New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
Chalk up another big change from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to current Mayor Bill de Blasio: After more than four years without a contract, the mayor and United Federation of Teachers announced a tentative deal Thursday. The nine-year contract must be voted on by the city's teachers,
according to the union:
Under the deal, the more than 100,000 teachers, guidance counselors, nurses and other UFT members in the schools would get an 18 percent pay increase that includes two retroactive increases of 4 percent that have already been paid to other city unions. They will receive a 1 percent pay increase every May for three years beginning in May 2013. In May 2016, they will receive a 1.5 percent raise, followed by 2.5 percent in May 2017 and 3 percent in May 2018. Members would also receive a $1,000 bonus upon ratification. [...]
The city and the UFT have identified a menu of potential significant ways to cut costs on health care while maintaining benefits for city employees. These measures, such as more efficient purchasing of health care services, must be approved by the Municipal Labor Committee.
The health care cost reductions are
a key part of the agreement:
Martin Scheinman, a mediator who was lavishly praised by Mr. de Blasio for bringing the two sides to terms, would be empowered to require specific savings measures if the union does not produce the $1.3 billion in cuts, according to an official involved in the negotiations who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.
The hope is that other unions will join in making similar cost-cutting agreements, though they have yet to be sold on that idea and how it works out for teachers will obviously play a major role in whether other unions follow suit. Other provisions in the deal will make changes to teacher evaluations and other work rules.
Whether the contract goes into effect is up to New York City's teachers, and how it works out will remain to be seen. But simply by negotiating, de Blasio has changed course in a big way from Bloomberg's practices—which is, of course, what he was elected to do.