The OSA Black History Month celebration was very warm and friendly last week. State Senator Eric Adams returned to us for the evening. A few years ago, OSA honored Eric for his work within the civil service as a police captain, but this year he returned as a state official. He did not forget his friends and that is nice.

Our own Al Milton was given a special award for his years of service on behalf of his chapter members and also for his work on our annual Black History Month affair.

Also receiving awards were Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, Professor James Blake of the Borough of Manhattan Community College and Frances Fultz, who recently retired to Delaware,and who was honored for her service as OSA's delegate at Jacobi Medical Center and as a trustee of the OSA Welfare Fund.

There was entertainment, vendors, and food, and it would be fair to say a good time was had by all.

Our main unit negotiations resume this Tuesday, so keep your fingers crossed that no obstacles will arise.

Our test preparation classes for the Associate Staff Analyst exam start today and classes will be held seven days a week for the next couple of months. Good luck to students and teachers and many thanks in advance to OSA’s education section.

Not much news this week. Last Tuesday, we did have the main unit negotiations and the City responded to our original demands. We are anxious to settle, so our next session is set for two weeks hence.

By now most members should have received last week’s mailing. If you did not, please call George at the union office and he will check your address and send you a replacement. date. The same information is posted on this website as the February, 2007 edition of News From OSA.

Our classes for the Associate Staff Analyst exam start next week, but there is still room in the Friday evening or the Saturday or Sunday daytime sessions. Please call the union office to register.

Our Black History Month Celebration will convene this Friday at St. Andrew’s Church basement, right behind the Municipal Building. All OSA members are invited. Please RSVP to Carol Moten at (212) 686-1229.

The union office will be closed for Lincoln’s Birthday this Monday. A number of contracts back, the City got the unions to agree to change Lincoln’s Birthday into a floating day off. OSA accepted the contract, since it was a citywide pattern, but rejected the idea for the union itself. So, we are closed on that day.

Speaking of contract negotiations, the main unit contract negotiating team will be meeting with the City this Tuesday and we are hoping for progress.

Sheila Gorsky is seeking information on who of our members in the Analyst series is being held back by the education requirement put into effect in 2004. If you are a provisional Staff, Associate, or Administrative Staff Analyst without a college degree, please call Sheila at the union office at (212) 686-1229.

A mailing is due out late this week. Aside from other news, the mailing will include an invitation to the Black History Month celebration set for February 23rd at St. Andrew’s Church near City Hall. Reserve the date. The same information is already posted on this website as the February, 2007 edition of News From OSA.

We had two bits of bad news last week and one bit of good news.

Starting with the bad news, our brothers and sisters working at the Housing Authority had a flood last week at 90 Church Street. Apparently, a vending machine caught fire at night and the sprinklers went on to douse the blaze. This ruined the fifth and sixth floor and the staff was sent home. Labor Relations of NYCHA provided a hotline number for the staff to call to get updated information. As of Sunday evening, staff were asked to report back to work at the normal time. Staff from the 5th and 6th floors may be redeployed if the clean up is incomplete.

Also, the Enrollment Sales Representatives chose DC37 as their union by a vote of 149 to 64. There will be more details on this interesting election in this month’s mailing.

The good news is reported by Tom Anderson, our Vice-Chairperson. Tom met with the City on Friday and it turns out that the hand scanning time clock system will not be compulsory at the Departments of Aging and Finance. This is really good news since the hand scanners are not only totally unneeded, but also hideously expensive and frankly intrusive. Good work from Tom and from all those in our union and others that have been fighting the good fight on this topic.