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. 

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.” 

Per diem or other part-time employees must work a minimum of 30 days in the 12 months ending on April 1 to be eligible to receive the retention bonus, which will be paid to them on June 3. The amount will be prorated based on the number of hours they worked during those 12 months. 

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 May 1. UFT-represented employees who are not on payroll on April 1 but return to payroll within three years — such as members on long-term childcare leave — will receive the retention bonus on a prorated basis on or about May 1 of the following year. Members who retired after April 1, 2024 and who are eligible for the retention bonus will be paid via a paper check mailed to the address on file with the DOE.

This annual bonus will be paid every year at the beginning of May in perpetuity to all UFT-represented employees. The bonus will increase to $700 in 2025; $1,000 in 2026; and $1,035 in 2027. The bonus will continue to go up with collective bargaining increases.

For additional information, see our Contract 2023 FAQ »