new teacher q & a

I understand that the UFT contract expires on Oct. 31. How do we get a new contract?

Oct 1, 2009 11:50 AM

You are right that the current UFT contract is due to expire on Oct. 31, 2009. To get a new contract, the UFT, as the certified bargaining agent representing teachers, paras and other employees in New York City schools, negotiates with the city and the Department of Education. In negotiations, the parties sit across the table from each other to exchange proposals in an effort to reach agreement.

To spearhead the negotiations, the UFT has a broad-based 300-member committee consisting of rank-and-file members from every school level, every district and every functional chapter. This inclusive structure helps the bargaining team reflect the wants and needs of the members. To determine what its demands should be, the union surveys its members — 27,000 members filled out the contract survey this summer. Our first bargaining session with the city took place on Sept. 10.

The back-and-forth of bargaining continues until an agreement is reached. New York State law bars public employee unions such as the UFT from striking. If talks reach a stalemate, the UFT can ask the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to declare an impasse. If PERB agrees, it would appoint a mediator to try to broker a settlement. If mediation fails, a three-member independent fact-finding panel would be created to solicit testimony and recommend contract terms.

If no agreement is reached by Oct. 31, state law keeps the terms of the current UFT contract in effect until a new contract is negotiated and ratified.