Buried very deep in the weekly Chapter Leader Weekly update is this gem:
First lump-sum payment under 2014 contract: In October, members will receive the first lump-sum payment of 12.5 percent of the amount they have accrued as a result of the two 4 percent raises dating back to 2009 and 2010 in the 2014 contract. Teachers, other pedagogues and paraprofessionals will receive payment in their Oct. 15 paycheck. H bank employees, including school nurses, therapists, supervisors of nurses and therapists and education analysts and officers, will receive their lump sum payment in their Oct. 23 paycheck. If members are owed per session, F-Status or per diem money, they will receive payment in their Nov. 2 per session check.
Here is what the Memorandum of Agreement from 2014 says:
E. Lump Sum Payments stemming from the 2009- 2011 Round and schedule for actives for those continuously employed as of the day of payout. i. 10/1/15 – 12.5%
Contract says the day of the payout is October 1 but we have to wait until October 15, October 23 or November 2 depending on the job title.
Are we to understand that in the year 2015, the city/Department of Education does not have the technology to pay people money on October 1 that contractually we are entitled to on October 1?
Teachers are held to the letter of the law but we allow the city/DOE to just interpret things in whatever way they like.
Teachers are held to the letter of the law but we allow the city/DOE to just interpret things in whatever way they like.
Just another little indignity. Meanwhile, other city workers have already been paid all of their retro dating back to 2010. They won't have to wait until 2020 to be paid in full like UFT members.
I wonder if Mulgrew has to wait til the 15th of the month to get paid. Oh wait, he has lots of money left from his last paycheck, so it wouldn't make much difference to him. Doesn't seem to matter much to him whether the teachers or the retirees for that matter got that darn retro on time. Doesn't seem to matter much if it takes 100 years to get paid. Yeah, I know, the retirees were supposed to get their checks last fall.
ReplyDeleteDidn't get the money until the end of March. Never mind the tax bill with all that money in one year.
James, thank you for writing about this.
And then Mulgrew will get reelected with 90% of the vote.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the UFT when the members need them. We're supposed to get the 12.5 on 10/1 in a separate check. 12.5 per cent is a joke, but at least it was in a separate check. Now we have it added to our regular pay and we'll see even less. When I tried to figure my retro out, in a separate check it would be close to 2000, but if they added it to my regular paycheck I would see roughly 1500 of it. I'm sick of the UFT. They do nothing for their members accept take their dues.
ReplyDeleteBut Uncle Sam will rejoice.
ReplyDeleteWhen is the UFT going to let all the members know of this change to Oct. 15th and that it will be included in our regular 10/15 paycheck? Nothing on the UFT website. When are the Chapter Leaders supposed to say something about it? The other poster said it - Uncle Sam will rejoice.
ReplyDeleteThis Will Blow Your Mind-
ReplyDeleteThe UFT will not file any complaints or grievances with the NYC DOE for its members regarding the late retro...each member MUST DO IT THEMSELVES AND SEPARATELY!
Here is my e-mail to Ellen Gallin Procida, Director UFT Grievance/Arbitration Dept. (eprocida@uft.org)
Dear Ms. Procida,
It sounds ridiculous that the UFT has no way to step up, and on behalf of all its members file a "class action" grievance against the NYC DOE? You just told me that each member needs to file a separate grievance. When I fought the battle to win the "Medical Hardship Grievance" it was filed on behalf of the entire union by Randi Weingarten and Howard Solomon. I cannot believe that there is no recourse for the UFT to seek, besides 200,000 members each filing a separate grievance. Is that the only choice?
Thank you,
David Irons
*THE HEAD OF UFT GRIEVANCES*
Dear Mr Irons
Yes each individual who believes their rights were violated has to file a separate grievance
Don't you know it's their money until they give it to us? Two weeks interest on an extremely large amount will go into the city's coffers. All courtesy of Mulgrew.
ReplyDeleteJust remember it is 12.5% of what has accrued to this point. Not 12.5% of the examples of retro payment by 2020 UFT gave. The city is still adding to the final retro 6% this year, 4% next year and 2% the following year. Expect it to be less then what you think.
ReplyDeleteThank you for addressing this issue. I thought I was the only one upset by the change. I was expecting the $ on 10/1 and searched the UFT website for clarification. It really is depressing that the UFT is useless.
