Our union filed papers last week with the Office of Collective Bargaining. The official title for our complaint was a "Verified Improper Practice Petition."
Our complaint recounted our history of negotiations from the start when, on June 25, 2018, DC 37 concluded bargaining and thus set the fiscal contract pattern for the period of 2017 through 2021.
Our own union's negotiations opened that same year on November 1st. At that first meeting, the City gave us copies of the DC37 settlement and thus the fiscal pattern.
Thereafter, we met again several times between November 1, 2018 and March 3, 2020 but, thereafter, the City was unable to meet due to Covid-19. We have tried repeatedly to conclude bargaining over the phone since then, but the City has delayed.
We demanded a return to bargaining on January 15th of this year and, as the City has refused to resume bargaining, we are citing the City for violating Sections 12-306 (a) 1 and 2 of the NYC Collective Bargaining Law.
The relief sought from the Office of Collective Bargaining is for OCB to compel the City to resume bargaining and to conclude a contract with our union based on the DC37 pattern for 2017-2021.
Essentially, we have gone to the proper court for a settlement.
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Traditionally, we seek to endorse a candidate who we know well and who has proven to be friendly to civil service labor. This year, one candidate stands out. Over a quarter of a century ago, John Harper, a member of our Executive Board, asked our union to support a young candidate for a low level elective office. We supported that young man for that election and for the many elections that followed.
Scott Stringer, who comes from a civil service family, has never let us down. As recently as our last contract, he was willing to take a public stand in favor of our union's push for a four day work week, wherever desired and feasible. This stand helped us in concluding that contract successfully.
It is a crowded field this year, but the OSA Executive Board has voted unanimously to support Scott Stringer as our first choice to become the Democratic candidate for Mayor of the City of New York.
If you would like to read more about Scott's campaign for Mayor, you can click on the following link: Scott Stringer For Mayor
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Please note that the union office will be closed this Friday and next Monday. February 12th is Lincoln's Birthday.
For generations, City employees were given off on that day, but during the administration of Ed Koch it was turned into a floating holiday. Our union had no choice but to accept this change, but chose to continue the practice of closing the union office on that day.
Subsequently, workers hired after 2004 also lost the floating holiday, so only longer service workers get that option.
OSA continues to be insistent on honoring Lincoln's Birthday and will be closed on Friday. Since Presidents Day, a national combination of Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays is falling on Monday, February 15th, our office will be closed for a long weekend.
Other news. Our members are still being asked to volunteer at COVID vaccination sites. One advantage to such an assignment is that all such volunteers are also given access to the vaccine. You can call our union grievance section if you have questions about this, but not this Friday or next Monday.
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The good news of some extra money coming from Washington, the one billion dollars of FEMA funds to help offset the pandemic, was very welcome.
We are hoping for more funds in this crisis and more funds are needed, but may have to wait upon the process working its way through Congress.
The first result of the relatively small infusion of extra funds was surprising. The City may be backing off from the proposed early retirement program. Now that sounds ridiculous.
Our Municipal Labor Committee had first suggested the early retirement option to the City in order to avoid layoffs and the City had agreed. Thereafter, many City unions delayed payments due from the City to also help avoid layoffs. For the City to now unilaterally back off from an early retirement package would be a problem for us.
We will see.
Another area of disappointment last week was the failure of the City to set a date to resume bargaining for OSA. We have communicated our dissatisfaction with their failure to resume and complete bargaining. If there is no acceptable response, the union does have legal options to compel a return to bargaining. We held off for the past 10 months due to the pandemic, but enough is enough.
Our contract will be easy to settle, and this was true in our eyes as far back as May 2019. Further delay by the City in completing our negotiations will lead to our filing legal papers.
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OSA Newsline -- February 15, 2021 
The Executive Board of our union has decided to recommend a candidate for Mayor in the upcoming Democratic primary this June.
OSA Newsline -- February 8, 2021 OSA Newsline -- February 1, 2021