Chapter Leader UpdateChapter Leader Update for June 23, 2021

In this school year’s final issue of the Chapter Leader Update, I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to each of you for your steadfast efforts on behalf of our members during this difficult school year. By staying united and advocating forcefully for our school communities, we protected our safety, our profession and our livelihood. Throughout this pandemic, you kept members informed, supported and engaged. More UFT members than ever participated in union events, professional learning workshops and support groups. I wish you all a restful and restorative summer break. You’ve earned it. 

— Michael Mulgrew, UFT president 

UFT to file grievance on spring break pay on July 1

The COVID-19 limitations on grievances end on June 30, and our regular contractual grievance process will be fully up and running on July 1. The UFT will file its union-initiated grievance on 2020 spring break pay that day. The mayor kept schools open during spring break that year during the height of the pandemic; in compensation, members were granted four additional CAR days in their banks. The UFT will argue before the arbitrator that its members should receive a full compensation package for all the extra days they were required to work. All school-based grievances will open when UFT members report to schools on Thursday, Sept. 9. (See additional grievance items below in the Contract Empowerment section). 
 

More than 2,000 operational issues resolved this school year

The DOE-UFT contract gives UFT-represented educators more voice at the school level to tackle workplace issues. In the spring of 2020, after the pandemic hit and the regular grievance process had to be temporarily suspended, the DOE and the UFT agreed to expand the scope of the operational issues process to include any issues related to remote learning, student support and contract implementation for all chapters. Over the course of the 2020-21 school year, empowered chapter leaders filed 2,249 operational issue reports on behalf of their school chapters. With the assistance of district representatives, many of these cases were resolved at the school level. The UFT escalated hundreds of operational issue complaints to the district, central and schools chancellor/UFT president levels when the case could not be resolved at the school level. As of today, 2,033 cases have been resolved and closed since September, many involving additional compensation for UFT members.

Primary Day results still being counted

We want to thank all the UFT members who volunteered to help screen candidates and then get out the vote for union-backed candidates on Primary Day. Election results were mixed with many races still to be decided because of the ranked-choice voting system. The UFT-endorsed candidates for Bronx and Queens borough presidents were leading in their races, as was Alvin Bragg, who had the UFT’s backing for Manhattan district attorney. In 35 of the 49 Council races in which the union made an endorsement, the candidate supported by the UFT was either in the lead or had been declared the victor with 50 percent of the vote. “While the primary results are not complete, I want to congratulate the UFT-endorsed candidates for the City Council and other offices who have already won their races,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “A candidate’s record on public education will always be our most important consideration, and we are proud to back – win or lose – those who make the public schools and students their first priority.” 

Final push for intervention teams and lower class sizes

The City Council and the de Blasio administration are entering the final stretch of negotiations on the city budget, which must be finalized by July 1. The union launched the #OurKidsNeed campaign to push the mayor and the Council to earmark funding in the budget for two of the most important pieces of its five-point recovery plan: smaller class sizes and intervention teams at every school. Our goal is to have two academic intervention teachers and two mental health professionals at every school to help students recover from the pandemic. More than 19,000 educators and parents have signed our petition calling for these initiatives, and scores of UFT members have sent tweets and posted comments on the Facebook pages of the mayor, the DOE and Council leaders. We plan to deliver our petition to Council leaders and the mayor later this week. 

UFT open this summer to serve members 

The UFT is open to serve members throughout the summer on a modified schedule. UFT headquarters and borough offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday to Thursday, from Monday, June 28, through Labor Day. The Grievance Department at UFT headquarters will be open on Fridays with a reduced staff throughout the summer. All UFT offices will be closed on Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day; on Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day; and on Sept. 7 and 8 in observance of Rosh Hashanah. Regular office hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will resume on Thursday, Sept. 9. UFT members may call the union at 212-331-6311 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, during the summer.