Are you interested in leaving the New York City Teachers Union and stopping dues from being deducted from your paycheck?
Here’s what you need to know about canceling your NYC Teachers Union membership:
- Union membership is no longer mandatory for teachers.
- Leaving NYC UFT will not affect your teaching contract or your tenure.
- Negotiated benefits such as salary and health insurance are not dependent on union membership.
- You are not alone. Thousands of teachers have chosen to leave their teachers union. Hear educators share their stories.
- Other non-union teacher associations can provide liability insurance, legal representation, and other benefits, often at a fraction of the cost.
If you want to leave the NYC Teachers Union, timing matters.
NYC UFT has said requests to cancel membership must be made between June 15-30 if teachers want to avoid being locked into membership fees for the next year. If you decide to cancel your membership after that date it could be a lot more challenging to exercise your rights before next year.
How to Cancel New York City Teachers Union Membership
If you have decided to cancel your NYC UFT membership, we can help guide you through the process.
- Go to our New York resource page and fill out the form to personalize the opt out letter with your information.
- Download or email yourself a copy of the letter.
- Send your opt out letter via U.S. mail to the UFT Cope Committee (52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004), your local borough office (you can find your local address here), and to the NYC Department of Education (65 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201).
What If You Get Pushback or Are Told You Missed the Opt Out Window?
If you send your employer and the NYC Teachers Union your opt out letter and are told you have to wait to leave your union, you can ask them to keep it on file for that window, or get help opting out sooner.
Some experts believe that the Supreme Court ruling in Janus v. AFSCME means teachers should not be locked into a membership they were forced to have as a condition of employment and are free to opt out any time. Several organizations are successfully working with teachers to help them resign outside of their union’s opt out window. If you need help, please contact us at info@teacherfreedom.org.