Members of the United Federation of Teachers have ratified a new contract by a margin of 74.6%, according to a tally by the American Arbitration Association. The more than 95,000 votes cast was the largest in UFT history.

The new contract raises UFT members' salaries by 17.58% to 20.42% compounded over the length of the agreement.

“The new agreement addresses the major changes sought by the union’s 500-member negotiating team. The contract increases pay, increases educators’ control over their workday, and decreases the non-educational, irrelevant paperwork demands,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

The contract provides annual raises of 3%, 3%, 3%, 3.25% and 3.5% percent.  It also institutes an annual bonus for all UFT members, which reaches $1,000 by 2026 and will be paid every year as long as the employee works for the city's Department of Education. The pact also includes a one-time $3,000 signing bonus.

The most experienced teachers will see their base pay rise to $151,271 including the annual bonus by the end of the contract.  The approved contract also cuts in half — from 15 to eight years — the length of time it takes most teachers to reach a salary of $100,000.

The salary for starting teachers rises to $72,349 including the annual bonus over the course of the deal.  The top salary for paraprofessionals will be $56,761 including the annual bonus by the end of the contract.

The agreement also includes a major expansion of virtual learning. In addition to broadening the current centrally-run pilot program, high schools and 6-12 schools would be able to offer school-level virtual programs after school and on weekends to students who volunteer to take part. Teacher participation would also be voluntary. The expansion would begin next school year with 25% of high schools eligible to be elected for the program, growing to 100% of high schools in the 2027-28 school year.

The tentative agreement was announced at a June 13 press conference in City Hall. The UFT issued 115,840 ballots, of which 95,725 votes were returned.