Hello,Countless UFT members have been ineligible for retro pay if they have taken family leave, paid parental leave, and/or have/adopted babies and must take maternity/paternity leave. We have spoken to a number of UFT members who were denied retro pay and SESIS payments. We are considering filing a class action… Read More
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author of this opt ed are their own and their appearance on the website does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect the view of UFT Solidarity caucus or… Read More
John Lawhead is the Chapter leader at East NY Family Academy. John ran with UFT Solidarity in 2019 for Executive Board and has been a union activist for many years. How Sustainable is the Reopening? Nobody was arguing that remote learning is better than students being in school. The question… Read More
The Board of Regents are expected to decide on the January regents soon. If they do what was done in June and offer waivers to anyone “intending to sit for the January regents”, and if your child has failed ANY previous exams, they will get a waiver. This may open… Read More
View Online Your Rights Your Benefits Your Union Team High School Join our remote Oct. 27 citywide academic high school meeting Dear Jay, Please join our remote academic high school meeting. This citywide meeting is an excellent opportunity to discuss common challenges and issues academic high schools face this extraordinary year. Also, we want to hear about successes… Read More
Feel free to add more as a comment to this blog post. Questions worth mentioning if you do get selected to speak at the Town Hall (we know things are pre-screened but you never know if you’ll get lucky): 1. Is the UFT pressuring the State to waive state exams… Read More
http://iceuftblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/live-blogging-from-october-virtual.html?m=1 Moment of silence for Elizabeth Languilli and Edie Shanker (wife of Al Shanker) who both passed away. President’s Report Only school system that had mandatory testing until state designated certain other districts to test. Pushed back the opening of school twice because we weren’t ready. DOE guidance on how… Read More
By Daniel R. Leopold This is a response to the editorial at https://nypost.com/2020/10/11/de-blasios-fiscal-savings-a-loss-to-taxpayers-a-gift-to-teachers-union/amp#aoh=16025025151986&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s This article makes it sound like the UFT are vultures looking to pick at the remains of a barely fiscally alive city. That is not the truth. No, to understand the truth you must not only look… Read More
I was a newly elected chapter leader in 2014, and I remember having to tell members in my building over and over that the retro pay agreement is better than not getting what Bloomberg denied us, but it is really nothing to celebrate either. We worked without a contract from… Read More
Dear Ms. Norton: We have at least 28 UFT members who have committed to filing a new petition with a Temporary Restraining Order previously filed under Corwin et. al. v. City of NY<https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scribd.com%2Fdocument%2F475909908%2FSolidarity-Complaint-pdf%23from_embed&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cc094e2e38a434ef2536808d860c52a70%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637365747223210065&sdata=taLQxRPd13svYNTOSBRS%2F1%2FBuOIth%2BfpXD1J5kNBlCQ%3D&reserved=0> demanding a fair remote work accommodation. These dues paying members are paying out of their own pockets… Read More
If you want to join the case, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/xBUkUsG5gezKestf6 Good morning, As an update, we had a hearing yesterday before Justice Dakota Ramseur at 12 noon. Both sides agreed to release the City of New York as a Respondent while leaving the NYCDOE as the proper… Read More
We are seeking new petitioners. BIG NEWS: We are seeking more petitioners for our Article 78 to grant UFT members wider access to the remote work accommodation. In the Article 78 we filed, we argued that the system by which the NYC DOE dispensed remote work accommodations is arbitrary and… Read More
Pushing Back against the DOE Liars Led by UFT Solidarity, five teachers have filed suit asking to be allowed to work from home until the threat of COVID-19 has actually passed. The overwhelming support and solidarity from fellow educators and allies in NYC and beyond has been awe-inspiring and is… Read More
DOE’S FINAL PLAN MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT STAFF ARE NOT TO REPORT TO SCHOOL IF THEY HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OR HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO ANY PERSON WITH COVID SYMPTOMS. There will be no school for anyone experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or being close to someone who experiences symptoms. If… Read More
Calling all parents! If you have an issue with child care, you may be able to get a 12-week partially paid leave. DOE put out a memo on September 1. You can find it right here. It’s behind a DOE wall, so you need a DOE password. If you don’t work… Read More
Dear Members, Prior to September 8th, please be sure to read and review the following memo from the NYC DOE. We wish to highlight the following key points: 1. Excused Leave at Full Pay- The following category of employees will be eligible for excused leave at full pay without a… Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 1, 2020 Contact: Lydia Howrilka Lydia.howrilka@live.com NEW YORK: Five educators in NYC public schools have filed an injunction against the City of New York and Chancellor Richard Carranza stating that the City’s system of permitting certain educators with the opportunity to file for and be granted… Read More
By Claudia F Giordano Anyone who has walked into, or simply stood out inside of a school building as students arrive for school in the morning or leave school at dismissal can see that the number of human bodies, children and adult, is overwhelming. It’s an enormous task on the… Read More
With that in mind, on THIS Solidarity Blog, I am posting about a MORE meeting where our current situation with the city and upcoming strike actions will be discussed. Please register via the link below. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscO2spj0iE9Yv4d8GuOsVuxTagR5mflvb Read More
UFT Solidarity Meeting-August 20th JAY-Updates – Everyone has questions with very few answers from Mayor, Chancellor, or UFT President. Assuming we go back, we have to be hyper vigilant. We need to be careful on what we wear, say, and even breath. Face shields are recommended – especially if you… Read More
In short: UFT Solidarity stands with the UFT. We stand with President Mulgrew on the call for a strike. Schools are not safe for students or staff. We do not trust the NYC Department of Education to have the needs of students, staff, and their families at heart. We are… Read More
Dear UFT Member, We all would like to return to our classrooms in September, but New York City school buildings should not reopen unless they are safe. Medical experts and community and civic leaders joined me today at a press conference at UFT headquarters to announce a clear and transparent program… Read More
Monday | August 10, 2020 | 3:00 – 4:00 PM via Zoom General Norms: We have a large group attending today so we are kindly asking for your cooperation by complying with the following: At 3pm we will promptly begin the meeting. At this time, please turn off your video… Read More
About the Author: Eric Severson is a Special Education teacher at Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn. He ran as a VP with UFT Solidarity in 2016 and 2019. Recently many teachers have begun sharing a reversal of the old saying maligning teachers: “Those who can do teach, and those… Read More
