Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A Pot Of Gold Looms At The End Of Contract Negotiations.

























Yesterday, Michael Mulgrew was interviewed by Anna Sale of NPR on the Brian  Lehrer Show.  Mr. Mulgrew caused quite a stir in the media when he admitted that "retroactive raises" are very important.  What I don't get is that Mr. Mulgrew only stated what everybody knew to be true, that "retroactive raises" are extremely important.  In fact, now that the De Blasio Administration has agreed to the previous  "City Pattern" including  full retroactive raises for the 200 Environmental Officers it makes it very difficult for Arbitrators not to give the Teachers and Nurses Unions the two 4% raises, including "retroactive raises" for the established "City Pattern"  during the 2009-2010 budget years. However, how the next three years of a contract play out is highly uncertain.

The "City Pattern":
There is broad consensus that the two arbitration boards will uphold the "City Pattern" for the teachers and nurses.  Therefore, the question is will the "retroactive raises" be paid upfront or stretched out over the next three budgets?  Both the City and UFT would like to stretch it out but it might not be possible if the State takes the side of the Bloomberg Administration's claim that under "Generally Accepted Accounting Principles" a Municipal budget cannot account for deferred raises by pushing it into future budgets.  The State has not ruled on the Bloomberg Administration's claim.
Regardless how this plays out, look for the UFT and NYSNA to get the "City Pattern" and "retroactive raises"  How the "retroactive raises" will be handled will depend on the State's decision on the Bloomberg Administration's attempt to force the City to pay it out of this year's budget or stretch it out over three budgets..

Future Contract:
The next three years for all the Municipal employees including the UFT, CSA, and NYSNA will probably not be negotiated until the City has finalized agreements with the teachers , supervisors, and nurses.  Once these contracts are completed, Bob Linn, the Chief negotiator for the City will have a better idea of the City finances and will negotiate from a "zero raise floor".  Bob Linn under the Ed Koch Administration was known to do just that.  Therefore, it's not surprising that this will be the City's position in negotiations. Of course,  the Municipal unions will want raises at least equal to the City inflation rate for the three year period, averaging 2.31% yearly.  The negotiated number will probably  be between 1% and 2% annually with "retroactive raises" that may be deferred to future years if the State rules against the Bloomberg Administration's claim.  Otherwise, a more creative solution will be implemented including bonuses.

UFT Members:
I look for negotiations to be completed by June of this year and will include our two 4% raises, minus 0.58% that we owe the City for the two days before Labor Day. The "retroactive raises" will be stretched out for three years and might include bonuses for the "retroactive raises" owed to us for the final three years. To save money the City will require the DOE to impose a "hiring freeze" and save $160 million dollars yearly by placing ATRs in the classrooms.  This will have the added benefit of reducing class sizes as well. I also see the City telling the DOE to eliminate many of the managers, lawyers, and accountability experts and to severely limit  the many and unnecessary consultant contracts.  This will save the DOE three billion dollars or more and by eliminating the useless "Children First Networks" and giving Central the school staffing responsibility.  That will allow the schools to hire the "quality teachers" they desperately needs while freeing the school to use their budget on resources to the classroom.

While I am not a psychic, the final contract should be very similar to what I proposed and we should see a "pot of gold" at the end.

NotE:  If one wants to know how much "back pay" we are getting for the two year (2009-10) "City pattern" use the back pay calculator that is on the Urban Ed blog as a good estimate. Remember you need to add all your gross pay between the two dates to the present (first year, approximately  4.5 years and second year, approximately 3.5 years)  to put the right value in the calculator. 

48 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:56 PM

    Chaz, from your lips to God's ears. While I believe wholeheartedly that many work rules desperately need to change, many of us have been sucked in by inflation, the cost of living in the NY metro area, while our incomes have remained stagnant. We need the retro money to catch up, and give us some breathing room. I can only pray that your prognostication is spot on.

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  2. Anonymous4:14 PM

    So will we get 4,4,4,4 retro for all the yrs we missed out on ?

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  3. Anonymous4:51 PM

    Dream on

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  4. Anonymous5:01 PM

    What about the atrs?

