Friday, June 02, 2017

ATR SEVERANCE PACKAGE

Below is President Mulgrew's letter to the ATR's.

If I understand this correctly, if an ATR was appointed permanently, no incentive to get out. However, a provisional hire or rotating ATR gets an incentive to leave.

Why did I try to get hired permanently? Thanks again for nothing UFT.

Nobody who is not already eligible to retire will take this money except maybe for a young ATR or two who already have new jobs (maybe in the suburbs) lined up.

Update: As for current ATR's who remain in the system, they can be placed in their borough (not just district). There are many unanswered questions here such as: Why did the UFT give in on this? More when we have further information.

Mulgrew's email:

Dear James,
Exercising a contractual right, we have been trying to negotiate another voluntary severance package for members in the Absent Teacher Reserve for the past few years. We are happy to announce that we were able to secure one.
The UFT and the Department of Education have negotiated an agreement for those in the Absent Teacher Reserve that includes a severance package with two options.
In the 2014 Absent Teacher Reserve agreement, the severance package was based on length of service. This time, eligible Absent Teacher Reserve members, including those provisionally hired, who agree to retire or resign from June 5 through July 14 may choose to receive either $50,000 in a one-time payment or $35,000 and six months of health insurance. This money is not pensionable.
To be eligible for the severance package, you must officially have been an Absent Teacher Reserve member on or before June 1, 2016 through today. You have received this letter because you were an Absent Teacher Reserve member in September 2016 and may be affected by this agreement.
Starting in the 2017-18 school year, the agreement also permits the DOE to provisionally assign Absent Teacher Reserve members to a school throughout their borough, which is a change that allows for more flexibility. Since the 2014 agreement expired at the end of the 2015-16 school year, we have been operating this past school year under rules that existed prior to the 2014 agreement.
You should be hearing from the DOE about what to do if you wish to accept the severance package. Use this online form if you have any questions about this settlement.
If you are considering retirement as a result of this agreement, it’s important that you contact a UFT pension consultant in your UFT borough office. Visit the pension section of the UFT website for borough office phone numbers and more information about the pension services the UFT offers.
Sincerely,

 Michael Mulgrew
UFT President

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another uft scam job. Take this, lose 50k in retro and everything else...

Anonymous said...

If one retires, no retro? Please clear this up.

waitingforsupport said...

Horrible deal. I guess they really don't want to decrease the ATR pool.
Chaz believes 3020a winners will not be provisionally placed but all others will be placed. He also mentioned that the principal and off site supervisor will conduct our observations.
I'm glad it's within the borough. Does anyone know when we be notified of our new home?

Anonymous said...

Yeah we're all being placed in Bryant and Campus Magnet. Can you say "Set Up"! Good luck all.

Anonymous said...

No, I think they are opening an ATR school run by Danielson or son of Daniel, I don't remember.

Anonymous said...

I called the Bronx UFT office for a pension consultation a month ago and was refused. They said they were booked up for the year. I don't understand Mulgrew's comment that provisionally assigning ATRs to schools within our boroughs allows for more flexibility. That's what they've always done. There needs to be a meeting with ATRs to explain our rights or lack of them.

Bronx ATR said...

The letter is vague in many regards and leaves a lot up for interpretation. There should be a meeting, not to explain the pittance being offered, but to clarify how this is an improvement (as stated) and the details of our placement. It's the least the UFT should do and the decent thing to do. Sit us down, go over our rights and what it has agreed to for us. That I, or anyone else, should have to write or state this is incredible.

waitingforsupport said...

They don't care..especially about ATRs.
What goes around comes back around...
When they need us...shall we answer???

Anonymous said...

What a horrible deal! Boroughs are big and wide, and have a vast range of schools. Putting an ATR into a terrible school will result in what is tantamount to a setup!

This is just terrible. The UFT deserves to die!

Anonymous said...

What do you expect them to say? Either take the buyout or you will be placed for the year. Our rights? In borough of excess. What else can they say?

Anonymous said...

Nothing has really changed except for year long placement, which i hate, because will likely end up in a shithole.

Anonymous said...


It makes no sense unless you are moving to a different career, quitting or retiring anyway. Think, if someone has lets say 15 years, and they plan to work 20 more years, in those 20 years they will make over 2 million in salary, plus medical, plus higher pension, higher tda, social security, etc. There is no buyout that would come within a million miles of that.

Anonymous said...

Let's take social studies(my license). Always more people than positions.

