Call it UFT Inc.
Fueled by dues from 164,000 members, the United Federation of Teachers has built a massive, well-oiled $200 million operation with more than 630 paid employees and tentacles that reach into the top echelons of government and infiltrate “grass-roots” community groups that critics charge are union fronts.
The UFT’s $33 million payroll provides ample wages. There are 68 staffers who make more than $130,000 a year. Of those, 16 make more than $170,000, while three top $200,000 — numbers well above what the highest-paid teachers earn.
New UFT President Mike Mulgrew is paid $250,000 a year — the same as Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.
The union has an office in Boca Raton, Fla., for which it pays $183,603 yearly in rent. Officials claim they need an office there to serve their retirees living in the area.
The UFT — combined with its statewide affiliate, New York State United Teachers — spends some $5 million on lobbying and campaign contributions to get their way with the state Legislature.
Its clout has also put the growing charter-school movement on the defensive.
“They have pushed, in effect, to put charters out of business. We have to fight to survive against the union onslaught,” said Peter Murphy of the NYS Charter School Association.
The UFT has an all-star cast of hired guns including:
* Basil Paterson, Gov. Paterson’s dad, a longtime top UFT labor negotiator. His firm, Meyer Suozzi, was paid $436,505 last year.
* Bill Lynch, a political adviser to the governor. He received $160,000 for consulting services.
* Glover Park, a powerful consultant group, got $4.3 million.
* The union also paid PR giant Howard Rubenstein Associates $84,000. And it shelled out $147,907 to pollster Peter Hart Associates.
And the UFT and its state affiliates steered more than $500,000 to community groups that often parrot the union line.
About $300,000 went to ACORN in 2009. Union financial records said ACORN members were paid to help organize home-day-care workers.
But ACORN members frequently show up to protest the opening of charter schools at the behest of the union, critics charge.
New president Mulgrew defended the union’s advocacy.
“The UFT fights for the interests of schools, kids and teachers. When the critics go back to their hedge funds or move on to their next ‘reform’ causes, we’ll still be here working to make the schools better,” he said.