As the fiscal year comes close to ending, the Independent Budget Office has issued a report and once again they are projecting city employees will get the 1% salary increases based on Mayor de Blasio's budget.
Here is what the IBO says in a section called Fiscal Pressure:
Another potential source of fiscal pressure is the need
to renegotiate many of the labor contracts settled in the
Mayor’s first term. Many of these contracts are expiring.
The de Blasio Administration has set aside funds to cover
1 percent annual raises and stated that any additional
benefits such as paid parental leave would require
givebacks to offset the costs. If the Mayor moves away
from this position as the contracts are settled it would be
necessary to find millions of dollars not currently budgeted.
We are not expecting the Mayor to move away from the 1%. Only a militant labor movement could force his hand.
Meanwhile Comptroller Scott Stringer has issued a report on the DOE. DOE is on the Agency Watchlist. I'm not sure what that means but it sounds important.
From the Stringer report:
First announced in the Comptroller’s Preliminary Budget Presentation, the Agency Watch List spotlights City agencies – the Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Education (DOE), and homeless services – that raise the most budgetary concerns due to rapidly increased spending and meager measurable results. Reports, to be released quarterly, will review trends and recommend indicators that should be reported and monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of agency spending in achieving the Administration’s stated goals.
Now for some specifics from the Comptroller on DOE:
Since FY 2014, DOE central administration staffing has risen by nearly 21 percent. Through February 2018, the Department reports a total of 2,254 full-time positions in central administration, 387 more positions than at the end of FY 2014. The largest increases are in the Office of Strategic Coordination and Planning, the Division of Information and Instructional Technology, the Division of School Support and the Office of Special Education Initiatives, combining for 286 positions or nearly three-quarters of the overall increase.
In case you are wondering what, for example, the Division of School Support does, check this out. Gotta love bureaucracy. I wonder if the new Chancellor will reorganize the bureaucracy as that seems to be something they do regularly.
Par for the course. Did you expect more than 1% and continued abuse?
ReplyDeleteA UFT rep told me today that the UFT won't bring up buy outs with the city. It will only be discussed if the city brings it up and finds it monetarily feasible. I told him to do something for ATRs. He said what can we do? I told him to work towards ending Fair Student Funding. He said everyone in the UFT wants to see an end to it. I said what are they doing? Where's the resolutions? Where's the public admonishment of this discriminatory accounting ploy? Crickets.
ReplyDeleteI just read Arthur Goldstein's blog. It was to push I needed to finally say enough is enough. I'm out of the UFT, ASAP.
ReplyDeletedo the math again. if i make 100k a year, plus medical...if they give me a 100k buyout, they are even after 1 year. they never again have to pay my 100k+ salary, medical, and my pension would be smaller. they save millions on 1 teacher. now multiply by 800.
ReplyDeleteUft push for a buyout. Do something good for ATRs. If you screw us, I’m going to make it my personal mission to contact every ATR I know and every newbie to get them to sign out. No one would believe how many I know after being in over 100 schools in 7 years.
ReplyDeleteI swear to God if we get 1% raises but still have 4 observations and Danielson that I am going to scream my face off in front of 52 Broadway every day until I retire.
ReplyDeleteThey dont give a fuck if you scream
ReplyDeleteI sense a little anger in these comments. I am sure Arthur will be thrilled you are leaving the UFT because of him. The math for the ATR shows he is missing a little.
ReplyDeleteThe DOE has to pay a pension plus your health benefits so you will be on the books for over the cost of a new teacher anyway. May as well have you covering classes. They save on subs. $100,000 buyout? Ok.
100K buyout will do it for many of us.
ReplyDeleteWrong about pension. Im 37. wont pay me a pension for 18 years, and pension would be under 20k a year at that time. plus wont pay medical until i reach much later in life. They would save millions. And atrs dont have to be replaced if we are doing nothing anyway.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the 100k buyout...(A) its not a lot to get people to quit. (B) If they just offer the same 50k as last year plus retro owed, you are at 85k, in my case anyway...
