News From OSA - November, 2021

HOW MUCH?...The retroactive raises from 2017 to 2021 can be calculated exactly, but a rough estimate will serve most of us pretty well.

Assuming you worked in an OSA title over that period, you are due 2% retro money for 8/25/17 to 8/24/18.

Thanks to compounding and a 13 month period of receipt, you are due 4.65% more for the period 8/25/18 through 9/24/19.

Thereafter, per year, a further 7.42% is due to you, so, by 9/24/21, you have a lot of money coming. (2.00% + 4.65% + 7.42% +7.42%)= 21.49%.

However, the City is paying the first group (from the City agencies) on 11/26/21, so they get credit for some extra pay periods of retro or about 1% more. The NYC Housing Authority gets a bit more on 12/02/21 and, as of this writing, New York City Health + Hospitals and the Department of Education have not announced pay dates.

The retro pay check will be combined with the regular pay check including the new raises.

However, there are exceptions:

If you worked overtime for pay, you can get more.

If you were on leave without pay for a while, you can get less.

If you reached a 10, 15, or 20 year anniversary between 2017 and 2021, you could get more.

If you were promoted or demoted or got a raises, that too matters.

Also, if you want to be more precise, your salary is calculated by your employer on an annual basis, divided, daily, by either 365 or 366 (in a fiscal leap year). The formula to determine a day's pay is annual salary divided by 365 (or 366) x 14 divided by 10 equals pay for one day of work.

So, any member who wants to, can now calculate exactly how much he or she is owed, to the penny.

Finally, those senior souls who are due a 10 year longevity have $83 and change due to them retroactively, ten plus five more years gets you $166. Best of all, if you are due the 10, 15 and 20-year longevity, the "trifecta" of longevity will be worth an extra $250 on 11/26/21.

Thanks are due to OSA member Alan Hauser who always sharpens his pencil to calculate retro increases as each contract is settled.

However, leaving all this aside, many of our members will be getting a happy pay day before the holidays and we certainly all earned it.

OTHER CONTRACTS... We are currently working on our contracts outside of the main unit contract. These will take some time but, we expect, a lot less than the main unit agreement did.

CAMPAIGNS... We should be concluding the Associate Directors of Hospitals organizing drive soon. This matter has gone on since 2010, but we expect a good result soon.

Our drive for the Administrative Nurses at City hospitals took a break due to COVID, but we are eagerly resuming our activity at present.

We already do represent the MetroPlus Administrative Nurses and have won a decrease in hours worked, plus paid overtime. As of September, they are due longevity payments for those who are of long service. More important than any minor financial gains is the right to “due process” which increases fairness on the job.

We do expect to win these benefits for all the New York City Health + Hospitals' Administrative Directors of Nursing.

HO, HO, HO... OSA's holiday party started off small, held in the union office. As time passed, attendance grew and we now hold the party at banquet halls to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend.

In 2019, we changed our venue from Brooklyn to Queens and held a very successful holiday party at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens. We are returning to that location for 2021, after a pandemic hiatus in 2020.

This year, our party is set for Thursday, December 16th, starting at 5:30pm.

Tickets can be ordered by mail or picked up from George Morgan in the union office any Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday between 9am and 5pm from now through the week ending Friday, December 10, 2021. Please pay by money order made out to "OSA."

Tickets will not be available at the door on the night of the party. A flyer for the party, with all of the details for ticket ordering for active employees can be downloaded at the following link:

Holiday Party Flyer For Active Employees

Please note: retirees should not use this flyer. Instead, please use the flyer that was mailed to you with the physical version of this edition of News From OSA.

Travel directions to Terrace on the Park by mass transit and automobile are also provided on the flyer.

This is your chance to get together socially and to meet former coworkers you may not have seen for years.

The venue does require proof of COVID vaccination for entrance to the facility.

Finally, most members fondly remember Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn as the site of approximately a decade's worth of OSA holiday parties ending in 2018. We sadly note that, after one of Grand Prospect Hall's owners passed from COVID, his widow sold the property to a developer who has proceeded to demolish the building, which was, unfortunately, never landmarked.

A REMINDER: New Optional OSA Benefit.. The OSA Welfare Fund's new optional benefit, the Life Station Medical Alert System, is available to all active and retired OSA members. You can download a flyer outlining the benefit at this link:

Flyer For LifeStation Medical Alert System

There are a range of system options, starting at $18.95/mo. The most popular choice is the Mobile LTE with GPS at $27.95 mo., but it's up to you. The rates are less than half the price of competitive systems. The Welfare Fund is pleased to have secured this discount for you and your family.

