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Occupational and Physical Therapists

Melissa Williams

Melissa Williams
Occupational and Physical Therapists

Dear Members,

I thank you for your commitment to our school communities through the coronavirus crisis. The UFT is here to support your vital work and help keep you safe. I am confident we can tackle these unprecedented challenges together as a chapter. Please continue to check our chapter page and your UFT emails for important updates.

We now have all our delegate positions filled for the first time in our chapter's history. We settled the contract, we established family medical leave, we now have leave without pay for study, return from leave and indemnification language for SESIS, and our therapists are included in operational issues' discussions and our therapists are included in the sites designated as "hard to assign."

The labor management committee will develop criteria for approval to attend professional courses and conferences as well as overtime opportunities for therapists. We will also continue to investigate pedagogical status for therapists, expanding the lines of communication and ensuring that therapists are represented according to the contract.

We will also be engaged in developing the attendance system to replace SESIS.

It's still a critical time for unions and we must stay strong and unified. I look forward to helping you find your voice in the union's activities as we strengthen our chapter and the union. Please make use of our chapter's section on this website. In the box to the left of this page, you'll see links to our contract, chapter representatives, chapter newsletter and other sections where we put important resources for occupational and physical therapists. Read the latest memorandum of agreement with the city.

Be sure to sign up on the website to receive important emails during the school year. I look forward to a safe and productive school year.

Thank you,

Melissa Williams
OT/PT Chapter Leader

Our chapter's UFT-DOE contract

Read the contract

What's New

Speaking up for students with disabilities

The city’s superintendents gathered at UFT headquarters in early October. We made it clear to them at this introductory meeting that when special education compliance issues are brought to their attention, we’ll be checking in to make sure they’re...

Teacher’s Choice for 2022-23 school year

Thanks to the union’s advocacy, UFT-represented educators will be reimbursed for some out-of-pocket expenses through Teacher’s Choice at the same levels as the previous school year. Teachers will once again receive about $250.

Resolution on school-related personnel

The UFT recognizes our outstanding school-related professionals and pays tribute to them for their important contributions to the New York City school system and to the United Federation of Teachers.

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