Did Michael Mulgrew Blurt Out The Demographics Of The ATR Pool At The Delegate Assembly?

One of the more closely held secrets that the DOE and UFT keep from the members is the number and demographics of the ATR pool.  While its common knowledge that the ATR pool is usually composed of senior teachers of between 1,100 and 1,500 members, getting real and accurate numbers out of the two organizations is like getting water from a rock in the desert.  Next to impossible.  The last number the media was given was 822 ATRs in the pool.  Of course this did not include the ATRs who are provisionally placed and will be excessed at the end of the school year.

Last night, UFT {President, Michael Mulgrew, at the Delegate Assembly, blurted out that after a year and a half of secret negotiations, they came up with an ATR buyout incentive that made 962 of the 1,100 ATRs eligible for up to $50,000 that's not pensionable and still get their retro payments by retiring.  While, its possible that few of the 962 are not of retirement age , I suspect most are.

Sure, some of the 962 ATRs are leaving the system due to either being under 3020-a charges, or moving out of the Metropolitan area, but not many. The vast majority of eligible ATRs are 55 years of age and over, is it 70%, 75%, 80%?  Whatever the percentage is, let's say that every three out of four ATRs are of retirement age in the eligible ATR pool.  What we now know the 822 figure is a phony number that tries to fool the media by falsely showing the the DOE and UFT are succeeding in reducing the ATR pool, when the real numbers have remained relatively stable over the years.


Finally, and most interestingly, Michael Mulgrew failed to mention how the union negotiators, without ATR participation, rolled over like a trained puppy dog and agreed to let the DOE to continue to abuse the ATRs by doing the following:

• Allowed the DOE a second bite of the apple by keeping two ATR lists, one for ATRs excessed from closing schools or programs and the other who won their discipline hearings and only hire from the excessed list.
• Agreed to "force place" ATRs in vacancies or long-term leaves without mutual consent.
• Agreed to let the DOE keep their "Scarlet Letter" on ATRs who had substantiated OSI or SCI investigations only to have those charges found to be untrue at the 3020-a hearing.
• Allowed the DOE to move Elementary and Middle school ATRs to other Districts in the Borough. 
• Ignored the DOE practice of not offering per session grading for ATRs.
• Supported the DOE in making ATRs second class citizens.

Next time a Unity slug shows up from the union or a Chapter Leader tells you how they have your back by protecting your job.  Remind them of the above issues that the union allowed or agreed to that makes the ATR a "stranger in a strange land" and a second class citizen.