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  5. Invictus5:16 PM

    While the eternal optimist in me likes to believe that we should get the retroactive as well as raises in future contracts, I really do not know how will the City budget, with surplus and all will be able to deal with the raises. Wasn't the City budget about 1.5 billion in surplus? Yet just by hearing the mass media that the City would need about $7 billion in just raises, without having to deal with future medical benefits for all, where will all the money come from? For sure the City cannot simply continue taxing the ubber rich or worse, the Middle Class, in order to get us raises. What I am really leery is the false math calculus that the membership does thinking that 5 or 6 years worth of retroactive raises....about $6K-10K worth would be nice....without calculating that they would be shaf--d though back taxes such as a hike in the property tax, as well as ridiculous arbitrary City enforcement of parking and other nonsense. I truly do not want to be given a retroactive and then, be bled to death through other, pesky, invisible givebacks. Believe me, there is ALWAYS give backs, be it the City asking us to cough out more $$$ for our medical or other nonsense. If the Union decides to go for a contract, it needs to make sure that we ABSOLUTELY, do not have ANY give backs to speak of. If not, it will be accused of doing an appeasement game...and we all know what truly happened to that in history.

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  6. Anonymous5:43 PM

    I believe it all would be possible from any other city union other than the UFT.
    I have lost all respect and confidence in them. The Bronx office is especially apathetic; it is so useless and full of misinformation it should be shuttered- you're much better off going into Manhattan. Two more years as an ATR and my sentence is over. I don't care about raises or retro; all I want to see is all those leadership and network scum thrown out.

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  7. I noticed that...5:47 PM

    Chaz, I commend you for your untiring diligence in keeping track and informing the bloggers about the latest on the contract negotiation.

    However, I still have not read anything about retros for the teachers who retired during an expired contract. Many teachers waited and waited and waited for a contract. I retired last year and I feel that my pension would be much better, a greater amount if the contract had been negotiated with its 4-4 and retro.

    Therefore, what's your prediction regarding retro for the retired teachers from sy2009 - to the present?

    Thank you.

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  8. I noticed that

    The retroactive pay will include retirees. It always does.

    To anon 5:01

    The final contract will place ATRs back in the classroom. Like it or not. Read the post.

    Anon 4:14


    I guess its safe to say you're not a math teacher?

    It 4 & 4 and three years between 1% and 2%. That comes out to be between 11% and 14% for five years, not 16%. This does not include retroactive raises which will probably have a deferral and stretch out over three budgets.

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  9. Michael Fiorillo6:11 PM

    Any retroactive salary paid as a bonus is not pensionable, so Bloomberg wins twice: first by not paying us for years, second by shaving that pay raise off of our pensions.

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  10. Anonymous6:57 PM

    I'd sell out the ATR's in a heartbeat for additional raises.

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  11. Anon 6:57

    Good thing you and your E4E comrades are not in power.

    Michael: I certainly agree about the bonuses and I hope I'm wrong on the final three years.

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  12. Anonymous7:16 PM

    Hi Chaz,
    After carefully watching the dynamic duo of DeBlasio and Farina, I do not believe ATRs are going back to the classroom. He has said he will not force us on any principal and the media is continually painting us as the scum of the Earth (pedophiles,drug addicts,purveyors of prostitutes, etc.), with not a word from our union. (Perhaps there should be a cable show like In Search of Bigfoot, but lets call it In Search of the UFT.) I personally would like to go back, but am facing the real possibility it isn't going to happen. Unless I hear something definitive from Bigfoot (Mulgrew) I'm not getting my hopes up.

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  13. Anon: 7:16

    I disagree. The money saved is too tempting for De Blasio/Farina to allow it to continue.

    Once the fsf is gone and their is a hiring freeze see what happens next. The ATRs will be welcomed by the principals except for the Leadership Academy Principal and who wants to work for them anyway.

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  14. Anonymous7:56 PM

    Chaz I hope you are forced placed with one of these career ending principals and that you have to go to a 3020a trial with one of those great uft lawyers because of it. Instead of saying we will be back in the classroom like it not why don't you start writing and fighting with us to get seniority transfers back? Don't you like seniority transfers for atrs or do you want to sell us out to like the union?

