Build on the energy from this week’s teach-in

The hard work put into holding teach-ins all across the city was evident this week. Close to 1,000 schools led by chapter leaders and other Contract Action Team members joined together to both inform and activate members on a whole new level. The photos you shared with the union were fantastic. Check out our Facebook album and our Instagram story. We will be in touch with more planned actions soon. We have been hearing from chapter leaders everywhere that their membership showed incredible levels of engagement. Your work generated new energy and interest in the work of our union, and you can use this moment to build. What questions did members have? What issues concerned them? It’s a good time to encourage colleagues to join your consultation committee, increase attendance at your chapter meetings and give them other ways to connect with and be an active part of the union. If they showed a particular interest in organizing around our contract negotiations, please urge them to join the CAT team.

UFT to fight Gov. Hochul’s plan to increase charters

Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed on Feb. 1 to significantly increase the number of charter schools in New York City. If her proposal becomes part of the final state budget, it could lead to as many as 106 new charter schools opening in New York City. Under each charter, chains may open elementary, middle and high schools in separate locations, so the total increase could be, in fact, more than 300 new schools. Hochul plans to scrap the regional cap on charters in the city and revive so-called “zombie” charters held by now-closed schools. Her plan was immediately pilloried by the UFT, NYSUT and key state lawmakers. “Gov. Hochul is right to fully fund public education, but wrong to try to expand charter schools,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “Public resources should go to real public schools — not to corporate charter chains that claim success by refusing to serve our most vulnerable children, that force out students who don't fit their mold, and that refuse to permit independent audits of their spending.” Under a law foisted on the city by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City is required to provide free space for charters in its school buildings or reimburse their rent. Of the 275 charter schools currently in New York City, 128 are in DOE-owned or DOE-leased buildings and 147 are in non-DOE space. New York City public school buildings need all their available space to lower class size. The rental aid the DOE pays for charter schools grew to $153.4 million in the 2021-22 school year, 15 times higher than the $10.2 million it paid in 2014‑15.

Federation of Nurses/UFT members ratify contract

Federation of Nurses/UFT members who are licensed practical nurses with VNS Health on Jan. 26 overwhelmingly ratified a contract that provides a 6.6% increase in base salaries over two years while preserving current premium-free health benefits and establishing a forum to address the important issue of caseload. “Our union team was committed to addressing the concerns of all our members,” said UFT Vice President Anne Goldman, who leads the Federation of Nurses/UFT. The contract went into effect on Feb. 1 and runs through January 2025. The contract features a 3% hike taking effect on April 1, 2023, followed by a 3.5% increase on April 1, 2024, raising the base salary by a minimum of $4,200 in just more than a year. The agreement also establishes a regular opportunity for dialogue dedicated to case assignment issues, and it makes tuition reimbursement more accessible.

Support your paras at their annual awards luncheon

Come out to support paraprofessionals from your school at this year's annual Paraprofessional Festival and Awards Luncheon, which takes place on Saturday, March 25, at the New York Hilton at 1335 Sixth Ave., from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s theme is “Remembering the Past as We Embrace the Future.” The keynote speaker is AFT Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, who began her career as a paraprofessional and rose to become the first Latina officer in our national union’s history. In addition to the awards ceremony, the event offers breakfast, CTLE workshops on a range of relevant topics, a carnival with games and prizes, a bag full of wellness freebies, a chance to win raffle prizes and a luncheon. The registration fee is $25 per person. Paras who would like to take a workshop for CTLE hours pay an additional fee of $7.50 for each workshop attended. School Leadership Team members may use funds allocated to the team to pay for registration fees by using a school-generated event purchase order. For detailed instructions on how to pay by purchase order, see this UFT purchase order memo.

Register now