| OSA Newsline - April 29, 2024
The April mailing was sent out and should have already reached most members' home mailing addresses. It has also been posted for a while as the April 2024 OSA Newsletter on this website. We kindly ask all members to check their mailboxes (or the Newsletter page of this site) and carefully review the materials included in the mailing.
The General Membership meeting for April 2024 took place last week. The video recording of the meeting is now available on the OSA website. To view the recording, click on the button positioned at the top of the Weekly Newsline page titled "April 2024 Virtual Meeting."
We are happy to announce that the 2024-25 Enacted State Budget brings significant improvements to Tier 6 of the New York State pension system. These changes include: the final average salary calculation for Tier 6 members' pension benefits has been reduced from five to three years, increasing benefits; and the extension of overtime and extracurricular payment exemptions from contribution rate calculations for an additional two years. These reforms, achieved through worker advocacy, exemplify the power of collective action. We express our sincere gratitude to each organization and every individual who played a part in bringing about these positive changes. (These gains come two years after the vesting service for Tier 6 was reduced from 10 to 5 years. We will be seeking further gains in the coming years.)
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - April 22, 2024
This week is the OSA General Membership Meeting, scheduled for Thursday, April 25th at 6pm. Topics on the agenda include our main unit contract implementation details, updates on ongoing contract bargaining, Tier 6 pension reform and OSA Welfare Fund updates. All members are encouraged to attend. Please look out for the email with a link to register.
There is also a chapter meeting at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services this week on Thursday, April 25, starting at 12pm. All OSA members at DCAS are encouraged to attend either in person or via Zoom.
We look forward to seeing everyone at Thursday's meeting.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - April 15, 2024
We are pleased to announce the addition of a button on our website's homepage labeled "2021-2027 Contract Implementation Details." Clicking on this button will direct you to a newly created page housing comprehensive information on a range of topics including insights into the upcoming General Wage Increases, bonus payments, and retroactive monies. The page also features both a new salary calculator and a retroactive payment calculator.
NYCAPS has also been updated to reflect our new salaries that were effective as of 9/6/23. The City of New York Employment Verification Letter lists new annual gross salary plus differentials and the Employment History Letter shows the new base annual salary without differentials.
We are also pleased to report that our members at the New York City Department of Education will now receive their pay on the same April 26 pay date as their counterparts working for mayoral agencies.
This week, OSA members should receive the April mailing containing important updates. Among these updates is the announcement of our upcoming membership meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 25th at 6:00 PM. Expect to receive an invitation to register for the meeting via Zoom around April 19th.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - April 8, 2024
There are important updates regarding the pay dates for OSA members at the New York City Housing Authority. The general wage increases and the $3,000 signing bonus will now be included in your April 18th paycheck. And the retroactive lump sum payment will follow in the May 2nd paycheck. If you wish to adjust your Deferred Compensation Plan deferral rate for the May 2 paycheck, please make sure to do so by the deadline on April 17. Please note, these new dates apply only to OSA members employed by the New York City Housing Authority.
For our members employed by the New York City Department of Education, please note that the ratification bonus will be included in the April 26 paycheck. We are awaiting confirmation on the date DOE members will receive the general wage increases and retroactive monies, and we will keep you updated as soon as we receive more information.
The union has reached Remote Work Pilot agreements with both New York City Health + Hospitals and the New York City Housing Authority. Members at both organizations can anticipate receiving more details about these remote work opportunities directly from your respective agencies in the near future.
This week, the union is hosting a chapter meeting at the Department of Homeless Services. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - Important Update - April 2, 2024
OSA MEMBERS AT THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY: The union has just been notified of a change in the planned dates for payment of the $3,000 signing bonus and retroactive wages at your agency. According to the Office of Labor Relations, which confirmed the new dates with FISA-OPA as well as NYCHA, the $3,000 signing bonus will now arrive in your April 18, 2024 paycheck. The retroactive wage payment will now arrive in your May 2, 2024 paycheck.
Please note that the last date to increase your Deferred Compensation Plan deferral rate for the April 18, 2024 paycheck is TOMORROW, April 3, 2024 at 4pm. The last date to increase your Deferred Compensation Plan deferral rate for the May 2, 2024 paycheck is April 17, 2024 at 4pm. The procedure to change your deferral rate remains the same as that provided in the flyer posted in our February 19, 2024 newsline. However, be aware of the earlier arrival of these payments and act accordingly if you wish to reduce your tax burden. A reminder that you may defer up to 75% of any one paycheck into the 401k plan, 457 plan or both.
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| OSA Newsline - April 1, 2024
The union has recently been asked to provide clarification on how retroactive wage increases work for those members in titles that have only recently been certified to the union. Please note, that if your title joined the union subsequent to any of the effective dates for OSA's Retroactive Wage Increases (9/6/21, 9/6/22, & 9/6/23), you will only receive those increases that occurred after your title joined the union, as part of the OSA contract implementation.
Members in these titles that were unrepresented or managerial before joining OSA are expected to receive their owed retroactive payments for those prior periods once the applicable managerial pay orders are implemented. Mayoral agencies have announced May 10 as the pay date for managerial employees, while Health + Hospitals has yet to announce a pay date for their managerial staff.
Those newly certified titles, and the date they joined the union, are as follows:
Associate Director (Hospitals) - December 13, 2021
Chart Abstractor - March 14, 2023
Confidential Strategy Planner (FDNY) - September 13, 2022
Confidential Strategy Planner (Finance) - September 13, 2022
Confidential Strategy Planner (NYCERS) - September 13, 2022
Confidential Strategy Planner (Buildings) - June 1, 2023
Confidential Strategy Planner (Kings County DA) - June 1, 2023
Director, Information Services - November 30, 2021
Director, Systems and Programming - November 14, 2022
Director of Health Care Program/Planning Analysis - November 14, 2022
Infection Control Preventionist February 8, 2023
Again, if your title joined the union after any of the September effective dates, you will not be receiving that portion of the retroactive money under the OSA contract, instead you will receive it under the managerial pay orders.
This week, the union is hosting a chapter meeting at Harlem Hospital and there are bargaining sessions scheduled with both the New York City Transit Authority and the Office of the Public Advocate.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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