| OSA Newsline -- November 29, 2021
Happy Hanukkah, a bit early this year!
The November General Membership meeting devolved into a YouTube presentation thanks to COVID and technical difficulties. One upside to that is that you can view it at your leisure.
Topics covered came from questions sent in to our office before the meeting. Topics include a review of how to calculate retroactive pay, an update on negotiations in progress, and a report on the changes on senior health benefits and still more.
Those who were unable to attend the Pension and Pre-Retirement seminars on Zoom several weeks ago can now view the meetings on the Member Services tab on the website. There are buttons for each seminar.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline -- November 22, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving week.
We will be recording a YouTube "meeting" this week and it should be available by the holiday. We were getting a number of questions sent in to be answered at the meeting. If you have a question please send it to Megan at mwofsy@osaunion.org.
Questions so far are often about the raises due and the possible movement of civil service exam lists.
One question, over and over, concerns a confusion about two numbers. The rate increase comes out to over 7% but the total amount due to someone on board since 2017, in our title, adds up to over 21%.
Details at the meeting.
One area we are still in suspense about is the court's decision on the Medicare Advantage program. They are meeting this week.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline -- November 15, 2021
Our mailing house has disappointed us with the slowness of their processing our most recent general membership mailing. This is especially bad because of the Holiday Party coupons enclosed in the mail.
The coupon for active employees can also be found as a part of the electronic version of the mailing on this website on the November OSA Newsletter tab. Still, failure to get the hard copy out already is upsetting.
There is no news on the retiree health care front. The switch towards Medicare Advantage remains frozen in court. The bright side of that is that it gives the City more time to work out details.
We will probably not be hosting an in-person meeting for November for many reasons.
A "YouTube meeting" will substitute instead. OSA Chair Bob Croghan will address current issues in pre-recorded segments posted to the union's website. If a member has a question they would like answered or a topic they would like discussed, please send it to Megan at mwofsy@osaunion.org.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline -- Special Update -- November 10, 2021
We have received additional information from the Office of Labor Relations (OLR) about tentative paydates for retro and longevities for OSA members employed by New York City Health + Hospitals:
Tentative Pay Dates:
2016-2017 Lump Sum Retro for Clinical Business Analysts, Jr Clinical Business Analysts, Sr Consultants MIS - November 26, 2021
August 25, 2017 2% General Wage Increase - December 10, 2021 (per annum employees) and December 17, 2021 (hourly employees)
August 25, 2018 2.25% General Wage Increase - December 23, 2021 (per annum employees) and December 30, 2021 (hourly employees)
September 25, 2019 Longevity Increases for current and new titles - January 7, 2022
September 25, 2019 3% General Wage Increase - January 21, 2022 (per annum employees) and January 14, 2022 (hourly employees)
September 5, 2021 Longevity Increases for current and new titles - February 18, 2022
OLR has also provided the following update about a small number of members whose jobs were transferred in July of 2019 from the Administration For Children's Services to the Department of Education. For these individuals only:
"ACS will pay out any former OSA employees up until their time ended with ACS. Deferred compensation will not be deducted from the ACS retro check, so the 10/26 DCP adjustment deadline is not relevant. Checks will be available for pickup from ACS payroll on Friday 11/26. Uncollected checks will be mailed by Monday 11/29. Keep in mind, ACS normally send checks to the last known address in their system, so members should ensure their mailing address is up to date in Employee Self Service."
Our general mailing was delayed, but is now at the mailing house. Those who can't wait can go to the OSA Newsletter section of this website and click on the November 2021 News From OSA, where it is already posted.
The mailing includes calculations for raises due later this month for many members. It also includes an invitation to our December holiday party for all members. There is still more, but those are two of the most requested items.
You can download our recently signed agreement related to religious and health exemptions to the current vaccine mandate. If you are appealing, please read the rules first before you call the grievance section.
You can read the agreement at this link:
Agreement On Exemptions To The Vaccine Mandate
Finally, the OSA Welfare Fund trustees have responded to the late wave of vaccinations by extending the $500 Health Benefit Award deadline to December 31st. Those of our members recently vaccinated will thus qualify for the award.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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| OSA Newsline -- November 1, 2021
The vaccine mandate comes into effect for many of our members today. Our union has been negotiating, along with other civilian unions and health benefits, for now, will continue for those members who refuse the vaccine.
We do wish the City had handled this better.
Meanwhile, we have to vote this week, if we have not already voted. Our union's leadership has endorsed Eric Adams for Mayor. We feel his Civil Service background may enable him to be sympathetic to us.
Nonetheless, vote as you will, but do vote always.
If you would like to listen to this newsline as an audio file, please click on this link:
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