History Central. Because of this, many Ohioans were forced to default on their property tax payments, which then deprived public school districts of their primary source of revenue. A retrospect from TFT archives describes various school programs in the Toledo Public Schools district being attacked, labeled both frivolous and unnecessary. TFT historians go on to tell a story both difficult yet inspiring in its outcome. When the Toledo Chamber of Commerce pressured the TPS Board of Education to cut programs to reduce the cost of operating the schools, the Board passed a series of resolutions to eliminate entire courses. Industrial Arts, Home Economics, and even Kindergartens were dropped across the district. New materials including books, desks, and other resources students and teachers needed in their classrooms were not purchased and supplied.
In addition, the Board passed a resolution that required teachers to live within the school district, dismissed all women from payroll whose husbands were also employed by the district, and mandated that siblings living in the same household could not teach. Those who taught high school were paid on a different, higher salary scale than elementary teachers, despite having similar workloads and the same academic credentials. Contracts between the Board and teachers were not upheld. Unfair, unsafe, and discriminatory practices against students and teachers went unchecked.
During the 1931-1932 school year, salaries were cut by 10 percent. A 2012 article in the International Journal of Community Currency Research notes that the Toledo Public Schools district was allowed by the Marshall Act of 1933 to pay teachers in “Marshall Scrip,” named for an Ohio senator who proposed that teachers be paid in this “currency” instead of American dollars. Marshall Scrip was accepted by governmental agencies for mortgages, taxes, and water bills, but was discounted and sometimes refused by many stores and other businesses. For up to three years during the Depression, 66 to 75 percent of a teacher’s salary was paid in scrip.
credit union, which still operates today under the name of Educational Community Alliance Credit Union.
Members reported in the TFT archives retrospect that, in the decades that followed, TFT continued to work for progress: The union established the first teacher intern program in the United States. It won recognition and a contract for paraprofessionals. It fought for Jewish teachers to be able to observe their religious holidays with pay, and negotiated a school holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. TFT negotiated maternity leave benefits before federal court decisions paved the way. It negotiated the first fully-paid hospitalization
sought to advocate for spaces conducive for greater learning.
The union formed a natural and beneficial link between Toledo Public Schools and labor groups in Toledo. It was always called upon to meet with labor leaders when tax levies were on the ballot.
By 1968, TFT joined the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, which consists of 56 national and international unions representing more than 12 million workers and retirees. This decision continues to allow for many opportunities for a better quality of life for teachers and their families.
LEADERSHIP
Through the decades, union leaders have inspired and strengthened the ideals of unionism with action. From the very first TFT president, visionary Raymond Lowry, to the amazing legacy of Dal and Fran Lawrence, to the unwavering dedication and tenacity of current president Kevin Dalton, TFT presidents have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with TFT members who together make up the union.
These and other hardships were vigorously challenged by the collective action of TFT’s early unionists who brought changes to the school system through direct negotiation with the Board. On February 11, 1933, a small group of Toledo teachers signed the charter for Local #250, establishing the Toledo Federation of Teachers, and then began organizing and signing up other teachers as members. Between 1933 and 1940, 90 percent of the teachers hired by Toledo Public Schools joined TFT as members, with 95 percent ultimately joining in 1968 and later when TFT acted as the bargaining agent for teacher protections.
EARLY AND ONGOING ACHIEVEMENTS
During this difficult time in American history, the TFT union helped create new programs within the community, such as a blood bank and the Toledo Teachers’
program for teachers, lobbied successfully for Ohio tenure law, and secured a severance pay program for teachers – the first in Ohio. Unionists partnered with charitable agencies to provide Toledoans with food and clothing, worked to gain instructional planning time during the school day to increase standards of learning, and fought to re-establish a 10-month school year. TFT was the first local teachers union in the state of Ohio and the first to negotiate a single salary schedule for both men and women teachers. It maintained a vision of what teaching could and should be, where teachers’ earnings were enough so that they could devote all their energy during the school year to teaching instead of getting second jobs, and use their summers for professional development to plan for the upcoming school year. The unionists saw that limited class size and up-to-date materials would greatly benefit students and
MISSION STATEMENT:
TFT has always been more than just an institution. It has been and remains an ever- present advocate for equity and representation for all. TFT members can be found participating in local government and community events throughout the year. It is a respected and invaluable community resource that provides both local and national research-based professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals, peer review of its members, and promotion of fair labor practices. TFT hosts free book giveaways to increase literacy in the community, assists students with meals and supplies, and insists upon high quality education, instructional integrity, and safe schools.
