A retiree source has been on the payroll portal and told me the retroactive money will be deposited into accounts on Friday, February 27, 2015. Sources updated us by telling us the money is already in accounts as of today (Thursday).
It is not surprising that the city/Department of Education held onto the money for as long as they could. The fund to pay the retroactive payments for people who retired between November 1, 2009 and June 30, 2014 was supposed to be established "upon ratification" of the contract (June 3, 2014) but because of bungling by both the UFT and city, it was not settled until this month.
All I can say is congratulations to our retired friends! You had to wait almost nine months to get money that has been owed to you since early June for work done as far back as 2009. Each and every retiree earned every dime that is coming your way by working in the schools.
ICEUFT blog salutes all of our retirees and wishes you many decades of healthy and happy lives.
The funds are already in bank accounts.
ReplyDeleteYes, James, who collects the earned interest for those 9 months that the retirees had to wait?
But the city's coffers were too bare to scrape together that $60 million that was short to pay the whole group of retirees. The June 2014 cohort of retirees that the contract was written expressly to get them to retire but the city and the UFT had NO IDEA WHATSOEVER THAT SO MANY ELIGIBLE RETIREES WOULD TAKE THE BAIT.
NO IDEA AT ALL.
Thanks James for this info and thank you for always fighting the good fight. This retiree has wonderful memories of my high school teaching carreer in the south bronx and harlem when we worked so hard and KNEW we made a difference when former students came back to tell us that we did. Thanks also to the giants ( principals senior teachers dept. heads and fellow colleagues) on whose shoulders we stood because they showed us how to hone the craft of teaching. Those were the days...sadly gone from Bloomburg on so I was ready to leave when they offered the deal. Thanks again James for acknowledging that we earned our retirement!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all my fellow retirees! Alas, I came to the party too late and will have to wait another 5 years to be made whole.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when we will be seeing the contractual increase in our retirement checks? I'm assuming there will be retro for that as well?
When you retire. Back pay comes at the same schedule as for active teachers.
DeleteI am a retiree ,who does not have direct deposit. I am waiting for check. Is there any other retirees still waiting for check?
ReplyDeleteBe patient and call on Monday.
Deletenot only have I not received my check, but I did not get the letter.....and most worrisome of all, the retro portal doesn't recognize my identity.I called Uft and they don't know what's wrong.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody have suggestions on who I should call...nobody seems to know anything.
I received the letter yesterday, but no direct deposit yet. Will call on Monfay. UFT should have phone numbers for payroll dep't at FOE.
DeleteSORRY
DeleteThat should be DOE
Hi James. It's Karen from Jamaica HS.
ReplyDeleteNo deposit yet for retro money. UFT said they got many calls from other retirees and will look into the situatoon. Promised to get back to me in a few days. I also called the DOE check management unit but they didn't
have any info. Also, I could not access the online portal. Frustrated!
my problem is unique ( I think)...I was on medical leave from March 2011 until July 1. I retired in September of 2011 with a trs disability retirement. between July 1 and September I was terminated by the doe. I believed at the time that I was diagnosed as terminal. Between visits to hospitals for treatment and taking care of trs disability paperwork, I was remiss in getting needed paperwork to doe and thus was terminated.
ReplyDeleteI called the Uft about retro pay and was informed I wasn't entitled because I was terminated. The fact that i receive a trs pension and thus still pay Uft dues does not move the Uft, and in fact I just learned that trs means nothing...why bother paying Uft dues if I'm not considered an eligible retiree in good standing?