Thursday, June 01, 2017

Will There Be An ATR Buyout As Well As An Incentive In The New ATR Agreement?




























There appears to be a rumor going around in the ATR community that the DOE and UFT are talking about an ATR buyout as well as an incentive.  Just to be clear,  my sources did not mention to me that an ATR buyout might be on the table.  However, if the rumors are true and there is an ATR buyout as part of the 2017-18 ATR agreement, what will it be?

My best guess is that the ATR buyout, if one is actually agreed to, would be similar to the failed ATR buyout back in 2014.  In that ATR buyout, ATRs who took the proposal received one week's pay for every complete year of service up to 20 years.  The average payout was a measly $16,000 and only 97 of the 1135 ATR teachers actually took the buyout or only 8.5%.  Moreover, the vast majority of ATRs who took the buyout were  retiring anyway or were subject to 3020-a termination charges.  Finally, the average payout was only about 20% of a year's salary and few ATRs who were not in trouble were tempted by the inadequate buyout offer.

If there is going to be an ATR buyout, what should it include?  There are two buyouts that would interest ATRs.  First would be a buyout that includes a 2 week salary for every year completed with no cap.  This allows a 26 year teacher to receive his or her full yearly salary.  The second would be giving a 2 year pension credit like the Tier I people received to get them to retire.

The bottom line, if the rumors are true and the DOE and UFT are really negotiating an ATR buyout, it needs to be significantly improved upon the inferior ATR buyout of 2014.  Otherwise, few ATRs would be willing to take the offer as shown when the DOE and UFT agreed to an inferior ATR buyout in the last contract.


30 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not an ATR but dear G-d offer me a buyout. I can't take this job anymore.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with NY Rubber Room person! ATRS need you to be the leader who would represent all of our concerns to the UFT!

Anonymous said...

At the uft meeting in my school and district rep about possible atr agreement. They said they have been told nothing is imminent.

I then mentioned that I found out better info on blogs than from the uft regarding ATRs. They said 'you can't trust blogs'.

Our union sucks

Anonymous said...

If I was an ATR, a one time "buyout" would not interest me as much as if they could change me from a Tier 4 to Tier 3. A good pension is worth a lot more than a one time cash payout in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Do you think a buy out will ever be offered to non atrs ?

I would jump on it if the numbers made sense.

Anonymous said...

please dont post rumors-
im too old to suffer from a broken heart
if it doesnt happen

waitingforsupport said...

I know many ATRs who have at least 5 years left to retire. We would sacrifice and take a 2-year pension credit. They wouldn't take a cash offer.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with 6:54. It's too upsetting for many of us. Chaz you're a good person and I enjoy your work.

Anonymous said...

I have heard from a couple of very reliable sources that negotiations are underway, Im waiting to hear something good!

Anonymous said...

To 5:15 PM who would like to retire with a Tier 3 pension, all that I can say is beware! Tier 3 has a clause that lowers your pension by how much you are collecting from Social Security. Tier 4 does not have this clause. So when you retire, you are counseled to retire under the rules of Tier 4. The numbers are the same, but no one wants to lower their pension by their S.S.

Anonymous said...

It makes no sense unless you are moving to a different career or retiring anyway. Think, if someone has lets say 15 years, and they plan to work 20 more years, in those 20 years they will make over 2 million in salary, plus medical, plus higher pension, higher tda, social security, etc. There is no buyout that would come within a million miles of that.

Anonymous said...

Well mulgrew screwed us.

Mr. Rose said...

Confirmed. $50,000 one time or $35,000 one time + 6 months of health insurance.

Any takers?

Joe said...

The city will offer buyouts to roving educators who lack permanent assignments at schools, Education Department officials said Thursday.

The city seeks to shrink the Absent Teacher Reserve pool with offers of one-time payments of $50,000 or payments of $35,000 and six months of health benefits.

Anonymous said...

If there is a buyout it would only interest people who are close to or ready to retire anyway.
I guess if they offer years this would lead to even more ATRs leaving. The bigger question is how can we get rid of the ATR system?

ATR status is when people become excessed for whatever reason. ATRs are placed in limbo and treated unfairly until they are picked up which rarely happens especially if you have more than 5 to 10 yrs in. I am not even sure what happens when you do not have tenure. Can you still become an ATR?

Why would the UFT allow members to treated this way? Anyone can become an ATR! We should all be united and not allow any members to be treated differently!

Anonymous said...

What is the difference between tier 4 and tier 3?

Anonymous said...

And the buyout is now here and it sucks!!!!

Anonymous said...

Got the buyout unfo, its basically they are giving you the retro owed.

Anonymous said...

I just received an official email from Michael Mulgrew of UFT offering a 2 option buyout for ATR's who have been in the exccess pool from June 1, 2016 and before through today. It's official: $50,000 one time payment, not pensionable or $35.000 and 6 months of health insurance, not pensionable. To retire or resign your position. And he stated they plan to place all ATR's in their borough for the school year 2017-18.

Anonymous said...

This is another policy that discriminates ATRs.

Anonymous said...

What a scam. You get the retro to quit.

Anonymous said...

Hey, 5:15 PM. The absolute last thing you want to be is in tier 3. Check it out before you actually retire

Anonymous said...

Just heard from a UFT Rep that there will be a buyout for ATRS for about $50,000.

Anonymous said...

Works out for the ATRs who are planning to retire or go into another career. I do not understand the reasoning behind it. Most ATRS will stay because they do not have the years in yet.

More interested in what the "secret agreement" is going to look like!

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew negotiated for this?! Is it a joke? No one is taking it unless they are already retiring. Mulgrew is something from the planet Moron and he must think we're from the planet Brainless.

Francesco Portelos said...

http://atralliance.org/2017/06/02/uft-doe-agree-to-buy-out-but-will-atrs-buy-in/

So far, doesn't seem like many are going to take it.

Anonymous said...

ATR buyout offered today, June 2, 2017.

BAD DEAL, BADLY NEGOTIATED, ROYALLY SCREWS THE ATRs.

Choose L.I.F.E. Long Island (Federation of) Educators

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew is once again in fantasy land. This is the same deal that was offered a little while ago.

Mike...I have 20 yrs in and make $100,000 K....why on earth would I take that shitty deal?

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew is in the business of getting rid of older teachers.

Anonymous said...

Chaz, thanks for the info. What will we do when you retire?