New UFT committees will drive our union work this year

Our successes from our contract and class size campaigns show what happens when you and your colleagues are at the forefront of the fight, standing together to make your voices heard. This school year, you will again be joining together to form citywide union committees to tackle six of the most significant issues needing member input this year: class size, high school graduation requirements, health care, early childhood education, virtual learning and technology in the classroom. Read the president's column on the new union committees from the Sept. 5 issue of the New York Teacher to learn more. You and your colleagues need to be at the table, identifying issues, shaping strategy and pushing for solutions. You are invited to join the union committee where you think you can make the most meaningful contribution. With collaboration comes power and voice. This committee work will be integral to our success. See our new section for committee updates below.

Report class size data to your district rep on Sept. 12 & 18

We negotiated powerful new provisions in the 2018 DOE-UFT contract that have provided teachers and their students much faster relief if classes exceed contractual class size limits at the start of the school year. Chapter leaders continue to play a central role in the process, which is separate and apart from implementation of the state's class size law. We need you to report class size data in your school to your UFT district representative on Day 6 (Thursday, Sept. 12), Day 10 (Wednesday, Sept. 18), Day 14 (Tuesday, Sept. 24) and Day 19 (Tuesday, Oct. 1).  Please obtain your school's RACL (elementary or middle schools) or Master Schedule Final (high schools), which indicates class sizes on these dates. You have 10 school days to try to come to an informal resolution with your principal. But instead of going directly to arbitration after that, most unresolved cases now go to your district representative and the superintendent to tackle. On the 21st day, unresolved cases escalate a step higher to the citywide Class Size Labor-Management Committee.

The 2018 contract created a special additional step for schools that are "chronically out of compliance," defined as having oversized classes for four of the past six school years. We are collecting class size data on Day 1 (this Thursday) for these schools only this year. These schools are escalated to the Class Size Labor-Management Committee once the overages are reported to the union. If the Class Size Labor-Management Committee cannot resolve the issue, the case is scheduled for expedited arbitration as soon as 10 days later — and no later than the 34th school day of the term. The arbitrator can issue a binding remedy within five school days that the DOE must implement in five school days.

Action you need to take: Send the class size data for your school on Days 6, 10, 14 and 19 of the new school year to your UFT district rep. Reach out to your district rep if you have any questions.

Your UFT consultation committee's work and the new report form

We have revamped and streamlined the consultation committee notes form based on the feedback we received from school chapter leaders. First, make sure that you have a UFT consultation committee that meets monthly with the principal at a mutually agreeable time. This committee has a critical purpose: to promote chapter voice; organize around important school issues; and discuss, advocate and attempt to resolve these issues at the school. As soon as you can after each meeting, but no later than the end of the following month, submit a consultation committee notes report, which can be found in the forms section of the Chapter Leader Hub. On the new and improved online form, select the topic of each agenda item at your meeting, its status (i.e. in progress / resolved / unresolved / escalated) and any relevant documents. Please include ALL agenda items. Your UFT district representative will receive a copy of your meeting summary. The rep may place unresolved issues on the UFT's monthly district consultation committee with the superintendent, or, if the same issue is reported by chapter leaders across the city, it can be escalated to the monthly consultation meeting at the chancellor's level, where UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Schools Chancellor David C. Banks discuss issues. When the UFT raises chapter issues in the consultation meetings at the district or chancellor's level, the data provided in chapter leaders' consultation committee notes give us greater leverage because we have documentary evidence of the problem. Read more about the role and responsibilities of the UFT consultation committee.

See you this Saturday at the Labor Parade

We will be a sea of UFT blue this Saturday, Sept.7, in one of the largest Labor Parades in New York City in recent history. The UFT contingent will be more than 1,000 members strong as we march with other city unions in a demonstration of the vitality and importance of the labor movement in New York City. Starting at 11 a.m., at our assembly point on East 46th Street in midtown Manhattan, we'll enjoy music from a DJ and free food from food trucks. Around 12:30 p.m., we'll begin our march up Fifth Avenue to the end point at East 66th Street. You must pre-register. Each registrant will receive a wristband, access to free food and drink, and a UFT T-shirt. We hope to see you there!

Action your chapter can take: Use the hashtags #LDP2024 and #UnionProud and tag the UFT when you post your own photos from the parade on social media.

Create a team for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Every October, thousands of UFT members come together to participate in a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in the five boroughs and on Long Island. Chapter leaders can create teams for their chapter members to fundraise and support one another. To form a team, select a walk and then click "Sign Up." When it's time to name your team, be sure to include "UFT" in the name. Let your chapter's members know your team's name so they can select it when they sign up to walk. This year, the walks in Manhattan (Central Park), Queens (Flushing Meadows Corona Park) and Long Island (Jones Beach State Park) will take place on Sunday, Oct. 20. The walks in Brooklyn (Coney Island), the Bronx (Bay Plaza Shopping Center) and Staten Island (Midland Beach) will take place on Sunday, Oct. 27. More details, including the online registration form and each walk's UFT Strides coordinator, can be found on the UFT website.

Set up your team