ReplyDeleteHave you all read Mulgrews e-mail? My favorite spin (lie) "Despite the virtually empty labor reserve that Mayor de Blasio inherited, we figured out a way in the 2014 contract to make our members whole." That's a real whopper and so totally not true. How about this nuanced wording "All active UFT members who worked for the Department of Education between 2009 and 2015 (plus those who retired after June 30, 2014) will receive a lump-sum payment of 12. 5 percent, representing one-eighth of the amount they have accrued between 2009 and 2015." The key here is the word "active" and "accrued between 2009-15." Anonymous 5:04 is correct. I don't remember the UFT explaining it this way (no surprise). If you are on leave NO Retro For You! (Going for a soup nazi reference). The only part of his e-mail that rings true is his use of a pig as a chart. This contract was a pig.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of the contract...its been about a year...has anyone actually seen the contract? Not the Mem. of Agreement...THE CONTRACT? What are they hiding?
ReplyDeleteNo contract. UFT and DOE have better things to do than write a new contract.
DeleteThe UFT told us back in spring of last year, buried in the email that said full lump sum payments to retires will be given out but since the city claimed lack of funds, payments to working members AND the start and end dates of the new contract have been extended (delayed). During the contract negotiations, UFT protected the rights of retired members AHEAD of the rights of working members. Why? Because the retirees are the majority of the voting members of UFT. Absolutely idiotic that they have any voting rights at all. But they do, and they use their vote. We, the current working members, do not.
ReplyDeleteThe dumbest thing to do is to not vote.
ReplyDeleteDates should have been posted earlier, delay is complete BS> How can those who want to withhold additional % in 401/457 expected to handle this. Very troubling. Personally, I wanted to save 100% of this fine gift from our fearless leader's contract...
ReplyDeleteThe City and State won't do shit for us on anything until we throw a strike. Wake up and quit whining. We have shown for over a decade that we are prime bully-meat. This is what we get for it. Either start talking about a strike, or shut up.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is an apathetic membership who just goes along with the flow. The union's biggest problem may occur next year with the Sumpreme Court's ruling on Friedrich's v. The California Teacher's Association. Karma may come back to haunt the union.
ReplyDeleteSo, change the apathy. Agitate for a strike. Or, just make pithy comments about tommorow's woes. Because, whatever, right?
ReplyDeletebecause whatever, right... I could agree more. Buck up or shut up!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the look of disappointment on the faces of yes voters when that Oct 15th check isn't as big as they thought.
ReplyDeleteI read on another blog of members attempting to file a grievance due to the late payment. James do you recommend we file a grievance due to the breach in contract or will the UFT unilaterally amend the date on the contract?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the last question completely. How could the UFT unilaterally amend the contract?
ReplyDeleteDo you recommend we file a grievance due to the late payout (10/15 instead of 10/1)? I read on another blog it has to done individually.
ReplyDeleteI also read on a blog that if you were off the payroll, even a day, it could affect your payout. Is this accurate and what information do you have about this?
ReplyDeleteRegarding whether you lose your retro if you go off payroll, I went to an FMLA UFT meeting and they talked about that a little. The definition of "continuously employed" isn't clear. However, if yo ever lost your medical benefits, spent one day over an allowed pre-approved leave, FMLA-but did not return on the correct date, etc. then you will have lost the money you would've been owed to that point. Oh they also said if you went on an unpaid suspension.
ReplyDeleteMulgrew will never complain about a monetary inconvenience or loss of income or livelihood from DeBlasio or Farina. They matter much more than us. And hey 77% voted for this BS contract. Now the outrage! I don't give a shit about the money or anything else. I want to see the whole system collapse and Mulgrew wandering the Bronx as an ATR. And it's coming.
ReplyDeleteAs for people on leave or who took approved leaves.
ReplyDeleteMulgrew's letter states "If you are on leave this October, you will receive your money on the date of the next scheduled payment that you are back on payroll."
So people who too approved leaves will get the money and if you're on leave, you'll get your money from this payment and the next one if you are still working...in October of 2017.
Here is a question:
ReplyDeleteOur October 1st paycheck will still be off by .06008% (that's the amount of raise we haven't yet got at all!). For me based on my salary, that's a total of about $210 just for waiting that extra pay period; 12.5% of which is just over $20.50. That's just how the numbers work out for me.
So do I get my twenty bucks for waiting the extra pay period? Or will that not be happening?
Who knows? We haven't put a calculator out because we are not sure it would be accurate.
ReplyDeleteWhy did ome people get their retro and others didn't? What can be done? I already went to UFT office filed out a paper with my info and wait 2 hrs just for the rep to tell me I'll be and to an email to the DOE that she had no answer as to why and will get back to us. 1 week later still nothing, please help
ReplyDeleteWhat would you like us to do?
ReplyDelete