There is a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Municipal Labor Committee this morning. These days, we get together to discuss minor issues, such as the change in the Transit Pass program. Real negotiations are not yet being offered by the City.

The Transit Pass program is being changed in minor ways and the information is going out to those of our members using the pre-tax program. The new system is to offer a prepaid commuter card that can be used to buy a monthly Metrocard or to pay for suburban public transport and even for transit connected parking.

There are two problems mentioned with the new card. First, Congress may not continue the current $230 per month tax break. If not, the maximum tax break will be $120 per month. Second, there is a fear that there will be a small fee per month for use of the card in some circumstances, but that should not affect members using only a Metrocard.

Rob Spencer, Sheila Gorsky and a dozen other union staffers are working hard to prepare for the 40th Anniversary Party set for December 9th. It should be very nice that evening.

For those celebrating, a very Happy Chanukah this week.

There was good news last week. The MTA board met and approved out Transit Authority contract. As a result, our TA members will receive their 4% and 4% and 0.1% raises soon. The entire time period of the contract - 2008 to 2010 - went by during negotiations, so there will be a very sizable retroactive payment due, as well as the raise in salary, for our Transit Authority members.

We will not know when the actual monies will arrive for a couple of weeks, but we hope it arrives before Christmas.

There was bad news also last week. The Mayor’s budget looks to cut 6,000 positions over the next 18 months. Some details of the projected layoffs were given, but not enough to tell us if our members are affected or, if so, how many.

At our general membership meeting last Thursday, a slate of candidates was nominated for the next two years and nominations will remain open for ten days after the meeting.

Also discussed was the OSA 40th anniversary celebration. One active member reported that some of her co-workers were convinced that OSA was holding a holiday party, as well as a 40th anniversary party. No, we don’t have that much energy. One huge event in December is all we can manage. The December 9th affair is our combined anniversary/holiday party. Now, the anniversary aspect has caused the event to be a bit more lavish than other years, but it is also the holiday party as well.

If you have not yet signed up for the party, do so right away or you’ll miss a nice night out. If you have not yet registered for this once-in-forty-years occasion, either send in your registration or, if you lost the form, download another by clicking this link. Even though the form says the deadline was November 19th, you have a little leeway here. So send for your tickets.

The 40th Anniversary party set for Thursday, December 9th is shaping up nicely. For the first time in history, all ten chairpersons of the Organization of Staff Analysts and its predecessor organization, The Council of Personnel Examiners, will get together all at one time.

Joan Doheny reports that she has now contacted and has received positive answers from all of the prior chairs going back to the year 1970.

In addition, the committee setting up the party has gone to great lengths to make the party memorable and extra nice. Two sorts of live music, a variety of souvenirs of the occasion, and the normal excellent food and drink.

If you have not yet registered for this once-in-forty-years occasion, either send in your registration or, if you lost the form, download another by clicking this link.

This Thursday is OSA’s general membership meeting and, on the agenda, will be nominations for OSA and OSART offices for the next two years. All members are invited and the meeting should start promptly at 6pm. The location is 220 East 23rd Street between Second and Third Avenues, Suite 707.

A mailing went out last week and should have been received by you by now or by this evening. If you don’t get the mail by Wednesday, you should call George at the union office so he can send you a copy and check the mailing address.

The letter does include a recommendation to vote no on Question #2 on Tuesday, simply because Question #2 has seven sub-questions and is demanding a single YES or NO vote for all of these separate questions. Now that is either suspicious or else insulting. Is Mayor Bloomberg’s Charter Revision Commission trying to put one over on us by the seven unrelated questions? Almost certainly, so vote no.

Our mailing does not endorse specific candidates, but we do favor voting on the Working Families Party line whenever possible. Meanwhile, however you vote, remember to vote. It is extremely important.

The contents of the mailing can also be viewed on this website by clicking this link for the October edition of the OSA Newsletter.

And don't forget, the union office is closed for Election Day.