Union Activist Training Resources
The union is presently providing training for chapter chairs, delegates and activists to improve their skills in representing the union and its members. Those who are not presently active but wish to become active in the union are also taking part. The Activist Classroom Training (ACT) began in May, 2017 and is continuing this fall. Even if you have not yet signed up for the training, you can still do so by completing and returning the form you can find at this link:
Activist Classroom Training Sign-up Form
What does the training cover? The program and schedule for the training sessions is as follows:
You can sign up for any of the information sessions/seminars by completing and returning the coupons you can find under the Member Services tab on this website. The sign-ups are under Pre-Retirement Seminar, Pension Basics Seminar, Disciplinary Issues Seminar, OSA Benefits Seminar and Civil Service Seminar.
At the initial session, an illustrated history of OSA was handed out, along with an article about a successful union campaign in the 1970s waged by the Social Service Employees Union/Local 371 to keep a Bronx welfare center open and a copy of Plunkett of Tammany Hall, a short and entertaining series of essays on the work of a Tammany Hall district leader, George Washington Plunkett. The union history and the essay on the early 70's campaign can also be downloaded/viewed at these links:
Illustrated History of the Organization of Staff Analysts
Video Links At the first training session in May, OSA Chair Bob Croghan presented a few excerpts from an hour-long video he recorded on the union's history and the role of the delegate and activist in the union. You can view the full 60 minute video here:
At the second training session in September, OSA Chair Croghan presented four short videos that had originally been produced for the union's organizing drive to represent NYC Health+Hospitals employees in the Senior Consultant (Management Information Services) title, a campaign in which OSA was challenged for the title by District Council 37. The videos explain the reason OSA does not provide a drug benefit through its welfare fund and the strength of the vision, dental, superimposed major medical and other benefits provided by our fund. You can view those videos below:
OSA Chair Bob Croghan Discusses the Union's Vision and Hearing Benefits
OSA Chair Bob Croghan Discusses the Union's Disability, Death and Survivors' Benefits
OSA Chair Bob Croghan Discusses the Union's Dental Benefit
OSA Chair Bob Croghan Discusses the Union's Superimposed Major Medical Benefit
You might also find this flyer of some help in explaining our union's Welfare Fund benefits to members on location. It also includes a a chart comparing OSA and DC37 fund benefits a couple of years ago, during the same election campaign for which the videos above were produced. It helps explain why different unions choose to expend the same Welfare Fund contribution in different ways.