The next Delegate Assembly is Wednesday, Dec. 15.

Our work on class size is not yet done

Parents joined with UFT members in hundreds of schools across the city for our Days of Action to pass legislation to reduce class size. See our website photo album, our Facebook post, our Instagram story at the top of our profile page and tweets using the #OurKidsNeed hashtag. These actions would not have been possible without the hard work of our chapter leaders. As a union, we made a powerful statement about why the City Council must pass the bill to lower classroom occupancy limits. Our advocacy must continue. More than 38,000 New Yorkers so far have signed the petition to lower class size and on Dec. 1, our 41st City Council member signed on as a supporter of this bill, which means it now has a veto-proof majority. But City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who is leaving office at the end of December, has still not allowed the bill to come up for a vote. He has only until Dec. 16 to act — or the current window of opportunity closes. It’s up to us to keep the pressure on him.

See more actions to take

DOE shifts policy on school staff testing under union pressure

With the number of COVID-19 cases across the city on the rise, the emergence of breakthrough infections and the new threat of the Omicron variant, the UFT called on the city to resume COVID testing of adults in school buildings. The city heard us and has now allowed the testing of school staff on a voluntary basis. Beginning on Monday, Dec. 6, school staff can request to be tested on their school’s testing day. According to the new policy, student testing must be completed before any adults can be tested, and test providers must maintain their schedule and are not permitted to extend their time at the school to accommodate staff who want to be tested. The DOE has removed students who have received one dose of the vaccine from the weekly testing in schools. Test providers may test up to 10% of staff. All COVID-19 testing of DOE staff is voluntary; staff must give consent via the DOE’s daily health screening form at least three school days prior to the test date. It may take up to five days for the DOE to process that consent, so members should submit it as soon as possible.

Chapter leader stipend checks will be mailed in December

Chapter leaders are the face of the union for most members and we rely on your leadership. As a small acknowledgment of the work you’ve done and the work you will do during this difficult school year, we are mailing you your base stipend check this month as compensation for out-of-pocket expenses you incur while performing your duties as chapter leader. The base stipend is calculated at a rate of $6 per member. Each chapter leader receives a minimum of $300 and a maximum of $1,350. The chapter leader stipend is based on your estimated expenses as chapter leader during the school year. The IRS is very clear that for tax purposes, any excess you receive must be included in your gross income. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you keep all receipts. As with last school year, chapter leaders who qualify will receive a second stipend check at the end of June in recognition of the extra time and effort they have dedicated to empower, organize and engage their members during the 2021–22 school year. 

Check to see if new hires have joined the UFT

Full UFT membership makes your chapter stronger and amplifies the voice of your members at your school. We recently optimized our nonmember report to display the most accurate account of union membership in your school. Please check the nonmember report (you’ll have to log in to the website to access it) this week to confirm that all new hires, including any para subs, at your school have joined the UFT. If they have not, please urge them to complete the online union enrollment form and then recheck the report in a week to confirm. If it’s easier, you can ask new hires to fill out a paper union enrollment card. If you don’t have enrollment cards, please ask your district rep for a supply.