IN WHAT WAY CAN ICC MORTGAGE SERVICES ASSIST UFT MEMBERS?
ICC Mortgage Services unlike many other lenders specializes in Community Lending Programs for Educators. What makes Community Lending Initiatives effective is providing the proper education of the borrower(s). Through the education of our clients we are able to help them select the best programs with the lowest rates and costs in order to help them realize homeownership. Community Solutions for Educators allows UFT members to take advantage of Federal Initiatives that have been created to assist Teachers and their families. Community Lending Programs for Educators may offer UFT members more competitive interest rates, lower costs, and more flexible underwriting guidelines making homeownership easier to achieve for it's members. Through ICC Mortgage Services (www.iccmortgage.com) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (http://www.fanniemae.com/housingcommdev/solutions/index.jhtml) it is our goal to make home ownership more attainable to UFT members and their families.
WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE UNION?
Recognizing that the interests of schoolchildren and their teachers are inseparable, the UFT combines its roles as a trade union and as an influential children's lobby to help make every public school a place where parents want to send their children and where educators want to work. In its traditional role, the UFT negotiates for fair and competitive salaries, enhanced professionalism and improved working conditions, not only to benefit its members but also to help recruit and retain the best educators for New York City schools. As an advocate for public school students, the UFT regularly lobbies for appropriate school funding by the city, state and federal governments. In addition, the union has strongly supported and often led efforts to: raise academic standards and strengthen instruction; reduce class size; create safer, more orderly schools; improve school facilities; and increase parent involvement in schools. As part of its goal to foster educators' professional development, the UFT's educational programs, in affiliation with local colleges and universities, offer a full spectrum of workshops and graduate-level courses to some 30,000 members annually. And the union's nationally acclaimed Dial-A-Teacher program, in affiliation with the New York City Department of Education, offers homework assistance to more than 75,600 public school students and parents every year.
WHERE IS THE UFT LOCATED?
The UFT's central headquarters is located at 50/52 Broadway in Manhattan. There are also UFT offices in each of the five boroughs where members can go to get help with certification, licensing, salaries, grievances and pensions. UFT borough offices are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, when school is in session. To better serve members, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens offices will be open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays while the Brooklyn and Staten Island offices will be open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.
WHAT ARE THE UNION AFFILIATIONS?
The UFT was founded in 1960 as Local 2 of the now 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The union is also affiliated with the 600,000-member New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and belongs to the AFL-CIO and the New York City Central Labor Council.
