The news this week is that we will have a guest speaker for our Activist Classroom Training (ACT). The guest speaker is Richard Steier, editor of the civil service newspaper, The Chief.

Richie is the authority on our world of civil service. His work goes back to the early 1980s. He will be talking about both current and past affairs of our small world.

The session will take place after the general membership meeting set for this Thursday evening. First will come the meeting, then a break for food and then the guest speaker.

The Chief is our own newspaper of record. For over 100 years, civil servants have been covered by the paper and it is the only consistent media advocate for civil servants in our city.

Editor Steier has devoted his life to recording our history and so, we are fortunate to have him spend some time with us.

If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:

AUDIO November 27, 2017

The municipal unions are currently spending many hours planning how to respond to the Supreme Court case known as Janus vs. AFSCME. This case, brought by right wing anti-union sponsors, is likely to put an end to the collection of agency shop fees in New York City and State.

The logic of the case is that you should not be forced to pay for the services provided by a union if you disagree, politically, with the union.

So, if a union does negotiate better wages or benefits for you, you should still be free not to pay anything in return unless you want to do so.

As soon as the currently conservative Supreme Court considers and votes on this case, it is expected that a large percentage of workers covered by the municipal unions will choose to stop paying to support union activities.

This will, of course, weaken the unions and that, certainly, is the goal of the Supreme Court case.

OSA, itself, has always kept our union dues low, due to our use of our many wonderful, experienced and idealistic volunteers, but we will still be hurt by the case once it is decided against us.

It could be worse. If the right wing had its way entirely, we would find unions being outlawed as they were in the 1700s. Of course, if they outlaw justice, we could still be outlaws together, and we would.

If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:

AUDIO November 20, 2017

We received a letter last week from Harry Nespoli, Chairperson of the Municipal Labor Committee. In the letter, Harry thanks all of the union leaders for their efforts to get out the vote to defeat the ConCon that would have put our pensions at risk.

As we are all aware, the ConCon was defeated.

Harry concludes: “Never forget, in unity there is strength.” We do not forget. Well done to all of us who voted last week.

If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:

AUDIO November 13, 2017

There is no more important topic this week than the need to vote, on Tuesday, against holding a constitutional convention in New York State.

You will have to turn the ballot over to find the place to vote NO, but please do so. The New York State Constitution guarantees that our pensions will not be diminished. We like that rule. It seems fair that after we have given our entire lives to serve the public, the rules will not be changed when it is too late for us to start over.

Vote. Vote NO.

If you'd like to listen to this week's newsline as an audio file, click on this link:

AUDIO November 6, 2017