Leaving work for the purpose of cancer screening for up to four hours per year is considered paid leave and you do not have to use your sick time. This time is allowable for all types of cancer screenings. 

Accommodations will be made for DOE employees requesting time off for the purpose of cancer screening. Requests for such time off must be made in advance and in writing. Approval must be granted by the principal or his/her designee, as long as such request does not substantially disrupt the normal operation of the office/school. 

In the event that the office head or principal determines that the number of requests would cause a substantial disruption, then the office head or principal can limit the granting of such excused leave to a reasonable number of staff requesting it on the same day and deny the other requests until a more appropriate time.

Read the DOE's personnel memo detailing this policy » 

There are certain reasons that a member may be absent from work but still be paid, and without being required to use a CAR day, that are called “non-attendance” days. Here are the reasons you may be able to apply for a non-attendance day:

• appearance for jury duty or jury qualification/selection
• death of family member
• funeral of an associate
• receiving a degree or a graduation ceremony
• appearance on official business
• appearance as disinterested witness
• extraordinary transportation delay
• legislative hearing
• military duty
• quarantine
• requirement of the school system
• religious observance
• school visits and meetings within New York City

View or download the OP-201 form needed to apply for a non-attendance day absence. 

If you would like that option, teachers may choose to be videotaped during their Initial Planning Conference with their evaluator. Videotaping can’t happen without a teacher’s consent on the form that is handed in during the IPC.

You may find the NYCDOE media consent form here: https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/consent_form_revised35.pdf, and one for any materials filmed in conjunction with the UFT: https://www.uft.org/sites/default/files/attachments/uft-consent-form.pdf.

They must be signed by a student's parent or guardian and only apply to videos for non-profit usage (educational, public service, health awareness, etc.). Video taping for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

A school's chapter leader and chapter consultation committee has the right to review as well as to provide input into spending decisions. The principal is also required to share school budgetary information with their faculty. To learn more about reading budgets and finding your school's budget online, visit the UFT's budget tutorial online: https://www.uft.org/sites/default/files/attachments/reading-budgets-tutorial.pdf. 

NYSUT offers a legal services plan that covers wills and a variety of other services, which UFT members are eligible to join. For more information and how to enroll, visit the NYSUT website at: https://memberbenefits.nysut.org/program-service/legal-and-financial/legal-service-plan. 

UFT Chapter Leaders receive an annual stipend of $6 per member they represent. They also have an opportunity to receive additional funds, based on a points system, if they are more active participants in union matters and meetings. 

Contact the UFT membership department in writing, either by emailing membership [at] uft [dot] org (membership[at]uft[dot]org), or by sending a written request to the UFT Membership Department, 52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004.

Contact the UFT membership department in writing, either by emailing membership [at] uft [dot] org (membership[at]uft[dot]org) or by sending a written request to the UFT Membership Department, 52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004.

We don't publish obituaries in the UFT paper, but they are published on our UFT Honors web site at https://ufthonors.uft.org.

Please fill out our online form to tell us about the life of a UFT member who has died.