🚨 Call to Action: Our ‘Get Out The Vote’ homework for upcoming UFT & TRS elections

Help us GET OUT THE VOTE for: Ben Morgenroth for TRS Pension Trustee, Fix Para Pay Slate for Para Chapter Election and Retiree Advocate for Retired Teachers Chapter (RTC)

Educators of NYC

Apr 28

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We need your help to get out the vote for three important elections affecting UFT members that will launch/take place in the coming days.
It’s time for CHANGE! As a union proud and union strong community, we must take back our union.

We’ve seen way too many cuts to our healthcare and pension, and wages that lag behind inflation.
Each one of these races challenges Michael Mulgrew’s dangerous establishment control over our beloved union. They are also vital in educating our union family about the crisis regarding health & pension benefits and about our struggles with sub-inflation raises/wages.
Please share these campaigns and resources with friends, family and colleagues via: Text, e-mail, phone call, in-person, mail, social media

1. Ben Morgenroth For TRS Pension Trustee

What’s at stake:

Fixing Tier 6, now. Not later. Ben will provide expert, independent oversight of our pensions. We must end pension cuts while securing and fully funding our pensions.
Learn more about Ben’s highly qualified credentials and his priorities here.

🗳️ Election Day: Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Principals will conduct elections in NYC DOE schools. CUNY will conduct elections at their campuses on May 8 & 9.

📅 Join this event this week: A virtual town hall will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 5:30 PM. RSVP for the Strengthen our TRS Pension virtual town hall with Ben Morgenroth. His opponent, a Mulgrew appointee, has been invited. It will be held via Zoom.

⬇️ Download, print, share the Ben Morgenroth for TRS Trustee flyer.

🌐 Follow, like and share these links with everyone:

2. Fix Para Pay Slate for UFT Paraprofessional Chapter Election

What’s at stake:

NYC paras deserve a living wage, a fair contract and respect & dignity.
Learn more about Fix Para Pay, their candidates and detailed priorities

🗳️ Election Window: Ballots will be mailed out around May 9th. Mark an “X” in the FIX PARA PAY box on page 1 only. Return your sealed mail-in ballot, ASAP, to the address provided. All ballots must be mailed back by Thursday,June 13th.

If you do not receive a ballot by May 15th, contact Fix Para Pay via their website.

📅 Join this event this week: RSVP for Bronx in-person meetup to meet the Fix Para Pay candidates on Thursday, May 2 from 4-6 PM.

⬇️ Download, print, share the FIX PARA PAY flyer.

🌐 Follow, like and share these links with everyone:

Retiree Advocate Slate for UFT Retired Teachers Chapter (RTC) Election

What’s at stake:

Preserving our premium-free, quality healthcare benefits. Stopping the inferior, predatory, and privatized MulgrewCare / Aetna Medicare Advantage plan from being forced on UFT and city retirees by the City and Mulgrew.
Learn more about Retiree Advocate here

🗳️ Election Window: Ballots will be mailed out around May 10th. Mark an “X” in the Retiree Advocate box on page 1 only. Return your sealed mail-in ballot, ASAP, to the address provided. All ballots must be mailed back by Thursday,June 13th.

If you do not receive a ballot by May 15th, contact Retiree Advocate via their website.

⬇️ Download, print, & share the RETIREE ADVOCATE flyer.

🌐 Follow and share these links with everyone:

Retiree Advocate

Retiree Advocate Flyer

Sunday, April 14, 2024

TIER 6 A HUGE DEFEAT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

(This post originally from March 18, 2012, was written by James Eterno.)

No spin from NYSUT or Leo Casey or President Mulgrew on the legislation to stick anyone hired in April or thereafter with a Tier VI pension. (Tell any paras that haven't joined the TRS to do so immediately.) This is another crushing defeat for working people that will yield no savings today as current employees and retirees are not impacted.

For those yet to be hired, the legislature and governor wiped away virtually all of the pension gains we made over the last thirty years. A new teacher or new state employee will have to work until they are sixty three to receive a full pension which will only be 55% of final average salary according to what I read. Final average salary has been increased from the average of the last five years of employment instead of three.

I remember when I started working and all of the people who were on Tier I told those of us who were on Tier IV how horrible our pension was. Now we will have to face the Tier VI people and tell them they are in it for the real long haul if they want to make teaching a career. It is the same for other civil servants across New York State.

Think about a twenty-two year old new college graduate who wants to become a teacher. That person will have to work forty-one years to qualify for a full pension. This is not a very pleasant prospect.

With the attack on teachers and other public employees continuing unabated, could anyone encourage a young person to get into this line of work?

What about those COPE contributions? We don't seem to have much influence with the legislature these days.