Chapter Leader UpdateMay 2, 2024

$400 retention bonus to be paid on May 16

The first annual retention bonus negotiated as part of the 2023 DOE-UFT contract will be paid on May 16. All UFT-represented employees who worked full-time during the 12 months leading up to April 1, 2024, will receive $400 as a supplemental check in their bank account. Per diem or other part-time employees who worked a minimum of 30 days during those 12 months will receive a pro-rated bonus on June 3. The UFT was furious with this year's delay in payment — the contract stipulates "on or about May 1" — and extracted a commitment from the DOE that it would make next year's payment before May 5. "The DOE once again can't get its act together to pay us on time," said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. " It's infuriating that they can't fulfill this basic obligation to their employees. They should hold themselves to the same high standards that they hold us to." UFT-represented employees must have been on payroll on April 1, 2024, to receive the payment on May 16. This group includes employees on sabbatical leave, military leave with pay and paid parental leave on April 1. Read more details about this payment.

McGrath is our candidate for TRS trustee in May 8 vote

Please let your chapter's members know that Christina McGrath is the UFT's endorsed candidate in the May 8 election for teacher-member on the New York City Teachers' Retirement System board. In February, the UFT Delegate Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution recommending that UFT members support McGrath. I n-service members who belong to TRS will vote in schools this coming Wednesday, May 8, in elections administered by the DOE. McGrath was a UFT chapter leader for 18 years and has worked in the union's Pension Department for more than 20 years. She is committed to the fight to fix Tier 6 and has played a key role in strategizing to help shape the union's campaign. Read more about Christina McGrath's background and qualifications.

Next steps in school chapter elections

School chapters must hold their election for chapter leader, delegate and paraprofessional representative in May or June. Check in with your school's election committee to confirm that it has posted a Notice of Election on the UFT bulletin board with a lis t of the positions to be filled, procedures for nominations, and an election calendar with the final date for nominations and the date of the election. If your chapter is holding an election, members should know the names of those running unopposed for uni on office and the names of candidates competing for one of the positions at your school. If you are not running for re-election as chapter leader, you can share this information with your members via email on behalf of your election committee chair. If you are running for another term, please share your email distribution list of chapter members with your committee chair so the chair can inform the rest of the chapter about who is running for election. See detailed guidance in the Chapter Elections 2024 section of the UFT website. If your school has not received its election packet in the mail, please call the UFT election hotline at 212-331-6310 immediately. If you have any other questions or concerns, please call the hotline.

City budget fight ahead

Mayor Adams released an executive budget on April 24 that reversed some of his planned cuts to schools, but the DOE would still see its budget shrink by 2.4%, or $808 million, largely because of expiring federal pandemic funding for schools. The mayor offs et some federal funding for pre-K with city money for just the coming school year, but he left in place $170 million in cuts to 3-K and pre-K. The UFT will be working with the City Council to ensure the final city budget contains the needed funding for early childhood education.

Thanks to new restrictions put in place as part of this year's state budget, the mayor cannot cut overall city funding for schools unless there is a fiscal emergency. The state budget agreement also added safeguards that ensure that the money the city spends on education includes reducing class sizes and building additional classroom seats where needed so every school can meet the requirements of the class size law over the next four years of the phase-in process. Under the state budget agreement, the city can no longer use increased state aid as a reason to reduce its own investment in our schools either. 

Don't miss our all-member town hall next Tuesday

Encourage your members to register for our virtual town hall on Tuesday, May 7, at 4:15 p.m. UFT President Michael Mulgrew will discuss the union's recent legislative victories in Albany, including a change to Tier 6, and will answer members' questions on the class size campaign, school budgets and other topics. All school-based UFT members received their email invitation to the town hall on May 1. The registration link in each email is unique to that member, so it should not be forwarded or shared.

Show your appreciation for teachers and nurses

Teacher Appreciation Week begins on Monday, May 6, and National School Nurse Day is Wednesday, May 8. It's a chance to acknowledge these hard-working members of your school community. If you are organizing an activity next week to show appreciation, please send your best photo (large-size resolution) with caption information, including your school, neighborhood and borough, to uftphotos@gmail.com so we can share it on the UFT's social media platforms. Use the hashtag #ThankATeacher when posting Teacher Appreciation Week photos on your own social media accounts. Tag the UFT on Instagram (@uftny) or Twitter/X (@uft) on these posts.