TFT strives to be a beacon of change and hope in the lives of its members and within the community. With personal and collective stakes, each member represents the call to action for a purpose, to achieve something that is greater than what individuals can accomplish alone. The union motto of teamwork is clear – “Together, we can do anything.”
Toledo Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that advocates for the social and economic well being of our members and the children and families in our community. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining, political activism, and especially through the work of our members. September 2025 |
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AFl-CIO Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO Unites Local Unions to Strengthen Workers’ Rights Building solidarity through education, events, and charitable support across the Toledo area The Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO is comprised of a variety of local unions, including but not limited to Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades local unions, Toledo Federation of Teachers Local 250, AFSCME Council 8, ToledoMaritime Port Council and many others within the public and private sectors. The President is David Fleetwood, who also serves as the Business Manager/SecretaryTreasurer of Laborers Local 500. In addition to providing advocacy and resources towards the local unions and their efforts, the Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO provides assistance towards charitable efforts of local organizations. Every year, the Greater Northwest Ohio AFL-CIO provides events that promote interaction and education within our union communities. AFL-CIO stands in solidarity in protecting the rights of working people and will continue to support and stand proud within our communities.
LABOR DAY 2025
Proudly representing Labor since 1978
Happy ! y a D Labor
Throughout NW Ohio and SE Michigan, for 119 years strong!
Our members, along with our signatory contractors, live and work in the very communities we serve. Take a look around at the schools your kids attend, the bridges you cross, the offices you work in. Chances are, a member of IW’s Local 55 has had a hand in building them!
3240 Levis Commons Blvd. Perrysburg, OH allottafarly.com | 419.535.0075 www.toledocitypaper.com | September 2025
Fore!
OCSEA COMM
UAW Region 2B Richard T. Gosser Scholarship Golf Outing HELPING STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR EDUCATIONAL DREAMS.
Union leaders from OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11 Lucas Chapter 4800 in Toledo know the power of having a union voice in their public service jobs!
PROTECT PUBLIC WORKERS! TELL CONGRESS TO PASS THE PROTECT AMERICA’S WORKFORCE ACT
Just take a mulligan!
July 27th at Whiteford Valley Golf Club
Our communities are safer, healthier and stronger when public service workers in our communities have the freedom to join together in a union and speak up together for their communities. This includes OCSEA members like corrections officers, highway workers, caregivers for the developmentally disabled and our veterans, scientists, inspectors and so many more public workers across this state and this nation.
As we face unprecedented attacks on public services and workers, every public worker needs a voice on the job to protect the work we do, our jobs and our safety. Public service workers deserve the freedom to have a union and to negotiate for pay and benefits.
But in 25 states, and now in the federal government, public sector workers are denied the freedom to negotiate. We need federal legislation to protect the rights of hardworking public service workers. That is why workers are calling on Congress to pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.
TO ALL OUR GOLFERS, SPONSORS, AND VOLUNTEERS: THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS INCREDIBLE DAY.
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The PSFNA would set a minimum nationwide standard of collective bargaining rights that states must provide, including allowing public service workers to join together and have a voice on the job to improve both working conditions and the communities in which they live and work. This bipartisan bill also rescinds Executive Order 14251, restoring federal workers’ fundamental right to collectively bargain AND restoring their union contracts, which have been deemed null and void without their say.
The bill gives public service workers the freedom to:
n Join together in a union selected
by a majority of employees;
n Collectively bargain over wages,
hours and terms and conditions of employment; n Resolve disputes with their
employers through an unbiased process;
n Use voluntary payroll deduction
for union dues;
n Engage in concerted activities
related to collective bargaining and mutual aid; n Have their union be free from
requirements to hold rigged recertification elections
n File suit in court to enforce their
labor rights.
This legislation gives public service workers the freedom to join together in a union to win respect and fair treatment on the job. By standing together, union members earn higher wages and are more likely to have employerprovided health care, pensions and benefits such as paid sick and family leave. Unions also help to secure safety standards, protections and the necessary resources for members to do their jobs well and to meet the needs of the communities they care about.
Learn more at https://afscmego.org/ The Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11) represents approximately 27,000 Ohio public employees in state and local government. OCSEA is affiliated with AFSCME, the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, with 1.4 million members strong.
