Know Your Rights
School-based options
Spring is the time for school chapter leaders to discuss with their chapter’s members and then with their principal the school-based options they want to create, re-create or allow to sunset for the 2026–27 school year.
Per-session activities
Learn all the rules and know your rights with regard to "per-session" activities done outside regular classroom hours.
Using sick days
One of the many benefits of union membership is having paid leave to rest and recuperate when you are sick. Learn how UFT members earn, use and even borrow days from their Cumulative Absence Reserve.
Salary, steps and differentials
In addition to the regular pay increases negotiated in each contract, UFT-represented teachers and other pedagogues receive differentials, step payments and longevity increases based on their level of education and years of service.
Workplace discrimination and harassment
The UFT-DOE contracts contain protections against a wide range of discriminatory or harassing behaviors, including sexual harassment. Federal, state and city laws also provide protections. Here is what you need to know.
The grievance process
If you feel your contractual rights have been violated, it’s time to speak up and seek a fair resolution. If informal measures don’t fix your issue, your chapter leader can assist you in preparing and filing a grievance, which is the formal way that members object to the Department of Education’s violation of the DOE-UFT contract or of established DOE policy and practice.