| OSA Newsline - January 29, 2018
Last week, the Hospitals Corporation fired a union activist. They said it was not because of union activity. We say it was.
This happened to us once before during the ESR campaign years ago. On that occasion, the firing was reversed after we took legal action. As you would expect, we will be taking legal action in this case as well.
And so, for Thursday’s general membership meeting, we will have a special guest. Our newest labor hero will be present to say hello to you, the members of the union she has fought to bring to her fellow nurses.
Our Activist Classroom Training session is set for right after the general membership meeting on Thursday and this too is timely. Our sister from the Nurses Organizing Drive will get to break bread with like-minded members of the Organization of Staff Analysts.
Finally, if you attended our annual holiday party in December, you might find your photograph in the slide show in the OSA Photo Gallery section of this website for December 2017. If you have problems with opening the slide show you can click on the link under it to see the photos displayed but not in motion.
If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - January 22, 2018
You should have received the general membership mailing by now. If not, call George Morgan at the union office and he will check your address and send you a copy.
The mailing talks about the expected loss of agency shop fees. This loss will definitely hurt our union and makes it all the more important that we have trained and able local union representatives.
Our Activist Classroom Training program is still open for you to enroll. Just call John LaGuardia at the union office. Our next session will be held right after our February 1st membership meeting.
Other news, we had an excellent meeting of our Assistant and Associate Directors of Nursing Organizing Committee last week. It will be a tough fight, but we have some superb nurses actively helping us. There will be a further meeting this week.
If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - January 15, 2018
Today, we honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mail was sent to the mailing house last week and should arrive at your home by Friday. If not, call George at the union office so he can check your address and mail you another copy.The content of the mailing is already posted on this website as the January 2018 OSA Newsletter.
In the mailing, we note that the January membership meeting was delayed until Thursday, February 1st. This was done since we feared a late arrival of our January mailing. And then, following Murphy’s Law, the mailing house notified us the mail would arrive this week.
The Activist Classroom Training again will occur after the membership meeting. Therefore, the meeting will start at 6 pm sharp, break for food thereafter, and the ACT training should start around 7 pm.
An early report on negotiations will be the high point of both the meeting and the training. Nothing yet has been decided, but the preliminary steps do have interest.
If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - January 8, 2018
This newsline was delayed so we could report on the collective bargaining session held today. The session was important because we were scheduled to join with DC37 at the bargaining table.
The bad news is that we were premature. Henry Garrido of DC37 confirmed his intention of bringing all the civilian unions together for bargaining, but he is still getting approval from the City. So next time.
Meanwhile, 37's intentions are to get a three or more year contract with decent raises, an equity payment, and added funds for education and health. The City’s apparent plan is to ask us for changes in our basic health coverage to generate the extra monies needed for a good settlement.
Well, we know what we want, but we are more than a little cautious about what the City wants. Changes in health benefits are properly decided by the Municipal Labor Committee and so that negotiation may have to come first.
So, the good news is that we are hearing more than usual at this stage and expect to hear more still as the weeks pass.
If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline - January 1, 2018
A Happy New Year to all of our members and retirees. The big news this week is that next week, on January 8th, OSA and most civilian non-pedagogical unions will sit down alongside DC37 in its collective bargaining with the City.
Historically, civilian coalition bargaining did occur under the leadership of Victor Gotbaum and Stanley Hill. Then, once DC37 fell into receivership, the practice took a twenty year break. During those twenty years, on occasion, Randi Weingarten of the United Federation of Teachers did attempt coalition bargaining with some major successes, but also some disappointments.
OSA, particularly, made efforts to encourage both Randi and Lillian Roberts of DC37 to go the coalition route, but our efforts fell short of success. However, as of next Monday, our persistence has persuaded Henry Garrido, leader of DC37, to return to the prior practice.
This does, by no means, guarantee, either speedy or entirely pleasing results, but it is still better for more of us to be united in seeking gains for our members.
So, we start 2018 on a cautiously hopeful note and that is a good way to start a year.
Most appropriately, our Activist Classroom Training session, set for January, will focus on Negotiations. If you are interested, call John LaGuardia at the union office to sign up for training.
Please check back on Tuesday, January 9th so we can give a report fresh from the bargaining table.
If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:
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