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  15. Anonymous8:04 PM

    That's why Chaz and the doe want force placement were atrs have no say in the matter. That way we have to work for theses Bloomberg Leadership academy Principals. Like it or not to quote Chaz!
    How about seniority transfers like the police fire sanitation and the rest of the city and state unions have. Why don't you talk to us about seniority transfers Chaz? You have nothing to say about it? Why must we be the only city union not to have it? Darknight

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  16. Anonymous8:28 PM

    Mulgcrap left it in the hands of the doe on the radioshow the other day.

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  17. Anonymous8:31 PM

    Aren't most principals in the position now Leadership Academy Principals? I think a principal leading a school today who is not a LAP product would be a rara avis indeed.

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  18. Anon 7:54 and 8:04

    I know you are the same person. Wherever I am placed it will be provisionally and I can leave at year's end. As for seniority transfers? They are long gone. Just like the "Dodo Bird", given up by Randi and company in 2005. Get over it!

    I can handle going to a terrible school, obviously you can't and maybe its time to retire.

    Anon 8:14

    About 17% are "Leadership Academy Principals".

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  19. Anonymous9:06 PM

    While i agree with most of you are saying, i just think your "pot of gold" theme makes teachers out to be greedy. I remember a day where teachers were considered heroes like the nypd. Now we are thought of as selfish, lazy and overpaid.

    What i wish your post also discussed is what would we have to sacrifice for those raise? Additional hours? Days? Etc. if you can clarify it would be helpful. Thank you

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  20. Anonymous9:11 PM

    In defense of Chaz, there are plenty of principals today who have done it the old fashioned way i.e., putting their time in as a teacher, AP, and then going through the C-30 process to become principal. I know this as fact because I have sat on C-30 committees. Personally, I am optimistic that the Leadership Academy will become a bad memory just as the CFN's will be.

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  21. Anonymous9:25 PM

    lay off chaz. His analysis of the atr issue is spot on and the atrs should be back into the classroom.

    I also agree with chaz that we will get retro pay. I just don't know how and when.

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  22. Anonymous10:02 PM

    Anon 9:06.....

    I can't disagree with you more. First of all, the money that is owed to us retroactively is money we earned and should've gotten four, five years ago. We had an administration whose blatant disdain for educators said it all when the 4% patterns were not given to us. We are only asking what we earned, what we deserve based on a half century of pattern bargaining precedence. Also, if were to come out of this thing with everything we want retroactively, we'll STILL be lagging behind the suburban district educators in the northern, Jersey, and Long Island suburbs. Retroactivity on our pay implies respect and professionalism, not greed. I agree with Chaz 1000%

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  23. Anonymous8:27 AM

    No Forced Placement!!!! Come on Chaz get with it. You have been to these horrible schools and have seen the teachers walk around like they are scared. Who wants to be forced placed. Not one atr that I know wants that including myself. Stop the nonsense!!!!

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  24. Anonymous8:41 AM

    Two biq questions for me: 1) When will the results from PERB be ready? 2) Are the results/details from PERB public information? I want to know EXACTLY what kinds of deals were on the table once this gets hashed out.

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  25. Anonymous3:07 PM

    Unfortunately many teachers feel as ANON 6:57. And I only hope one day you all will be in a similar situation. No one is safe especially if the ATRs are sold out!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:29 PM

      After about 20 years in, I am an expert at playing this game. I could never allow myself to be placed into a position where there's a possibility to become an ATR. I have several teachers below me in my subject area. I always have. I cannot be excessed. I did work in a school that was labeled closing. You know what I did? I left. It's teachers like you with plenty of years in who simply cannot figure out how to play this game. There's a bunch of idiots in charge from morons at Tweed to 32 year old principals. How in the world do you allow yourself to become an ATR? You make nicey nice with these dopes and keep it moving. You set yourself up to be in a good position for yourself. You DO NOT stay in a closing school and allow yourself to become an ATR. How can you people be so careless with all your experience? This "game" is simple. Stop complaining and trying to fight by whining when you can just go with the flow because no one gives a shit anyway. My principal is an idiot but I love him because, he's an idiot. It's about public relations. Most ATR's have no public relations skills and use most of their time going on sites like this in the hope of gaining some worldly information. Wake up!!!! There is none!!!! It was like this for years and not much is going to change. Unbelievable hoe teachers stay in a closing school, purposely knowing they will be an ATR. You're not as smart as you think!!!!!!!!

