If you return to work for the Department of Education and continue to collect a pension, you will find that you are paying union dues both as a retiree (from your pension check) and as an employee (from your payroll check).

This duplication occurs because two separate agencies are involved. The Department of Education does not know that you retired and it automatically deducts dues from every employee represented by the UFT.

In the past, members were required to either write, call or fill out a return coupon that was printed in the New York Teacher and mail it to the UFT accounting department. In addition, at times, members were required to provide all of their payroll check stubs and/or telephone number to request a refund. Accounting department staff would manually calculate these requests and then begin the refund process.

In order to better assist members, the UFT has developed an automated dues refund system. Members will no longer be required to request a refund.

Beginning in early August, upon receipt of all the dues records for UFT members from various city agencies, the accounting department will automatically calculate a refund for all eligible members and send them a check. It is expected that all these transactions will be completed by the end of the summer break before members return to school.

Refunds will be processed for the period July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. If you have any questions, please call the membership department’s Dues Refund Unit at 1-212-598-9248.