What happens then mulgrew?

Anonymous said...

You will be used an absent teacher reserve in whatever school you are placed in for year.

Anonymous said...

Discrimination and mistreatment.

Anonymous said...

What else can they say?! Are you fucking kidding me? Mulgrew spent most of the year negotiating this deal. What are OUR MOTHERFUCKING RIGHTS, you Unity MOTHERFUCKER?

Anonymous said...

I'm contacting a lawyer and the Department of Labor as soon as I get the details. They don't want to give out the details or have meetings for a reason.

Anonymous said...

Where's my fucking incentive to leave this system? I am sorry I am not an ATR. If I am an ATR, I get $50,000 to retire but me and most of the teachers,we get shit. How idiotic is that?

Anonymous said...

What rights do you mean? Its the same as always...You get assigned, you go in to that school...

Anonymous said...

Does mulgrew work for the DOE or uft?

Anonymous said...

neither
mulgreew works for himself

Anonymous said...

His mouthpiece Amy said 'it's similar to 2014'. That deal sucked too and they were smart to let it sunset

Bronx ATR said...

So this is the top secret deal that was being negotiated and couldn't be discussed at the last Executive Board meeting? Or is it something else? There needs to be some open discussion in which our questions and concerns are addressed. What's the big deal to spend a half hour with some of the 1870 members that have concerns? We ATRs have paid approximately $2,618,000 dollars in one years worth of dues to the UFT. No, that number is not a typo. Doesn't that buy us an hour of time from the UFT?

Anonymous said...

UFT = Corruption

Anonymous said...

Amy is a smokescreen and useless.

Anonymous said...

He is the DOE

Anonymous said...

File a discrimination complaint.

Anonymous said...

DWARKA likes to target older teachers, and the UFT Queens office helps her.

Anonymous said...

At least Dwarka communicates with those she gives the shaft. I prefer someone to say fuck you to my face rather than ignore or treat me like a fool. Give Dwarka Amy's position.

Anonymous said...

Hello Janus, goodbye UFT.

Anonymous said...

New hires needed for the upper echelons of the UFT - armed body guards; please apply immediately. Please have a carry permit and be prepared to use deadly force, if needed, against rank and file members.

Anonymous said...

The deep fact that needs to be looked at here is the PATTERN OF NONSENSE. The UFT sold us out on our last contract. The UFT sold us out on our evaluation deal. Now they sold us out on an ATR buyout. The fact is they will continue to sell us out and there it seems like we are going to continue to be sold out. (New contract is fast approaching and you know the UFT/DOE are already having secret meetings about that) I am truly horrified and afraid of what might happen to us all soon. Oh yeah, has anybody even seen a district rep at their school lately? I have been waiting to talk to one since our shitty evaluation deal back at Christmas time and not a single rep has come by since before then. They are all hiding out to avoid the wrath of the rank and file. I thought things were bad with the 2005 contract but at least then we got paid our retro up front. In over 20 years of teaching in NYC I have never seen so many veteran teachers pissed. Lastly, I think the UFT thinks they can pull this shit due to the fact that there are so many newbie teachers who don't know about things like ATR's or retro money. The veterans in the know must inform them of what shennanigans are going down.

Anonymous said...

The UFT and FariƱa are destroying our schools, and nobody is doing anything to stop it.

Anonymous said...

Dear ATRs,
I worked very hard since September to get you this marvelous deal. Realize that the DOE doesn't want you and it was a difficult fight to defend you bunch of losers. I'm working hard to have you high schools guys with 7- 12 licenses placed in middle schools. You middle school ATRs with K-6 licenses we'll be sending to elementary schools and elementary school ATRs with K-6 will be going to middle schools. This is a wonderful change to open vast vistas of learning and employment opportunities for you misfits. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call ICE, MORE or Solidarity - or you can try me or Amy after July 1st and before September 1st. No need for meetings, we here at 52 are very busy with year end parties. (We often have left overs, come over anytime after 11 PM.)
Your Beloved Leader,
Michael

Anonymous said...

Most ATRS love the status quo. The commenters here are the outliers, and even they can't articulate what they want. The deal was meant to cull the herd, not eliminate it. The UFT is the bargaining agent. Imagine the chaos if the fools on this blog were in charge. Strange that James, who has always managed to find good positions as an ATR thanks to his talent, would associate with such a gaggle of whiners. The DoE should just force place you numbskulls, then watch the exodus begin.

