Ready to fight for our rights

The current DOE-UFT contract is set to expire on Nov. 28, 2027, and planning for the next round of bargaining is already underway. A record 750 members have signed up to be part of this cycle’s UFT Contract Negotiating Committee.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew welcomed committee members at the initial kickoff meeting, held virtually on June 23, and began charting the union’s strategy for negotiating the next contract. Committee members will meet in person at union headquarters on Sept. 17.

The sheer size of this year’s negotiating committee, which was composed of 400 members for the 2018 contract and 500 members for the 2022–2027 contract, requires more time for preparation, as there’s a lot of training, coordination and work that goes into establishing the union’s goals and arriving at the bargaining table prepared to fight. Committee members represent all divisions, boroughs and bargaining units and will be trained in how to craft demands as well as in “table tactics,” or strategies for persuasion and negotiation.

At the April Delegate Assembly, UFT delegates approved a resolution that called upon the UFT to survey all DOE-employed members, giving them an opportunity to weigh in on their goals, concerns and priorities for the next contract.

The survey will be sent to members in the fall and will inform the union’s contract demands. The committee will likely be working for months, preparing demands based on the member survey and the working conditions in schools and worksites, before starting the actual negotiations.

This committee will look to build on the successes from the last round of bargaining. In the last contract, the UFT achieved wins such as “four in a row” protection for elementary educators, virtual parent-teacher conferences and an annual retention bonus.

Committee members volunteer their time to be part of this committee to advocate for their fellow educators. When asked about the negotiating committee, Mulgrew said it’s extremely important work, emphasizing that “educators should have the loudest voice in determining the working conditions in New York City’s public schools. We’re going to fight for our fellow members because only we know what it takes to do our jobs.”