ReplyDeleteIm in my 30s too, make over 100k base. W2 said my medical was over 7K last year. So 7k plus 102k equals 109k in one year, and thats without retro. 100k to get me off books would be a steal for them. AND, when i reach 55, instead of paying me a 100k pension, they would be paying me a 20k pension.
ReplyDeleteThe sooner you get people out means they work less years makes their pension smaller forever. Have to figure out how many people who are not yet eligible for pension would leave now. Thats where much of the savings would be made. A one time payment is always better for the city. Its like, whats better, giving us a 1% raise or a $1000 lump sum? The $1000 is paid and never seen again. The 1% is in your salary forever AND it compounds off of the following raise
ReplyDeleteThe problem for you guys is nobody has taken the last two buyouts who is not going to leave anyway. I can't see someone in their 30's going for it even if they double the package to $100,000 unless you have something else lined up. I wouldn't take the $100,000 because you then forfeit the retro payments which are coming in the next three years and losing your medical benefits. It is a better deal than last year but still not that great.
ReplyDeleteThat would knock it down about 25% by losing the retro.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT needs to figure out a presentation to give to DeBlasio showing the City could reduce the DOE budget by 10% and still afford 3% annual raises. This could probably be done by eliminating administrative (Tweed) bloat, but could also include an ATR buyout (or forced placement within one's district), and excessing (as much as we should be loath to admit, there are many unnecessary ICT classes, double-period classes, Advisory classes, etc. that don't need to be there).
ReplyDeleteThat "Division of School Support" needs to be abolished. Many people earning 6 figures doing absolutely nothing useful. This goes on at Central as well as in the Community School Districts.
ReplyDeleteJames, the following is DOE's APPR Plan that is currently in effect:
ReplyDeletehttp://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/teachers-leaders/plans/docs/new-york-city/new-york-city-appr-plan-123016.pdf
On viewer page 73 out of 111, you can see that on December 30, 2016, Carmen Fariña, Michael Mulgrew, and Ernest Logan agreed (at least, in theory) with the plan's contents. On viewer page 1 out of 111, Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia informed Carmen, on that same date, that the plan was approved.
It stands to reason that any changes to the observation procedures need to be, once again, signed off by the DOE, UFT, and CSA, and then submitted to Commissioner Elia for approval.
Scott Stringer needs to closely examine how much the current evaluation procedures have cost the City.
James if we get 1% plus givebacks for parental leave why should I support parental leave? My son is going to college next year. It does me no good.
ReplyDeleteBuy out. One month pensionable for every year of service. Do that I am out of here.
ReplyDelete@ 4:44pm: Now that's the ticket. Offer me pensionable time as forementioned and give me a pen.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you people are smoking but a buyout is just a pipe dream. The city only offers this when it benefits them, such as during a fiscal crisis. You should know better that they are not going to do you any favors. And by the way, your union wont do you any favors either.
ReplyDeleteHuh? They offered one last year. It was just awful.
ReplyDeleteWith each crappy contract we vote yes to, teachers lose our bargaining power. NYC knows Mulgrew will cry victory no matter what crap they give us and teachers will vote yes yet again. The first contract I ever voted on (circa 1990) was voted down by the membership. I don't think I will see that happen again before I retire in a couple of years. Roseanne McCosh
ReplyDelete5:40 has some very good points. Why should city offer pension credit buyout when so many already want to leave the school system? Pension credit would require approval from state legislature and governor.
ReplyDeleteAnother ATR only buyout would get more people who were going to retire anyway some more money.
The UFT has become totally corrupt. 3-4 multi million dollar conferences every year? The Broadway office space? This MiniVAN app to log membership conversations? How much did that cost?!? You could literally just email an Excel document for free! We come out and talk about wasteful spending in the DOE and labor, but we have strayed very far from being a legitimate labor organization.
ReplyDelete