OSA members in the Transit Authority have approved their new contract. The word "overwhelmingly" would be an understatement. Of 57 eligible voters, 43 returned their ballots by the close of business on Monday, December 28th, as instructed on the ballot. Of those, 42 voted yes to accept the new contract. There were no NO votes and one ballot was spoiled and disqualified because the voter eliminated the ballot number from the return envelope

News of the ratification vote has been communicated to the Transit Authority and we look forward to information from the TA on when the raises, signing bonus and retroactive payments will appear in members' paychecks.

Meantime, next week, on Tuesday, January 5th, ballots are due in the union office from members of OSA's Uniformed Services unit. If you are a member of that unit, please be sure to hand deliver or mail your ballot to arrive by the close of business on Tuesday.

This is a two week newsline because past experience suggest that normal activity will slow down for the holidays.

Even so, some important work is in progress. Voting on the Transit Authority contract is ongoing. Also, ballots went out Friday for the School Safety and Traffic Enforcement contract.

On that latter contract, members of Traffic and Safety will be sent a highly complex Memorandum of Agreement due to the fact that the period covered goes back to 2008. Our terms are similar to the complex UFT terms for retroactive monies for the earlier years of the contract.

School Safety and Traffic Enforcement members can also view the Memorandum of Agreement by by clicking this link.

Otherwise, we had a very nice holiday party with five hundred of us gathered at the Grand Prospect Hall.

If you do have time for a movie or two in the next couple of weeks, consider seeing “The Big Short.” The movie has been attacked by some of the press, but it is still positively hilarious. What was done to all of us by the bankers and Wall Street has been covered before in books and movies. “The Big Short,” however, retells the tale clearly and so amusingly that the audience was kept laughing all through it. Highly recommended.

Check back in the new year.

We have good news and bad news this week. The HHC will not get around to paying our members their raise until January 15th. That earns them the Scrooge of the year award.

The New York City Housing Authority did get the raises done, but the retro is still two weeks off.

Our School Safety and Traffic Enforcement contract was done, but the document raised so many questions that the ratification vote mailing could not be completed last week and so will go out this week.

Finally, our Transit Authority contract negotiations ended after only two sessions and we were pleased to obtain all we expected. Better yet, that Memorandum of Agreement was so clear we were able to send a ratification letter and ballot out right away. TA members can also view the Memorandum of Agreement by by clicking this link.

Remaining are the NYCHA contract and the Board of Education.

Meanwhile, we have a party due this week.See you there.

It turns out that the Health and Hospitals Corporation has decided to play Scrooge this year. They inform us that the raises and retro monies should be reflected in the payroll for January 15, 2016.

In addition, we understand that while NYCHA members should see the bonus and raises in this week's paycheck, the retro monies should be included in the payroll of December 24, 2015.

The Health and Hospitals Corporation failed to pay the raises and retroactive monies due last Friday. As a result, many HHC members called the union to notify us. Of those who did call, most were aware that the union is not in control of such matters. Still, at least one member was under the impression that we actually send out the raises.

Of course, it is the Office of Payroll Administration and each agency that does the work. Mostly, it went well, this time. Hopefully by the 18th, the remaining raises will be paid.

NYCHA members should see money in their checks this week.

For a little perspective, consider the world before computers. It was normal in those days for a contract to be concluded, voted upon, signed and printed up six months before the raises and retroactive monies would be paid. To be sure, then the work was done by hand, so it would take longer. Today, they write a program and push a button. But they do have to write it and check the program and that takes, in this case, six weeks since we voted on the contract. It is quicker now.