News From OSA - November, 2021 HOW MUCH?...The retroactive raises from 2017 to 2021 can be calculated exactly, but a rough estimate will serve most of us pretty well. Assuming you worked in an OSA title over that period, you are due 2% retro money for 8/25/17 to 8/24/18. Thanks to compounding and a 13 month period of receipt, you are due 4.65% more for the period 8/25/18 through 9/24/19. Thereafter, per year, a further 7.42% is due to you, so, by 9/24/21, you have a lot of money coming. (2.00% + 4.65% + 7.42% +7.42%)= 21.49%. However, the City is paying the first group (from the City agencies) on 11/26/21, so they get credit for some extra pay periods of retro or about 1% more. The NYC Housing Authority gets a bit more on 12/02/21 and, as of this writing, New York City Health + Hospitals and the Department of Education have not announced pay dates. The retro pay check will be combined with the regular pay check including the new raises. However, there are exceptions: If you worked overtime for pay, you can get more. If you were on leave without pay for a while, you can get less. If you reached a 10, 15, or 20 year anniversary between 2017 and 2021, you could get more. If you were promoted or demoted or got a raises, that too matters. Also, if you want to be more precise, your salary is calculated by your employer on an annual basis, divided, daily, by either 365 or 366 (in a fiscal leap year). The formula to determine a day's pay is annual salary divided by 365 (or 366) x 14 divided by 10 equals pay for one day of work. So, any member who wants to, can now calculate exactly how much he or she is owed, to the penny. Finally, those senior souls who are due a 10 year longevity have $83 and change due to them retroactively, ten plus five more years gets you $166. Best of all, if you are due the 10, 15 and 20-year longevity, the "trifecta" of longevity will be worth an extra $250 on 11/26/21. Thanks are due to OSA member Alan Hauser who always sharpens his pencil to calculate retro increases as each contract is settled. However, leaving all this aside, many of our members will be getting a happy pay day before the holidays and we certainly all earned it. OTHER CONTRACTS... We are currently working on our contracts outside of the main unit contract. These will take some time but, we expect, a lot less than the main unit agreement did. CAMPAIGNS... We should be concluding the Associate Directors of Hospitals organizing drive soon. This matter has gone on since 2010, but we expect a good result soon. Our drive for the Administrative Nurses at City hospitals took a break due to COVID, but we are eagerly resuming our activity at present. We already do represent the MetroPlus Administrative Nurses and have won a decrease in hours worked, plus paid overtime. As of September, they are due longevity payments for those who are of long service. More important than any minor financial gains is the right to “due process” which increases fairness on the job. We do expect to win these benefits for all the New York City Health + Hospitals' Administrative Directors of Nursing. HO, HO, HO... OSA's holiday party started off small, held in the union office. As time passed, attendance grew and we now hold the party at banquet halls to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend. In 2019, we changed our venue from Brooklyn to Queens and held a very successful holiday party at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens. We are returning to that location for 2021, after a pandemic hiatus in 2020. This year, our party is set for Thursday, December 16th, starting at 5:30pm. Tickets can be ordered by mail or picked up from George Morgan in the union office any Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday between 9am and 5pm from now through the week ending Friday, December 10, 2021. Please pay by money order made out to "OSA." Tickets will not be available at the door on the night of the party. A flyer for the party, with all of the details for ticket ordering for active employees can be downloaded at the following link: Holiday Party Flyer For Active Employees Please note: retirees should not use this flyer. Instead, please use the flyer that was mailed to you with the physical version of this edition of News From OSA. Travel directions to Terrace on the Park by mass transit and automobile are also provided on the flyer. This is your chance to get together socially and to meet former coworkers you may not have seen for years. The venue does require proof of COVID vaccination for entrance to the facility. Finally, most members fondly remember Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn as the site of approximately a decade's worth of OSA holiday parties ending in 2018. We sadly note that, after one of Grand Prospect Hall's owners passed from COVID, his widow sold the property to a developer who has proceeded to demolish the building, which was, unfortunately, never landmarked. A REMINDER: New Optional OSA Benefit.. The OSA Welfare Fund's new optional benefit, the Life Station Medical Alert System, is available to all active and retired OSA members. You can download a flyer outlining the benefit at this link: Flyer For LifeStation Medical Alert System There are a range of system options, starting at $18.95/mo. The most popular choice is the Mobile LTE with GPS at $27.95 mo., but it's up to you. The rates are less than half the price of competitive systems. The Welfare Fund is pleased to have secured this discount for you and your family.