Chapter Leader UpdateJune 17, 2025
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Erica Berger
UFT MEMBERS SAY ‘NO KINGS’: Charmaine Prior, a teacher at the Queens Alternative Learning Center, was part of the sizable UFT contingent that participated in the Bryant Park rally and march this past Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s attacks on public education, civil rights, immigrant families and unions.
This Week's Focus
In this final issue of the Chapter Leader Update, I offer a heartfelt thank-you for all your hard work on behalf of our members this school year. We are living in perilous times for unions, public schools and immigrant families. Now more than ever, we need chapter leaders who can activate our members and harness their energy and voices in defense of the values we hold dear. We are powerful when we stand together. I wish you all a restful summer break. You've earned it.
– Michael Mulgrew, UFT President
Early voting has begun in June 24 primary
We have decided not to make an endorsement in this year’s Democratic primary for mayor given the lack of consensus among our members. It is one of the most polarizing races we have seen from our union’s perspective. Any endorsement would have divided us, which is not good for our union. In addition to the Democratic primary for mayor, citywide primaries are being held for public advocate and city comptroller. All 51 City Council seats are on the ballot. Voters in each borough will also vote for borough president, and voters in Manhattan and Brooklyn will vote for district attorney. See the UFT’s political endorsements in the primary. We are looking for volunteers to help get out the vote for our endorsed candidates. If you are available, send an email to the UFT political action coordinator for your borough. Early voting for the June 24 primary runs through this Sunday. Find your poll site and its hours for early voting. Polls are open on primary day next Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Your primary day polling place may be different from your early voting location. For complete New York City voter information, visit the NYC Board of Elections website.
UFT offices are open this summer
The UFT will be open to serve members on a modified schedule throughout the summer. UFT members can call the union at 212-331-6311 from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in July and August. For more complex questions, it’s best to call Monday through Thursday during the summer since the union operates with a reduced staff on Fridays. UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, from Monday, June 30, through Friday, Aug. 29. The Grievance Department at headquarters will be open five days a week in July and August with a reduced staff on Fridays. UFT borough offices will be open Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., from Monday, June 30, through Thursday, Aug. 7. The borough offices will be closed from Aug. 8 to 22 and will reopen on Monday, Aug. 25, on the modified summer schedule through Aug. 29. All UFT offices are closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day, and on Monday, Sept. 1, in observance of Labor Day. Regular office hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Mental health support throughout the summer
Mental health services are available to all UFT members and their families throughout the summer courtesy of the UFT's Member Assistance Program. Members are invited to participate in MAP’s seasonal self-care group, which meets every Tuesday at 11 a.m. from July 8 to Aug. 19. Each week, the group will delve into a different area of wellness and personal growth as MAP’s licensed clinicians offer practical tips, strategies and support. Members can come for all seven weeks or drop in for the topics that mean the most to them. For more summer offerings, see the MAP section of the UFT website. Members also have access 24/7 all summer long to the UFT Mental Health Helpline at 866-UFT-FOR-U ( 866-838-3678). Union-trained, licensed mental health counselors can offer immediate and confidential help to members and their families who are in crisis, experiencing emotional distress or in need of resources or a referral. The Member Assistance Program is open Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., during the summer. To schedule a call with a MAP counselor, email mapinfo [at] uft [dot] org (subject: ) (mapinfo[at]uft[dot]org).
Bring members to the Labor Parade on Sept. 6
Organize a group of members from your school chapter to march with the UFT in the Labor Parade on Saturday, Sept. 6. We'll enjoy music from a DJ and free food from food trucks before we begin our march up Fifth Avenue. Each registrant will receive a UFT T-shirt. In recent years, the UFT’s contingent has been more than a thousand members and guests. It's always a fun and inspiring day as our union joins with other New York City labor unions in a demonstration of the vitality and importance of the labor movement in New York City. This year's theme is Strength in Unity. Let's make our presence felt.
Chapter Leader Checklist
To Do #1
Staff on leave will remain in the direct deposit system
Please remind payroll secretaries that they should not remove staff from the direct deposit system when a staff member goes on leave. Secretaries must first manually stop the paychecks until the leave is processed in the system. Once the leave is processed by SOLAS, the payroll system automatically ceases to generate checks, and paychecks are restored when the employee returns. This updated protocol, implemented in 2022, keeps direct deposit intact, which is particularly helpful for employees on shorter leaves.