      Delete
  26. Anon 5:29


    You can pat yourself on the back as you were lucky to have a Principal hire you based on your ability and not your salary.

    The majority of us don't get hired because of the fair student funding and school budget restrictions.

    Count yourself lucky and don't fault the rest of us because of the idiots at Tweed.

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  27. Anonymous6:06 PM

    to the expert anon 5:29...be careful Pride comes before the fall..your highness

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  28. Anonymous6:12 PM

    to ANON 5:29. Smart as I think I am? You may not be as smart as you think you are. You sound like a very uninformed person. I pity your students. I was a victim of budget cuts in a subject area that has unfortunately been diminished due to budget cuts. And my mother told be never say never...you can't see the future. Maybe, despite your long tongue, you might fall victim to a principal who wants to get rid of you and despite your feeling of comfort - no one is safe for an administrator on a witch hunt. Good luck with your sense of security - you may one day need it!

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  29. Anonymous10:37 PM

    Sounds like a good deal. Hope it comes to pass, we certainly need the money to offset inflation. My rent and utility bills haven't been frozen for the last five years.

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  30. Anonymous8:12 AM

    ANON 5:29 HERE:
    I cannot become an ATR (Anon 6:06) because again, I teach Math, and there are 6 Math teachers in my department at my school. I have the most years. Therefore, 5 other teachers are below me. My school is a "B" rated school which doesn't matter anymore since letter grades are finished. I cannot be excessed and no more schools are closing. That last sentence means I am never going to be an ATR. I purposely set myself up like this because again, I am an expert at playing the game!!! Chaz, gimme a break!!! You think I got lucky that this Shmuck hired me at 19 years? It had nothing to do with luck. I was determined and it came across at the interview. I was hungry. I have a family, a mortgage, etc. I mentioned that at interview. I'm a dedicated professional who says what I need to. It's about survival and lasting. You have failed at this game. Funny statement: I got lucky? That's hysterical!!!!!!! I made it happen because I am a professional who is smart enough to SURVIVE without being miserable, like you and the other posters on here. You guys put yourself in this position so deal with it and go to the staff lounge and sit there on Monday. Sit your ass in that lounge and wait. Think about why you stayed for 4 years at your pathetic school when you could have left. Chaz, trust me, the jobs are out there. You guys want to believe that you cannot be hired. You'd rather sit in the lounge.

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  31. Anonymous10:36 AM

    Anon 5:29 How about this scenario -a CEO/ principal wants to get rid of someone with even more seniority than you. They decimate the department- everyone in the pool and then build the dept. back later. Think it can't happen? Remember the principal is CEO they can do whatever they want. Check out the budgets online I've seen one school with 2 physed teachers and 0 ss positions. Anything can happen. Still no word from DB or CF and she knows how to read a budget

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  32. Anon 6:12

    Just pat yourself on the back for making the right decision and finding a school that is not in danger. However, because of fair student funding your situation is the exception not the rule.

    Stop your gloating because you're fortunate enough to land in a good spot.

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  33. Anonymous1:41 PM

    Hi, it's me AGAIN!!! At Anon 10:36: you are INCORRECT. I am a Math teacher with top seniority with 5 under me. The principal CANNOT decimate the department to get rid of me, like you suggested in your ridiculous scenario. Math is a regents subject where obviously you cannot remove an entire department to reach the top senior person, to excess him/her. What planet are you on? Maybe you're not aware of the rule:
    If a principal excesses a teacher in a specific department, that principal cannot rehire for that department for a minimum of one year and one day. Are you saying that my principal can delete 6 Math teachers and get away with not having a Nath teacher on staff for one year and one day? Before you post, you should get your facts straight because you sound inexperienced. If a principal wants to pull that in a bullshit area like business or another non regents area, I guess it's a possibility, but not Math.
    Chaz, in not gloating. I'm just laughing at these posts (even yours) because you guys can obtain a position. You actually want to sit in that lounge Monday. You are LYING to plenty of people by talking about the fair student blah blah blah crap. Is it true, probably. But, you can obtain a position if you want. You're making $100.049 to babysit a few periods. You're a genius. Why the hell are you and these other dingbats complaining? Once the ATR's go back into the classroom, they will mostly all retire because they will miss the lounge. Imagine teaching again to the Core on the Danielson Framework? 3 put of 4 will hang it up the day the DOE announces plans for ATR rehiring. Fariña is to dumb to figure out that the way to empty the ATR pool is to actually make them work again.