James Eterno said...

Why can't I whine? I worked hard to get appointed and thanks to getting appointed, I don't qualify for the buyout while many of my friends do. Nothing against my colleauges, I do not begrudge them the money to leave this dysfunctional system. That said, I was encouraged by Amy Arundell to get
a permanent appointment even though I am 56 years old and I did so earlier this year. I saved Middle College money because of the subsidy. If I didn't try to get appointed and just stayed provisional, I would be eligible for an extra $50,000 to retire. Yeah I am angry. Working hard and doing the right thing by the school cost me $50,000. That's a boat load of money.

Anonymous said...

Just think of the scam, wait since 2009, till 2017 to get this next small piece of retro, then 1 school month before, they offer a buyout which will make you forfeit the retro you are finally about to get, plus the payments in 2018, 2019 and 2020. You might as well just work the fall term and make the same 50k, get a few more sick bank days and add more to your tda at 7% interest, and keep your medical for free.

Anonymous said...

It's not a boat load if money when taxes will take half of it and you don't have another job to replace this one if you do not retire. I can't retire for 4 more years, already am 60 years old so this $50000 before taxes is shit. I'm not giving up $90,000 a year with benefits for $25,000 one time cash. If I was ready to retire or had another job paying me the same or more, maybe. Otherwise, are you kidding me.

James Eterno said...

I understand the tax implications so yeah you are right 12:16 and 12:27 pm. I went over this with a math teacher friend last night. 12:16, Retirees still get the retro payments. That's kind of not clear in the comment.Taking into consideration the tax implications of 1/3 of termination pay, the retro and the $50,000, it would really put me in a very high tax bracket for 2017 but it would be nice to be able to have that choice. It's still more money up front for sure and better than nothing for someone who can retire.

Nobody who isn't eligible to retire who doesn't have another job lined up is going to go near the buyout. It is a joke.

Anonymous said...

James, dishonesty doesn't become you. With young kids etc you are not retiring.

James Eterno said...

12:48pm: I am glad you can see my future. You may be totally off, however.

Anonymous said...

That's what I meant, if you are resigning, not retiring, you waited all these years, only to have the retro snatched away, at the last second. I only have 15 years.

James Eterno said...

You are 12:16 and 1:02? The same person? I was just specifying that retirement was not the same as resignation in this deal in terms of retro payments. It was kind of unclear.

Anonymous said...

Let me articulate you don't know shit. Place me motherfuckers! It's about time!

Anonymous said...

Be a little clearer please.

Anonymous said...

Yes James 1202 and 116. Understood. Saying for somebody like me, I waited all this time for a bit of retro, piece by piece, now they want me to quit just in time to not get the retro.

James Eterno said...

Got it. Don't leave. Horrible deal.

Anonymous said...

Listen james- you should have no regrets.
You wanted to teach, you got to teach- good kids no less.
I wanted a permanent position i got one.
No regrets!!

Anonymous said...

The lowlife language and attitude from some individuals on this thread leads me to believe as ATR's, they are exactly where they deserve to be, and they should take the money before they end up fired or in jail.

Anonymous said...

Hey douchebag 5:37. Anybody can become an ATR in this day and age. All it takes is one false accusation and your ass is brought up on 3020a chargers. Even if you "win" you will become an ATR. Show some respect for these folks. They are us and we are them.

Jeff said...

I just read the ATR contract 2017...For the guy you wanted to know his rights...It says after Oct 16, ATR will be sent to fill a vacancy in borough...And at level, HS, MS, etc...Also, assignments to cover leaves and long term absences...Only thing is doesnt clearly state is...Will we be rotating if not in a vacancy or staying at one place?

Anonymous said...

I hear Uft will be doing consultations during the first week of July in boro offices.....Here I come 50,000 richer....Las Vegas here I come!

Anonymous said...

Where did you get a copy of the agreement?

Anonymous said...

Its on facebook page

Anonymous said...

You got to teach and you are out $50,000. Some stayed rotating and never looked for a job and now they and Uncle Sam will be $50,000 richer while the rest of us idiots deal with Danielson. What's wrong with this picture?

Anonymous said...

We ATRs didn't get Danielson training.

That's what's wrong with this picture.

Anonymous said...

They didnt mention if Field Supes still exist, or about S/U, or the rotation, or how long a rotation. They were always doing provisional placements whenever they wanted so that isnt a change.

Anonymous said...

Can someone post a link to the agreement?