new teacher articles
What the UFT contract means for you
Aug 30, 2009 12:04 PM
What is the UFT contract and why should it matter to you?
Simply put, the contract is a negotiated legal agreement between the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the New York City Department of Education (DOE).
Why should it matter to you? Because it touches you every day, providing you with rights and protections you could not depend on without it.
What sort of rights? In addition to such basics as salary [see below for the salary schedule] and work hours, the contract spells out your right to health insurance, sick days, fair and accurate evaluations, conflict resolution related to professional issues, a duty-free lunch period, class-size limits, adequate and appropriate textbooks and instructional supplies, a safe school environment — and much more.
The UFT contract is the product of tough collective bargaining, with the union representing its members at the negotiating table. The current contract runs until Oct. 31, 2009.
UFT leaders keep the needs of newer teachers in mind in negotiating every agreement. Indeed, the contract has many provisions that specifically benefit newer educators. Here are some of the highlights:
- New York City is a great place to live and work. The union has fought for a significant wage increase for newly hired teachers. This September, first-year teachers with only a bachelor’s degree will earn $45,530 a year; those with a master’s degree, $51,425.
- New teachers can now get credit for up to 7½ years of acceptable prior work experience and can earn as much as $59,404.
- Under an Open Market Transfer Plan, all teachers have the right and opportunity to transfer. Newer teachers who want to transfer are free to find positions in any school with vacancies, regardless of district. If the school wants to hire you, you don’t need permission or a release from your current principal.
- New teachers no longer have to fear that more senior teachers will “bump” them from their jobs. New teachers have the same right to hold on to their positions as all other teachers. At the same time, if you are excessed — that is, if your school needs fewer teachers in your license area because of lower enrollment or other changes — you still have a job with all your benefits and your regular rate of pay. When vacancies occur, they are posted on the DOE Web site. You may apply to as many interested schools as you wish, and request an interview with the school’s personnel committee and the principal. If the principal does not accept you, you will be assigned to an Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) position either in the school from which you were excessed or in another school in the same district. An ATR position is a full-time job substituting for absent teachers in that school. You may continue to seek a regular teaching position under the Open Market Transfer Plan while you are an ATR.
- Most important for all teachers, the UFT contract keeps the core due-process protections, including tenure. And it continues a wide array of health, dental, drug and other benefits that are so important to working families today [see “Union benefits really add up”].
As you can see, the UFT contract contains many provisions and no one expects you to know everything that’s in it. That’s why every school has a UFT chapter leader, an educator colleague who is elected by the members in your school and who is specially trained to understand the most important aspects of the contract and to make sure they are properly implemented in your school.
Chapter leaders can also help you resolve issues by representing you in conferences with principals and other administrators. If you have a work-related question or problem, your chapter leader is the first person to consult.
