OSA Newsline - November 22, 2007

There are two jobs on offer at the Contract Unit of the Police Department. Both jobs are Associate Staff Analyst jobs and they are lateral transfers, requiring candidates to be Associate Staff Analysts already. You can download the job posting in PDF form by clicking here.

The big news this week is the November membership meeting due this Thursday, at the union office, 220 East 23rd Street, Suite 707, starting at 6pm sharp. See you at the meeting.

The nice news this week is the publication of a children’s book authored by one of our own members. Saul Weber is an active union member and, now, the author of “A Lesson My Cat Taught Me,” published by Lightsword Publishers.

With his own cats as inspiration, Saul has crafted a tale about unconditional love and compassion. As Saul describes it, "in "A Lesson My Cat Taught Me," Jennifer and her mother find a friendly, abandoned cat. Upon bringing it home, they soon discover that it only has one eye. Jennifer calls the cat Uno, and learns that despite its disability, Uno is capable of doing more things than her other cat, Mr. Tickles. When Hillary, who is in a wheelchair, becomes a classmate, Jennifer sees her as a friend rather then a girl with a disability because of the lesson Uno has taught her."

The book is already available at online booksellers and, after November 28, it will be available at your favorite retail bookstore as well. If you're interested in writing Saul about his new book, you can reach him at SWeberUno@aol.com.

Finally, a couple of weeks back, the Council of Jewish Organization in Civil Service honored Communications Workers of America Local 1180 President Arthur Cheliotes during its annual breakfast. OSA Chair Bob Croghan presented the award to President Cheliotes. In the photo by Neal Tepel to the left, Arthur is flanked by Bob and COJO Program Chair Larry Glickson. It was a great event and President Cheliotes a deserving honoree.

OSA Newsline - November 19, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Last Friday, Melissa von der Lieth from the Office of Collective Bargaining met with representatives of OSA and the Office of Labor Relations.

Both sides had already submitted their papers and, in discussions, both sides pretty much repeated their written arguments.

Ms. von der Leith sought to refer the matter to mediation, but this was refused as a waste of time, and too much time has passed already.

Curiously, the City is now attempting to fudge on the issue of defining pattern bargaining, apparently the opposite position that they are taking in respect to the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

Ms. von der Leith promised to send each side a letter in the next week or so. The letter is expected to deal with areas of agreement between the parties and to clarify the areas of disagreement.

In other words, any member who expected a final definitive answer on the one percent and our contract on November 16th will be disappointed. This was the first actual meeting, and although it would have been nice to get a quick victory, it was not likely that that would occur.

However, matters are on track and Ms. von der Leith made it clear that she intended to move quickly. We do hope so. Incidentally, OSA's lawyers and staff performed very well at the meeting.

OSA Newsline - November 12, 2007

The union office is closed on Monday, Veterans' Day.

This month’s mailing should be in your mailbox by now, and the contents of the mailing are posted on this website as the November 2007 edition of News From OSA, but an event worth noting did take place after the mailing went out.

The Personnel Division of DCAS held a citywide hiring pool for Staff Analysts on Thursday and Friday of last week. The numbers called went as high as list number 1088 and the results were excellent in that most candidates found jobs.

Those individuals not selected will get further consideration at future pools, but the list itself may be exhausted soon.

There were 1300 plus names on the list when it was established three years ago. Last week’s pools called in 290 candidates and, of these, approximately half did not show up, probably because they got another job while waiting. Of those who did show, nearly half were provisionals getting permanent status and the rest were new hires into our title series.

One more large pool could exhaust the list early. Praise is due to the DCAS staff who ran a well-organized and humane operation. Citywide pools were common until the early 1980's, but not practiced since. Credits are due to the personnel of Personnel, who had to reinvent the old system and then train the agency human resources representatives and the candidates.

OSA, whose representatives go back to the citywide pools of the 1970's and 1980's, gives DCAS an A+ for the good work done.

OSA Newsline - November 5, 2007

The big news this week is the Staff Analyst hiring pool set for this Thursday and Friday. There will be a citywide pool involving many agencies that will come together to interview candidates. Notification letters were sent out to candidates up to number 1088 on that list. If your number on the Staff Analyst list is below 1088 and you have neither been notified nor already appointed, please call Sheila Gorsky at the union office, 212-686-1229. Sheila and other representatives of OSA will be at the pool to assist candidates.


A mailing is due out this week, but with Election Day and all, may not get out until early next week. The same content will be up later this week on this website as the November edition of News From OSA.

Finally, OSA was represented at a City Hall press conference last week called by District Council 37 on the issue of relaxing residency requirements for City workers.[See the two photos to the left.] OSA Chair Bob Croghan joined DC37 executive director Lillian Roberts, UFT president Randi Weingarten, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association head Norman Seabrook and other union leaders, to support the right of members to reside where they wish. The press conference was covered on most of the major local news programs and in the major dailies.