To Do #2
Submit your consultation summaries for May and June
Please submit your consultation summaries on the Chapter Leader Hub after your committee meeting with the principal. Consultation summaries should include all topics discussed during the committee meeting. It’s important that chapter leaders submit these summaries in a timely fashion so the union can escalate unresolved issues to the monthly district consultation or — if the same issue is reported by chapter leaders across the city — to the monthly consultation at the chancellor’s level. The summary must be submitted by the end of the following month.
To Do #3
Identify yourself as a chapter leader when you call
Tell us you are a chapter leader when you call the union. That way, our team of trained UFT staffers will be able to immediately direct your call to the appropriate department or staff member. As a chapter leader, you have more direct access to the union departments and staff you wish to contact.
To Do #4
Flyers to share with your members
Here are flyers you can print and distribute in member mailboxes or post on your school’s UFT bulletin board:
Hub Highlights
Access all the DOE and union forms you need
When a member asks you for the form to enroll in the UFT Welfare Fund or the form to apply for a FMLA leave of absence, visit the Chapter Leader Hub. We’ve assembled the forms you most often need in one easy-to-access location. Remember: You can access the hub using your UFT website username and password.
Work in progress
The UFT is tackling the following issues with the DOE and other city, state and federal-level entities as appropriate:
- Working with the DOE and the principals union to finalize the citywide class size plan that must be submitted annually to the state.
- Working with the DOE's Division of Early Childhood Education to accommodate any 3-K or pre-K programs at risk of being displaced as schools implement the class size law.
- Working with the DOE to make sure procedures are in place for September to collect cellphones at the start of the day and return them at dismissal.
You Should Know
Contract Empowerment & Enforcement
Summer school/Chapter 683 grievance procedures
The online grievance process will be suspended after the last day of school on Thursday, June 26. All summer school per-session grievances and Chapter 683 per-session grievances must be filed in person at your UFT borough office. Grievances relating to the regular school year can be filed only after members return in September. Chapter leaders may file Step 1 grievances online from the Chapter Leader Hub starting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the first day that educators report back to work. If you have any questions, please call the UFT at 212-331-6311. For UFT borough office summer hours, see the item in This Week's Focus.
Salary & Personnel
DOE's payroll protocols for the summer
The DOE's Office of Payroll Administration remains open for the summer, which means UFT members employed by the DOE may enroll in the direct deposit program and/or update their choices throughout the year. Members who receive paper paychecks will have their summer checks mailed to the address on file with the DOE on the regularly scheduled pay dates.
Special Education
Intervention teacher positions open for Summer Rising
All K–8 Summer Rising sites have funding to hire an intervention teacher to provide reading intervention to students over the summer. Training opportunities for Summer Rising intervention teachers who need initial or refresher training in evidence-based reading interventions will be held on Monday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 1. Teachers can register for this training on the Special Education Professional Learning and Resource Hub.
Everything Else
Join us at the NYC Pride March on June 29
Join the UFT at this year's New York City Pride March on Sunday, June 29. With escalating attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, it's vital to come together and celebrate the rich diversity of our community. In partnership with Heritage of Pride, we march toward a future without discrimination and where all people have equal rights under the law. Let's stand united in support of our students, colleagues, families and friends in the LGBTQ+ community. The march organizers have not yet given the UFT its assembly location. Prior to the day of the march, registrants will receive an email from the union telling them where and when the UFT contingent will meet.
New items for sale in the UFT Swag Shop
The UFT Swag Shop, your go-to source for official UFT apparel and accessories, has new items for sale this summer. You can shop now for UFT-branded basketball shorts, denim jackets, union proud T-shirts, crewneck and zip-up sweatshirts, polo shirts and backpack coolers for your summer picnics. You can save by buying several items at once in our summer bundle deals. There is free shipping on orders over $99. All items are proudly union made.
New York Yankees show their appreciation for educators
The New York Yankees are showing their appreciation for New York City educators in June by offering a $15 food-and-beverage voucher and either a tumbler or a tote bag branded "New York Yankees Teacher Appreciation." There are two game series to choose from: June 18-19, when the Yankees play the Los Angeles Angels, and June 21-22, when they play the Baltimore Orioles. Tickets start at $63. Once inside the stadium, members should head over to the redemption table located on the field level (100 Level) next to Gate 2, up to 60 minutes after the originally scheduled first pitch.
Recent Guidance and Agreements
Key Events & Deadlines
Contact the UFT
- DOE members, call 212‑331‑6311.
- DOE functional chapter members, call 212‑331‑6312.
- A health benefit question? Call the Welfare Fund at 212‑539‑0500.
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Look for your next Chapter Leader Update in September