The UNITY/UFT caucus has been the foundation of our union for over 60 years, and we proudly bear the responsibility for being the majority voice. UNITY/UFT never stops pushing back, defending member rights to enable the betterment of our schools and students.
UNITY/UFT ACHIEVEMENTS:
Leading The Charge To Protect And Preserve Our Union
- UNITY/UFT helped craft legislation that will enable all public sectors unions to recruit and retain members. Further, this legislation signed by the governor limits the free services unions, including the UFT, must provide to workers who are not paying their share of the costs of those services. This is one of the many ways in which UNITY/UFT is preparing for an adverse Janus ruling.
Pay increases That Reward The Efforts Of Our Members
- By June 16, 2018 we will receive a 5% raise. Lump sum payments will be made to us the next three Octobers (2018, 2019, 2020).
Below are some examples of maximum salaries by the end of the contract in 2018:
- Teachers– $119,565
- Paraprofessionals –$41,246
- Guidance Counselors– $126,916
- School Psychologists and Social Workers– $125,446
- School Secretaries– $78,226
Improvements To The Quality Of Our Work Lives:
- UNITY/UFT helped create standards for paperwork reduction that eliminate duplicative and unnecessary paperwork (both written and electronic).
- UNITY/UFT fights to ensure that time for other professional work (OPW) is available for your use and not hijacked by the principal.
Progress Toward A Sensible Teacher Evaluation System
- UNITY/UFT led advocacy pushed the state legislature to propose a bill that once and for all delinks teacher evaluations in NY State from student results on state exams.
Security Now And For The Future
- UNITY/UFT is pushing to finalize an agreement with the City on paid parental leave. This is an issue of great importance, and we will continue to work tirelessly in pursuit of a fair agreement that benefits our members and their families. As always, with UNITY/UFT, you can count on us to get it done.
- UNITY/UFT successfully fought back against those who wanted to change our state constitution in an attempt to reduce or eliminate our pensions.