In reaction to one of my columns on the union’s endorsement procedure, I received a message from Ed Beller, a retiree colleague who has a different view on the politics of endorsement. It set me to thinking about the positive nature of internal union discussions on such matters.

If you are a new retiree, you will notice that full in-service dues were deducted from your summer pay checks. There is no need to request a refund. Upon receipt of all the dues records for UFT members from various city agencies, the accounting department will automatically calculate a refund for all eligible members and send them a check.

Members who are retiring at the end of the school year will receive four summer checks.

If you’re planning to choose a new bank to electronically receive your monthly retirement payments from the Teachers’ Retirement System, keep in mind the following so that you can avoid suspension of your Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).

The Retired Teachers Chapter has expanded from the handful of visionary retirees it was in the 1960s to a staggering membership approaching 70,000 activists who can tap into nearly six decades of achievement as our source of strength. 


When teachers went on strike in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky and North Carolina in the Teacher Spring of 2018, it was not just for themselves — although their pay, pensions and health insurance have been diminishing for the last decade. It was just as much for the students and the communities they serve, so that they might have the schools they deserve.