Chapter Leader UpdateSept. 17, 2026

3.5% increase took effect on Sept. 14

The salaries of UFT-represented employees increased by 3.5% on Sept. 14 as a result of the wage increases that the UFT negotiated in its most recent collective bargaining agreement with the Department of Education. The per-diem, per-session and coverage pay rates also rose on that date. For teachers, the new per-session rate is $63.04 and the new coverage rate is $52.98. The daily rate for per-diem teachers increased to $232.70.

Members will see the raise in their paychecks as follows:

• Q-bank members (pedagogues, paraprofessionals and substitute paraprofessionals): starting with their Sept. 30 paycheck.
• H/Z bank members (including occupational and physical therapists and school nurses): starting with their Sept. 25 paycheck.
• Per-diem/per-session pedagogues: starting with their Oct. 1 paycheck.

Where applicable, paychecks will include arrears back to Sept. 14. The next annual bonus, which will be $1,035, will be paid around May 1, 2027.

Holding principals accountable for class size law compliance

The DOE is finally taking some ownership of educating schools around the class size plans, including possibilities and obstacles for their particular communities, as we work toward full compliance for 2030. Below is the guidance that was issued to principals in the Sept. 15 Principal’s Weekly.

The guidance requires principals to engage with school staff no later than Sept. 30 and to work collaboratively with UFT chapter leaders. We know that conversations about class size are critical, and that the conversations only happen when we push for them. Please reach out to your principal and ask them what their plan is to engage their staff — and remember, they have been instructed to consult with you on what they want to present.

See the class size toolkit that the DOE shared with principals.

Report your contractual class size data to your district representative

We negotiated powerful new provisions in the 2018 DOE-UFT contract that have provided teachers much faster relief if classes exceed contractual class size limits at the start of the school year. Chapter leaders continue to play a central role in the process. We need you to report your school’s class size data to your UFT district representative on:

• Day 6 of the school year (Thursday, Sept. 17)
• Day 10 (Thursday, Sept. 24)
• Day 14 (Wednesday, Sept. 30)
• Day 19 (Wednesday, Oct. 7)

Please obtain your school's RACL (elementary and middle schools) or Master Schedule Final (high schools), which indicates class sizes on these dates. For classes that exceed contractual limits, you have 10 school days to try to reach an informal resolution with your principal. Most unresolved cases now go to your district representative and the superintendent to tackle. On the 21st day, unresolved cases escalate a step higher to the citywide Class Size Labor-Management Committee.

For schools that are "chronically out of compliance," defined as having oversized classes for four of the past six school years, we are collecting class size data on Day 1 (Thursday, Sept. 10) only this year. These schools are escalated to the Class Size Labor-Management Committee once the overages are reported to the union. If the Class Size Labor-Management Committee cannot resolve the issue, the case is scheduled for expedited arbitration as soon as 10 days later — and no later than the 34th school day of the term. The arbitrator can issue a binding remedy within five school days that the DOE must implement in five school days.

Where we stand on the fight for paraprofessional RESPECT

The return to the classroom means that, once again, schools across our city are feeling the impact of the paraprofessional shortage and struggling to meet students’ mandates. The mayor must see that the RESPECT check law should not be taken lightly.

The city has refused to address the pay gap it created with pattern bargaining. Now, with the lawsuit the city brought against our legislation, we are waiting to see if the judge will allow the UFT to be added as a defendant in the case. On Sept 17, UFT President Michael Mulgrew and City Council Speaker Julie Menin urged the city to drop the lawsuit against the paraprofessional RESPECT check at a press conference at City Hall.

While these circumstances are frustrating, let’s be clear: the RESPECT check legislation that the City Council passed unanimously is a law. The court system has not issued an injunction to pause our legislation, so paraprofessionals can still expect to receive their first payment in January. This law allows us to get payments to paraprofessionals and start closing the pay gap immediately — without waiting for our next contract. However, we will continue to use collective bargaining to fight to get paraprofessionals the compensation they deserve.

Members must be signed up for email to participate in the contract survey

We will begin negotiations this year for a new DOE-UFT contract. As we prepare to head to the bargaining table, it is so important that members let us know what rights and benefits they want to see in our next contract. This fall, we will send out a contract survey to all members to hear directly from each member about what is important to them. The survey results will inform the work of our 750-member negotiating team as they craft demands that will protect our rights and add more benefits to our new contract.

To participate in the contract survey, all members must be signed up to receive emails and have their updated non-DOE email on file with us by Friday, Oct. 16. Please explain to your members the importance of completing the contract survey to add their voices to our demands.

Sign up or update your email

Register for our contract campaign kickoff meeting

We’re starting out strong as we launch our next contract campaign. We are at a unique moment: Our membership has never been this large and this engaged — and that’s thanks to you. Now, we want to organize members as we fight for the strongest contract yet.

Join us for a citywide meeting for chapter leaders, paraprofessional representatives and delegates to learn about the 2026–27 contract campaign and, most importantly, get ready to bring that information back to your chapter. Invitations will be sent to delegates and paraprofessional representatives shortly.

The meeting will be virtual and you can choose one of two dates to attend: Wednesday, Oct. 7, or Thursday, Oct. 8, at 4:30 p.m.

Register now

Check out a UFT podcast!

Your union has a new podcast, “UFT On Air: The New York Teacher Podcast.” We are so excited to bring some of the amazing stories from our member newspaper, the New York Teacher, to life. Hear members share their experiences and expertise in their own voices, listen to interviews with UFT leadership and get some highlights from each New York Teacher issue while you are on the go. Listen to “UFT On Air” wherever you get your podcasts. Find us on iTunes, Spotify and  YouTube Podcasts. 

Listen now

Your UFT consultation committee's work and our report form

Make sure you have a UFT consultation committee that meets monthly with the principal at a mutually agreeable time. This committee serves several critical purposes: to promote chapter voice; organize around important school issues; and discuss, advocate and attempt to resolve these issues at the school.

As soon as you can after each meeting, but no later than the end of the following month, submit a consultation committee notes report, which you can find in the forms section of the Chapter Leader Hub. Select the topic of each agenda item at your meeting, its status (i.e., in progress / resolved / unresolved / escalated) and include any relevant documents. Please include ALL agenda items. Your UFT district representative will receive a copy of your meeting summary. The representative may place unresolved issues on the agenda for the UFT's monthly district consultation committee with the superintendent. If the same issue is reported by chapter leaders across the city, it can be escalated to the monthly consultation meeting at the chancellor's level, where UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels discuss issues. When the UFT raises chapter issues in the consultation meetings at the district or chancellor's level, the data provided in chapter leaders' consultation committee notes gives us greater leverage because we have documentary evidence of the issue.

Read more about the role and responsibilities of the UFT consultation committee.