UFT Members Vote to Ratify Contract
An overwhelming majority of United Federation of Teachers members voted to ratify a contract that calls for annual pay raises and expanded virtual learning opportunities. However, some critics say the terms are not enough as the UFT sees a lower approval margin in comparison to its last contract in 2018.
The United Federation of Teachers said on July 10 that union members voted to ratify the tentative contract agreement that was announced last month between the city and the union. Around 75% of the 95,000 ballots cast were in favor of the contract’s ratification.
The new five-year contract boasts several purported benefits. It will allow new teachers to earn six-figure salaries in eight years — as opposed to 15 — and includes annual pay raises that compound to about 18-20 percent over the course of five years.
“The new agreement addresses the major changes sought by the union’s 500-member negotiating team. The contract increases pay, increases educators’ control over their workday, and decreases the non-educational, irrelevant paperwork demands,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew in a press release.
Additionally, the contract will expand virtual learning opportunities, allowing students to take classes at night and on weekends.
However, Nick Bacon—a co-chair of UFT’s New Action Caucus who staunchly opposed the proposal—claims that, “a record-fast voting process met with a bombardment of intimidation and misinformation made it easy for Unity to sweep many of the problems and potential problems under the rug, while implying that minor wins were far more major in scope than they actually were.”
Similarly, a popular critique from UFT constituents was that current inflation rates will outpace the salary increases. Not to mention concern regarding the $33,000 starting salary for paraprofessionals, which is approximately $20,000 below what the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s comprehensive Living Wage Calculator considers a living wage for a single adult with no children residing in New York City. The database defines a living wage as the pay required to cover the cost of “minimum basic needs” based on one’s geographic location.