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Block Institute

Dear UFT members and colleagues,

Welcome to the UFT's Block Institute Chapter! We are proud to represent about 220 members who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families.

Our chapter includes teachers, teacher aides, teacher assistants, maintenance staff, group leaders, assistant group leaders and clinicians. Our members have extensive experience providing individualized services for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The UFT successfully negotiated with Block management collective bargaining agreements covering school, Adult Day Services, and maintenance/housekeeping employees. As a result of New York State minimum wage increases, cost of living adjustments for direct care workers and increased funding for school programs, the UFT negotiated substantial raises for Block employees during the two-year term of these agreements. Effective Dec. 31, 2018, employees earning less than $13 per hour will see their hourly rate increase to $15. Effective Jan. 1, 2019 — or Feb. 1, 2019, for maintenance staff — employees will also receive a contractual increase of at least 2 percent, depending upon job title.

I want to encourage you to attend UFT events, attend UFT courses and take advantage of member discounts. We plan more union activities to show solidarity with each other, our chapter and the UFT, so stay tuned.

If you have any questions, reach out to me at beth4runner@aol.com or Ilene Weinerman, our chapter liaison, at iweinerman@uft.org.

Sincerely,

Beth Levy
Block Institute Chapter Leader