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  34. Anonymous6:22 PM

    What lounge? I don't know of any ATR's who sit around all day.

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  35. Anonymous6:58 PM

    This is anonymous 10:36 responding to the bombproof math teacher, Sounds you are in good shape. I posted before I knew your specifics - having said that I think if you are that smart you would been able to suss out the probability based on my response that I would not have made my statement knowing your specifics. Math, yeah you can't fire the whole dept like say bio. Regarding your specificity on years of service etc.if true you tipped your hand - hope you covered your tracks despite your aggressiveness towards ATRS.

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  36. Let's end this conversation. Its obvious that Mr. Math thinks he's smarter than everybody else because he was LUCKY enough to make the right decision. So be it.

    This conversation ends here. I will not publish anymore comments about it.

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  37. Anonymous9:23 PM

    Doesnt anyone talk about students and what is best for them? I guess that is forgotten

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  38. Interesting piece Chaz. I think the city has conceded on the argument that they can't defer payments to future years. The Environmental police, according to Reuters, will be getting their huge arrears over three years. I am linking to Reuters on the ICEUFT blog.

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  39. Anon 9:23

    Where were your comments when the DOE forced principals to hire untested "newbie teachers" rather than experienced teachers for their students?

    Principals should have the opportunity to hire the "best" and not the "cheapest" teachers. That's what's best for the children and raising teacher salaries will help retain the "best teachers" in the system.

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  40. Anonymous11:29 AM

    In any other profession, any other organization, any other entity altogether, veteran experience is cherished and valued, no matter the monetary cost. Over the past 12 years in NYC, veteran experience was looked upon as nothing more than a drain on the budget. The former administration paid the public lip service about "children first", "best teacher in the classroom possible", but it was all a comical facade. It became a mission of the former administration to forge ahead with doing away with LIFO. From Day One, they tried to manage the DOE as though it was a corporate profit making entity. Cheaper meant better, and schools were not only encouraged to kick the veteran "high priced" teachers to the curb, it was in fact necessitated because budgets limited most well meaning principals to effectively manage and staff their schools. These neophytes who have recently entered the system simply cannot bring anything close to the table that good seasoned veteran experience brings. You can't ever put a price tag on that. SOmething that was foreign to the former administration. Good riddance.

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  41. Anonymous3:45 PM

    chaz:

    Thanks for the clarification how to use the Urban Ed back pay calculator. I couldn't figure it out until you added it to your blog post.

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  42. Anonymous12:08 PM

    Love your blog. Thanks for the great posts and the mighty effort behind them. My question is - do you think there will
    Retirement incentives in the new contract ? I have 29 years and joined the 55- 25 plan. I just can't deal with these stupid administrators and there mantra of kids learning more from each other than a good teacher.

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  43. Anon 12:08

    Sorry but I don't see a retirement incentive being proposed at this time.

    Its possible an inferior incentive will be given to the ATR pool but I don't think it will be more than six months and no pension credits.

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  44. Anonymous9:58 AM

    To the math teacher who ever you are you are a fake and a piece of crap. Are you are a math teacher or a go for at the daily news - for you to bash your fellow colleagues is a total disgrace and it only leads me to think you are a fake because real educators stick together so go on pay your mortgage asswipe

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  45. Anonymous11:15 AM

    Hi Chaz ...great blog! This is the first time I come across it. Have you heard this rumor: offering a 5 year buy out or 5 year retoactive?

    I now they want the senior teachers out...

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  46. Anon 11:15

    The 5 year buyout is simply a false rumor. A five year contract is possible. However. the first two year retro would be paid by stretching it out for the next three years.

    As for the final three years? No "City pattern" has been set and hopefully our union allows the police to take the lead and set the next "City pattern".

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  47. If retro is to be given over a 3 year period how will I receive it if I retire within the next year?

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