This is money that UFT members would have earned had they received 4% raises in 2009 and 2010.

Tens of thousands of UFT-represented employees will receive in October the fourth of five lump-sum payments associated with the 2014 DOE-UFT contract. Because UFT members have a union that fights for them, eligible UFT-represented employees are entitled to be compensated for the two 4 percent raises that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave to members of some municipal unions in 2009 and 2010 but refused to give to public school educators and other city employees at the time.

When Bill de Blasio became mayor, he agreed to pay the money owed but said the city could not afford to pay it all at one time, so the UFT negotiated a contract in 2014 that ensures UFT-represented employees will be made whole by 2020.

In accordance with that contract, UFT-represented employees currently on payroll who worked for the Department of Education between 2009 and 2018 (or a portion of that period) and have been continuously employed will receive a lump-sum payment in October of 25 percent of the amount they accrued between those years. That payment, which will be added to a regularly scheduled paycheck, is the fourth of five lump-sum payments between 2015 and 2020. (UFT-represented employees received the first payment of 12.5 percent of money owed in 2015, the second payment of 12.5 percent of money owed in 2017 and the third payment of 25 percent of money owed in 2018.)

Think of it as a bank account. If you have been continuously employed, you have been depositing money in this account since Nov. 1, 2009. This October, you‘ll make your fourth withdrawal.

If you are on paid parental leave for the October payment and return to work by the last day of February in 2020, you will get your lump-sum payment on March 15, 2020, instead. If you return to work after the last day of February, you will receive both your missed payment and the final lump-sum payment in October 2020, provided you are back on payroll by then.

If you are on another form of unpaid leave this October, you will receive your money on the date of the next scheduled lump-sum payment that you are back on payroll.

Members’ TDA will be updated, along with all other payroll contributions and deductions.

This October’s lump-sum payment follows a 2 percent salary increase that all UFT-represented DOE employees received on Feb. 14, 2019, and precedes another 2.5 percent pay increase that takes effect on May 14, 2020.

If you have questions or concerns about your lump sum payment, file a lump sum inquiry form with the UFT.