The third annual retention bonus negotiated as part of the 2023 DOE-UFT contract will be paid in May. All UFT-represented employees who worked full-time during the 12 months leading up to April 1, 2026, will receive $1,000 as a supplemental check.

Per diem or other part-time employees must have worked a minimum of 30 days in the 12 months ending on April 1 to be eligible to receive the retention bonus. The amount will be prorated based on the number of hours they worked during those 12 months.

UFT-represented employees must have been on payroll on April 1, 2026, to receive the payment. This group includes employees on sabbatical leave, military leave with pay and paid parental leave. UFT-represented employees who were not on payroll on April 1 but return to payroll within three years — such as members on long-term child care leave — will receive the retention bonus on a prorated basis on or about May 1 of the following year. Members who retired after April 1, 2025, and who are eligible for the retention bonus will be paid via a paper check mailed to the address on file with the DOE. Eligible members who were on terminal leave on April 1, 2026, will also be paid via a paper check.

This annual bonus will be paid every year at the beginning of May in perpetuity to all UFT-represented employees. The bonus will increase to $1,035 in 2027. The bonus will continue to go up with collective bargaining increases.

For additional information, see our Contract 2023 FAQ.