UFT PRESS RELEASE ON REJECTED ACCOMMODATIONS; MULGREW WELCOME BACK EMAIL

When the UFT constantly tries to appease the mayor and Department of Education, don't be surprised when the city-DOE pushes it to another level. The DOE doesn't care about its employees lives. Teachers being denied reasonable accommodations is predictable.

The UFT Press Release:

REJECTED: City begins denying medical accommodations for deserving teachers

September 10, 2021

 

 Press Releases

The city’s Department of Education has suddenly begun a “get-tough” policy refusing medical accommodations for teachers with serious illnesses, including those recovering from cancer or from organ transplants, UFT President Michael Mulgrew announced today.

Mr. Mulgrew said: “First Mayor de Blasio announces that there will be no medical accommodations but backs off that claim while saying that the number of accommodations will be very small. Then — after the arbitration process the union has demanded is underway — the DOE starts rejecting clearly deserving accommodation requests from teachers who want to work but need additional COVID protection.”

“The city’s position is outrageous. We have urged the arbitrator now working on this case to ensure that medical accommodation requests will be evaluated on the basis of medical necessity, not according to City Hall’s political agenda,” Mulgrew said.

In accordance with the federal, state law, an individual with any physical, medical, mental, or psychological impairment is entitled to a reasonable accommodation to assist that individual in performing the activities involved in his or her job.

Recently rejected cases include:

• a teacher who underwent a kidney transplant was denied, even though she had taken the vaccine, but her body produced no antibodies, leaving her with no protection from the COVID virus;
• a high school teacher with stage IV kidney cancer was denied, despite letters from his physicians stating the danger facing him if he spent any time in a crowd;
• a teacher with diabetes along with a suppressed immune system due to an organ transplant whose application — pending since July — has been denied.

Sample rejection letter below (personal information redacted)

09/02/2021
Case#:
File#
EMP ID:
Dear ,

This is to advise you that your request for a Reasonable Accommodation has closed for the following reason:

• There are no further accommodations for COVID risk. If you need an accommodation for a disability or other limitations related to the essential functions of your position, you are welcome to reapply in SOLAS.'

Dear ___________,

It’s hard to believe that we are entering yet another school year under the shadow of the pandemic. We were hoping that this would be the year that we put COVID behind us, but with the rise of the delta variant our journey is not over. The vaccine helps us to protect our own health, but we still have the health of our unvaccinated students to protect and the unprecedented social-emotional and academic needs of all our students to address as we head back into the classroom.

One thing this pandemic has taught the world is the importance of education. When people say over and over again that kids need to be in schools, what they are really saying is that they need to be with you. What this pandemic has demonstrated is just how important you are to today's children and tomorrow’s future.

The past 18 months have thrown challenges at us that no one ever could have imagined. After navigating this pandemic, we know we can handle anything. You showed up for your students every single day and showed that you could bring calm and stability to situations that felt uncontrollable. The past school year was the hardest year of many of our lives, but we made it through. For that, we ought to be proud.

We have also learned from the challenges of last school year, and as our negotiations continue we are fighting to ensure that we start this school year with as many safety protocols, contractual rights and compensation agreements in place as possible to support the incredible work you do each and every day.

In such a highly politicized and polarizing time, we need to resist letting our differences produce cracks that others can exploit. That is what enemies of this union want. Now, it’s more important than ever for us to stick together.

The importance of a union has never been clearer than during this past year. With the power of our union, we will continue to fight for what’s right, for what’s best for our students and for what’s best for us. We will be there for each other and for our students. There’s light at the end of this long tunnel, and together we will make it to the other side.

Sincerely,

Michael Mulgrew's Signature

Michael Mulgrew

UFT President