OSA Newsline - February 16, 1998

There is a hiring pool set for this Tuesday. The Human Resources Administration has called in all the remaining candidates from the ASA lists. We are not sure if the Administration for Children's Services will be present. OSA representatives Marzie Eisenberg and Richard Guarino are scheduled to represent the union at the pool.

Sheila Gorsky reports that Office of Collective Bargaining hearings on our Administrative Staff Analysts representation case will begin the early part of next month.

We expect the hearing to be held once per week from March right through June. We are seeking to represent Administrative Staff Analysts levels M1, M2, and M3.

The next Citywide negotiations are set for February 23rd.

OSA Newsline - February 9, 1998

At Citywide collective bargaining last week the City actually came up with an interesting and even reasonable demand. The City wants to clarify the rules for paying night differential in cases of paid overtime.

Most day workers, unused to the concept of a night differential, are content with time and a half for work done after 40 hours of work per week. Most night workers consider their pay including night differential to be their pay, period.

If they work at the boss' request past 8am, they do not expect to lose the ten percent night differential for the overtime hours worked.

As matters stand now, allegedly, most, but not all day workers do not get night differential when they work late into the evening. Also, most, but not all, night workers continue to get the 10% night differential when they are held over until the sun is shining.

The City's problem is the part about "most, but not all." There should be a clear rule, and at present there is, in practice, no clear rule at all. If all the City's demands were as honest as this one, negotiations would be a lot more rewarding. OSA's position on this matter is not yet formed so, if you have an opinion on it, call OSA and share that opinion with a member of the bargaining team.

Members of the bargaining team actually in the office include Tom Anderson, Marzie Eisenberg, Shirley Gray, Sheila Gorsky and, of course, myself. Just speak to any one of us, as we do talk to each other.

Do call before Thursday, however, as Thursday is Lincoln's Birthday and the union office will be closed in honor of the day. Since Washington's Birthday is celebrated the following Monday, many folk will take the entire long weekend. Local unit bargaining last week was not so much fun. We are getting down to the end of arguing and we appear to have not moved one inch closer to any agreement on sabbaticals or improvements to the grievance process either.

The City still has not came up with the figures we need to compute longevities or annuities and this is the 34th month of the contract already. We are supposed to have all details worked out before payment of our next three percent, due on 7/1/98 for most members, and on 4/1/98 for our Board of Education workers.

If the City keeps dragging it feet, the union may have to take legal action to stop the City from penalizing our members for the City's tardiness.

On another front, Joan Kiok reports that we have made good progress on pushing the TA organizing drive and we may be able to expect an election as early as this spring. Our Administrative Analysts case is also proceeding, but more slowly.

OSA Newsline - February 2, 1998

Collective bargaining at the Citywide level is due for Tuesday and at the local level on Wednesday so there may be news on either of those fronts for next week.

There is a demonstration set by Workfairness outside of 250 Church Street this Monday. The topic is dignity for WEP workers.

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