Dear Colleagues,
We know the city is facing fiscal challenges. But we also know that it cannot repeat the mistakes it made in the 1970s, when disinvestment in schools and teachers led to damage that it took the system decades to overcome. The city needs to maintain a highly qualified force of educators if our schools are to make progress. What’s more, we cannot and will not agree to so-called “reforms” that will set back our efforts to improve our schools.
We have tried to make this clear to the DOE, but despite weeks of meetings and discussions we have not been able to make real progress in our efforts to reach a new contract. Concluding that talks had reached an impasse, we today asked the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to intervene in the negotiations.
If PERB finds that an impasse exists, the state agency will appoint a mediator to bring the sides together. If mediation fails, PERB would then appoint a fact-finding panel to hold hearings and make a recommendation for a settlement.
The UFT has no choice but to reach out to a neutral third party to help resolve the differences that are preventing us from a new agreement that is fair to our members and to the parents and children who rely on the New York City public schools.
At the request of the 300-member negotiating committee, the DA passed a resolution at its November meeting that authorized the union leadership to file for impasse if necessary. In using this tool now, we are entering the next phase in the negotiation process.
Go here to read our full press release.
Sincerely,
Michael Mulgrew
UFT President
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