In 1992, OSA filed to represent our brothers and sisters in the Systems Analyst series in the Health & Hospitals Corporation. DC37 intervened and, to avoid a long and drawn out fight, we agreed to split the title series between DC37 and OSA, 60% OSA, 40% DC37.
At that time, union representation spread to cover the Assistant Systems, Systems, and Senior Systems Analysts, and just in time. In 1995, and again in 1998, layoffs were proposed for Systems Analysts and were prevented by union action.
We did not, in 1994, win the right to represent Supervising Systems Analysts. We filed again on their behalf in 1996, and again, in 1997, DC37 intervened. This time there will be an election and only one union will win.
In fairness, we should win. OSA is the only union in New York to consistently fight for collective bargaining rights for Analysts.
OSA Newsline – April 17, 2000
There is welcome news this week. Last year we all agreed to a Citywide Contract. As part of that contract, we were supposed to be able to purchase our Metrocards on a pretax basis. In the months since then, there has been a loud silence on this topic as details were being worked out.
In the next few weeks, members at the Department of Finance, FISA and OPA will be able to purchase the pretax cards. It's a pilot project to start but, once the glitches are smoothed out, all the other agencies will follow suit. Early details include that the proposed card is a yearly card, paid for at the rate of $29.08 per paycheck, or a bit less than $760 per year.
The advantage is that members save on their taxes, since they will not be taxed on the $29.08 payroll deduction. The program is voluntary, of course.
OSA Newsline – April 10, 2000
Richard Steier, editor of the civil service newspaper The Chief will be speaking at our headquarters this evening. Mr. Steier will be the guest speaker at the Civil Service Merit Council. All OSA members are invited and food will be served. If you are interested, the location is 220 E. 23rd St., suite 709, at 6 PM this evening. If you follow. The Chief regularly you already know that editor Steier has strong opinions of many City labor and public officials. It should be an interesting evening. Officers of the Merit Council will be sworn in by a city official, Archie Spigner, Deputy Leader of the New York City Council.
The second bit of news is that OSA is in a fight with DC37, competing to represent Supervising Systems Analysts of the Health and Hospitals Corporation. If you think you could be of help, call the office and ask for Joe Sperling or Bob Croghan.
OSA Newsline – April 3, 2000
Our union's involvement with the Easy Rider Coalition paid a dividend this past week. One of our members needed a record of her prescription from a few years back. The information was needed for a legal matter and had to be obtained by this past Friday.
Obtaining information from a health care provider isn't always quickly accomplished, and in this case GHI had already given the data to Merck Medco, the firm handling GHI's drug rider. Normally our union would have had no more ability to assist on this matter than anyone else. Now, due to the relationships recently established by OSA with GHI on behalf of the coalition, we were able to help. The requested records were delivered to the member's office but got lost in the office mail. A second set was therefore hand delivered the next day to her desk. Good. A small, but nice dividend.
