Program Preferences

I want to assure you that our program preference rights continue in the new contract. We have been working closely with those members whose preference rights have been violated. As your chapter leader, I fought for us to have these rights and we will not surrender them.

You will recall that in early April I reminded the DOE's Division of Support Services to issue the yearly letter on our program preference and retention rights. They refused. So I, along with Vice President Carmen Alvarez and other UFT officials met several times with the DOE to resolve the issue. We informed DOE officials that our preferences were to an entire district, so that speech teachers could move to a new school within their own district.

When they refused to adhere to our contractual rights, we filed a Union Initiated Grievance. The expedited Step 3 grievance has already been heard. If we do not win at this step, I've asked the UFT Grievance Department to proceed to arbitration. Your excessing seniority rights within your district are still in effect. Please call the hotline number if any of your retention rights to your school are violated. We will help you to file an individual grievance.

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