• Spring 2005
• Message from the Chair
• A Para's Right:
  Protective Gloves and
  Other Gear
• New York State Requirements for All
  Full-Time Paraprofessionals
  HIred After 2/1/04
• UFT protecting your right to a pension
• Honor Roll
• Child care subsidy
• Letters to the Parascope
• UFT Paraprofessional Social Services
• DOE/OSH HOTLINE

UFT Protecting your right to a pension

With the threat of privatization of Social Security coupled with increasing threats on public employee pension benefits, the UFT is very concerned about paras who have not yet joined the Teachers’ Retirement System. The union has tried for years to have legislation passed in Albany to mandate paras into the TRS — but our efforts have not yet proved successful.

Of the 17,600 paras working in the New York City public school system, an amazing 13,000 have joined TRS. Still, 4,500 or so haven’t yet joined. If you are one of these, it is really important for your future that you do.

The UFT is so concerned about this that the teacher trustees of the TRS have worked to develop an easy form to enable you to join. A letter explaining all the benefits and this easy form has been mailed to you.

Please do fill it out and return it for your own and for your family’s sake.