Local 55
IRON SHARPENS IRON For 122 years and counting, the members and signatory contractors of Ironworkers Local 55 have been building better, building stronger and building communities all acrost the landscape of NW Ohio and SE Michigan. Our industry is continuing to grow and thrive. Just take a look around and pay attention to the all the projects that are happening, both large and small, we have a hand in it all. From the data centers that are underway all the way down to small expansions, we have highly trained and certified working hands of Local 55 on the job! Our members represent a strong sense of pride and craftsmanship that is reflected in their work every day. Time and time again, our signatory contractors are able to successfully gain work due to the backbone of their workforce. This is not by accident. Our members embrace the challenge and take on the work head on. It is well known in the marketplace that our members and contractors of Local 55 will produce and excellent product for customers!
Our leadership team has gained a few new faces recently! We proudly welcome Jason Habel as our new business manager/FST. Jason comes to us with decades of experience in the field and a very focused goal of continuing the growth we have been blessed with on all fronts. Jason is a proud father and grandfather with sons in the trade! We also proudly welcome AJ Fitch as our new business agent. AJ comes to us as a leader from the field, successfully running projects in our region. AJ is a proud family man and enjoys giving back by coaching youth football and baseball. AJ is also starting a new journey as a football referee! Long and short. Ironworkers Local 55 members set a high bar in the trades and we will continue to lead the way for years to come!
UAW LOCAL 2213
THANK THANK YOU YOU HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE HEROES HEROES
Erica Kwapich, Melissa Kelly, Dr. Wronkowicz, Linda Ruemmele, Alicia Ruiz, Sue Manore, Julie Tremmel
Erica Kwapich, Melissa Kelly, Rachael Dombrowski, Nicole Sipe
Erica Kwapich, Heaven Sams
Dedicated to Moving the Registered Nurses Forward
Alana Everett, Katie Harrison, Shanielle Gafeney, Jane Xiao, Alicia Ruiz, Ashley Domanski, Wendy Walters, Lesha Bass, Erica Kwapich
Latoya Thomas
Katie Zapata, Sharon Maxcy
Carmen Nesbit
Erica Kwapich, Melissa Kelly
www.toledocitypaper.com | September 2025
SPECIAL LABOR DAY PULL OUT SECTION CELEBRATING CELEBRATING GLORIA’S GLORIA’S CAREER, CAREER, IN IN UAW UAW LOCAL LOCAL 2213, 2213, SUPPORTING SUPPORTING MOMS MOMS IN IN NORTHWEST, NORTHWEST, OHIO OHIO As Gloria Shortridge looks back at her 29 years of service with St. Vincent Medical Center, she can’t help but count the babies and moms whose lives she has impacted. In those years, nearly 50,000 moms in the area have visited the WIC Women’s Infants and Children office at the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department working for breastfeeding support and services. As a nurse starting in 1996 at St. Vincent Medical Center, Gloria knew she had a specific interest in women’s health. “It was a goal I was able to achieve through Mercy Health,” says Gloria. “I passed my boards for board certified lactation consultant certification shortly after I had enough patient hours.” Gloria was assigned to support Lucas County WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), which provides comprehensive breastfeeding support to WIC participants, including education, counseling, and resources to help mothers initiate and maintain breastfeeding. This support is offered at various clinic locations and other community sites throughout Lucas County. Over time the breastfeeding support program located at the Lucas County health department has grown from a small office to three rooms, including an examination room and a classroom. It is also the drop off site for Northwest Ohio for Mothers’ Milk Bank in Columbus. “I have always felt it was important to pay it forward,” says Gloria. “So, I offer an internship for those wishing to earn their lactation hours so they may sit for boards to become board certified lactation consultants. Over the years I have worked with 10 interns.” She has also worked to hire five breastfeeding peer helpers through Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center, that were very importantly, once breastfeeding WIC moms themselves. “The peer helpers work directly with our patients and support their breastfeeding journey from pregnancy through delivery offering classes, support, and referring moms to me that need more help than they can supply or need help beyond their scope of practice,” says Gloria. Gloria will retire this September and says she will miss the team around her. She shares that the most rewarding part of her journey has been to help moms who really appreciate it. “I am really going to miss hearing about how my patients are succeeding. Many of my patients bring their babies back and show us how well they are doing,” she smiles. “That is pretty fun.”
UAW LOCAL 2213
WE REMEMBER OUR HEALTHCARE HEROES
Rosemarie Flietz, RN
Barbara Ann Hatton, RN
Thomas W. Evans, RN
Carole Ann Koerper, RN
Loretta Cory, RN
Patricia Arvay, RN
Sarah Hricovsky, RN
Betty Ruth Teall, RN
Susan F. Wortham, RN
Barbara Bonfiglio, RN
Shelia M. Nicholson, RN
Joan Keiser Walborn, RN
Sandra Ann Czubachowski, RN
Dedicated to Moving the Registered Nurses Forward
September 2025 |
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