| OSA Newsline -- January 31, 2022
Last week's newsline mentioned that we were bargaining for three separate unit contracts, each with its own unique demands, plus the standard pattern demands. In response came a number of curious members asking what sort of unique demands were being negotiated.
At present, there are no other negotiations going on, so we will go into some detail.
Our uniformed forces from School Safety and Traffic Enforcement consist of high ranking officers who spend a lot of time filling out reports and analyzing work flow. They are unique however, in that they are commanders of uniformed subordinates within the Police Department. Over the past two years, OSA had been arguing their case against being transferred out of the Police Department and back into the Departments of Transportation and Education. We were joined in this by Local 237 Teamsters and the United Federation of Teachers, and by one mayoral candidate, Eric Adams. Since Mayor Adams won, we are not expecting the transfers to go forward.
Nevertheless, there are other unique demands. The recent increase in gun violence - and especially in attacks on Police Officers - made reasonable a demand for bullet proof vests. We would also like bullet proofing be added to the cars our members use while on the job in uniform. In addition to each of these unique but reasonable demands, there is a need for a significant increase in the annual uniform allowance. None of this applies to our other members, nor should it.
Our Transit Authority members also have unique demands and needs. There never was a City residency requirement for our TA members and, as a result, many of them live outside of the five boroughs. They do get a transit pass good for free bus and subway transit and that is great and most appropriate. They do not now get free transportation on either the LIRR or Metro North. They should. This is important to them and to OSA.
A second unique demand relates to timekeeping. The Transit Authority timekeeping system is archaic and requires accumulation of leave for a year before it can be used. There are also limitations on overtime that appear nowhere else and need to be discarded.
Finally, our brothers and sisters at the Department of Education often arrive there by way of transfer of units from City agencies to the DOE. For this reason, we have members getting a retroactive raise paid from our most recent contract by the agency from which they came. However, the DOE did not automatically pick up those raises as of the date of transfer. Thus, a unique demand for DOE to catch up with what has already occurred.
A second demand relates to the "Earlene Sperling" rule in our Citywide contract. During the administration of Mayor Giuliani, a few workers were fired with no justification. These workers had an average of twenty years of service in the Human Resources Specialist title. They had also passed the Analyst exams and were serving their year's probation in their new title.
Their agency had insisted they resign their prior title, assuring them it was a formality. Then, they were fired while on probation.
Our union was furious and so were the unions from which the fired workers had come. At the next Citywide contract negotiation, a rule was put into the contract. From then on, if you are a permanent employee in any City title and accept appointment in another permanent title, you have the right to return to your first job if you fail probation on the new job.
The Department of Education claims it is not covered by the Citywide agreement and, as a result, we have a demand relating to that issue.
There are other unique demands, but the ones cited here hopefully clarify why our different units would have such demands.
Please check back again in two weeks.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
We have now had our initial negotiating session for each of our three remaining contracts. Separate and distinct from the main unit contract are our Department of Education contract, our Transit Authority contract and our contract for our uniformed officers in the Police Department.
All of these contracts will be influenced by patterns already established by the larger contracts, but each will be a bit different.
Adam Orgel led the teams of negotiators from each division in formulating demands, some of which are the same - raises and Welfare Fund increases, for example - but some are unique to each section.
We have now delivered these demands at formal negotiating sessions and we are awaiting management's responses in each case.
The basic pattern was set by the De Blasio administration, but we are interested in the response of the newly incumbent Adams administration to the unique demands of these units.
Members of OSA will be kept aware of our progress in these talks as we go on.
Finally, take a look at the OSA photo gallery section of this site for photos from both the 2019 and 2021 OSA Holiday parties.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
NYC Health + Hospitals has informed the union that it was not able to meet the schedule of 2017-21 contract raises that it previously outlined and which we published in an earlier newsline. According to information from the agency's labor relations department, this is where we presently stand:
2016-2017 Lump Sum Retro for CBA, Jr CBA, Sr Consultant MIS - Was Paid On November 26, 2021
August 25, 2017 2% General Wage Increase - Was Paid On December 10, 2021 (for per annum employees) and December 17, 2021 (for hourly employees)
August 25, 2018 2.25% General Wage Increase - Was Paid On December 23, 2021 (for per annum employees)
August 25, 2018 2.25% General Wage Increase - Was Paid On December 30, 2021 (for hourly Employees)
September 25, 2019 Longevity Increases for current and new titles - Was Paid On January 7, 2022
September 25, 2019 3.00% General Wage Increase (Hourly Employees) - Was Scheduled To Be Paid on January 14, 2022
Employees Who Missed The August 25, 2017 2% General Wage Increase (and received notification from the agency by email) - Were Scheduled To Be Paid On January 21, 2022
September 25, 2019 3.00% General Wage Increase(Per Annum Employees) - Previously Scheduled To Be Paid on January 21 Is Now Scheduled To Be Paid February 4, 2022
September 5, 2021 Longevity Increases for current and new titles - Are Now Scheduled To Be Paid on February 18, 2022
After the February 18th payroll period, if you believe you have not been correctly paid, please file a payroll inquiry with your facility's payroll department first. If, after that, you have further questions, please call the grievance department at the union.
The rollout of the raises at NYC Health + Hospitals has been deeply disappointing and we have expressed our concern about that fact to the agency. If we learn of any further changes to the payment schedule, we will update the information in a future newsline.
Today, we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Last week, Bob Crawford passed away. Most current members of OSA have never heard of Bob but, back in 1978, Bob was a key member of a team called the Committee to Move the Staff Analyst List.
The 1978 list had 1,685 names on it, but the City was unwilling to hire any candidate not already serving as a provisional Analyst. This was unfair, unjust, and illegal.
The Committee was formed, led by Mike Sejan, Arnie Kingston, Richard Walters and Bob Crawford. Union resources, such as a place to meet, postage, paper, and legal consulting were provided and a long fight began.
At the end, the Committee saw complete victory as the City caved in and began to follow the law.
From that day to this, OSA has been a strong pro-civil service union.
We mourn the loss of Brother Crawford and celebrate his successful fight for justice.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
There is news this week. Promotional lists for Associate Staff Analyst and Administrative Staff Analyst have been established. Please call Sheila at the union office if you have been promoted or are being called to a hiring pool for either title.
The Human Resources Administration is calling a promotional pool for Administrative Staff Analyst this Friday, January 14th.
If you know someone on the list that is not a member of OSA, please have them call Sheila also.
Next, our current negotiations are going on. Not the main union contract for the next period, but our Transit Authority, Police and Department of Education contract negotiations. The Transit Authority and Police have already met on Zoom and, this Wednesday, it will be the Department of Education's turn.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
Happy New Year to all of our active and retired members!
DCAS has now established the new promotional Administrative Staff Analyst list from Exam #9536. The list is posted on this website on the "Exams, Lists and Training" page by agency and score. The old Open Competitive Admin list from Exam #5011 remains active - for now.
DCAS has also established the Open Competitive Associate Staff Analyst list from Exam #9061. The old Open Competitive list from ASA exam #5014 is no longer active. The Promotional Associate Staff Analyst list from Exam #9537 was previously established and has been sent to all agencies.
Please call Sheila at the OSA office at 212-686-1229 and let her know if you are called from any of the lists.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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