Comments on: UFT applies pressure to a charter school balking at pay raises http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/22/uft-applies-pressure-to-a-charter-school-balking-at-pay-raises/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Teacher http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/22/uft-applies-pressure-to-a-charter-school-balking-at-pay-raises/comment-page-1/#comment-252012 Teacher Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:56:02 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=29828#comment-252012 To LaureltonianX and other concerned readers: Reasons why the UFT is involved: The main issue at Merrick Academy is that teachers are presently working with no employment contracts. Merrick teachers' employment is at will, which means they can work for 10 years and be fired at any time for any reason. They have no job security. In almost all school districts, teachers earn tenure after working three years. Tenured teachers would have to do something really bad to get fired. In the past, teachers at Merrick Academy have been let go without just cause. This makes it very difficult for them to secure other employment because districts will not hire teachers who have been fired. Just cause is the main issue that the UFT is fighting for. Merrick Academy teachers are only asking to be paid at the same scale as the NYC Department of Education teachers, yet they are still working 10 hours more per week than NYC DOE's teachers. Another issue is that teacher's at Merrick Academy have no pension or retirement plan. If something is not done, a teacher could work his or her entire 30 year career and retire with zero pension or retirement plan. I feel the public should support Merrick Academy teachers' cause because despite these conditions and many more, they have put the children first. To LaureltonianX and other concerned readers:

Reasons why the UFT is involved:

The main issue at Merrick Academy is that teachers are presently working with no employment contracts. Merrick teachers’ employment is at will, which means they can work for 10 years and be fired at any time for any reason. They have no job security. In almost all school districts, teachers earn tenure after working three years. Tenured teachers would have to do something really bad to get fired.

In the past, teachers at Merrick Academy have been let go without just cause. This makes it very difficult for them to secure other employment because districts will not hire teachers who have been fired. Just cause is the main issue that the UFT is fighting for.

Merrick Academy teachers are only asking to be paid at the same scale as the NYC Department of Education teachers, yet they are still working 10 hours more per week than NYC DOE’s teachers.

Another issue is that teacher’s at Merrick Academy have no pension or retirement plan. If something is not done, a teacher could work his or her entire 30 year career and retire with zero pension or retirement plan.

I feel the public should support Merrick Academy teachers’ cause because despite these conditions and many more, they have put the children first.

]]> By: LaureltonianX http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/22/uft-applies-pressure-to-a-charter-school-balking-at-pay-raises/comment-page-1/#comment-251703 LaureltonianX Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:09:41 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=29828#comment-251703 THE KIDS COME FIRST, THEY ARE PRIORITY NUMBER ONE. TEACHERS ARE IMPORTANT BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE THE KIDS NEEDS FIRST IN THEIR MINDS! Its a darn recession why are Merrick Academy teachers demanding so much, Charter schools do not have a pot of gold in a safe somewhere in the supply closet. AS LONG AS THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN COME FIRST I AM ALL FOR WHATEVER! THE TEACHERS WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE ECONOMY TURNS AROUND AND CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING SOMEHOW SOME WAY BECOMES READILY AVAILABLE. my neice goes to merrick academy and as long as funds are going towards creating a brighter future for her than the teachers can wait. The teachers at Merrick Academy are doing a phenomenal job at the salary they have now, in a recession what more are they looking for? Whenever people enlist the help of union leaders I am frightened because historically union leaders become increasingly unreasonable and demanding even when its not sensible to be. CHILDREN FIRST AND THEN COMES YOUR PURSE THE KIDS COME FIRST, THEY ARE PRIORITY NUMBER ONE. TEACHERS ARE IMPORTANT BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE THE KIDS NEEDS FIRST IN THEIR MINDS! Its a darn recession why are Merrick Academy teachers demanding so much, Charter schools do not have a pot of gold in a safe somewhere in the supply closet. AS LONG AS THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN COME FIRST I AM ALL FOR WHATEVER! THE TEACHERS WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE ECONOMY TURNS AROUND AND CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING SOMEHOW SOME WAY BECOMES READILY AVAILABLE.

my neice goes to merrick academy and as long as funds are going towards creating a brighter future for her than the teachers can wait. The teachers at Merrick Academy are doing a phenomenal job at the salary they have now, in a recession what more are they looking for? Whenever people enlist the help of union leaders I am frightened because historically union leaders become increasingly unreasonable and demanding even when its not sensible to be.

CHILDREN FIRST AND THEN COMES YOUR PURSE

]]> By: Air Charter planning your holiday Croatia Vacation Packages http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/22/uft-applies-pressure-to-a-charter-school-balking-at-pay-raises/comment-page-1/#comment-251014 Air Charter planning your holiday Croatia Vacation Packages Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:21:43 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=29828#comment-251014 [...] UFT applies pressure to a charter school balking at pay raises … [...] [...] UFT applies pressure to a charter school balking at pay raises … [...]

]]> By: Eliot Ness http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/22/uft-applies-pressure-to-a-charter-school-balking-at-pay-raises/comment-page-1/#comment-250918 Eliot Ness Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:16:19 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=29828#comment-250918 Interesting that they're willing to hold a press conference over this contract, but have done very little media outreach on the general Teacher's Agreement. Interesting that they’re willing to hold a press conference over this contract, but have done very little media outreach on the general Teacher’s Agreement.

]]> By: KitchenSink http://gothamschools.org/2009/12/22/uft-applies-pressure-to-a-charter-school-balking-at-pay-raises/comment-page-1/#comment-250909 KitchenSink Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:11:22 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=29828#comment-250909 Seems to me they'd have a lot more resources to pay teachers if NYSUT and the UFT hadn't lobbied hard for the state legislature to freeze the charter funding formula for 2009-10. District school spending went up, thanks largely to stimulus money, and charter funding stayed as frozen as the weather is now. I wonder if Mulgrew thinks some or all of that additional $1,000 per child Merrick was supposed to receive would look good in his members' paychecks right about now, and maybe his union should have thought about that in March. Seems to me they’d have a lot more resources to pay teachers if NYSUT and the UFT hadn’t lobbied hard for the state legislature to freeze the charter funding formula for 2009-10.

District school spending went up, thanks largely to stimulus money, and charter funding stayed as frozen as the weather is now.

I wonder if Mulgrew thinks some or all of that additional $1,000 per child Merrick was supposed to receive would look good in his members’ paychecks right about now, and maybe his union should have thought about that in March.

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