I am currently in a temporary position filling in for a teacher on leave.  If I return next year to replace the same or another teacher on leave do I move along the pay scale and accrue seniority? You should move along the steps of the salary schedule if you completed at least  of the year.  As far as accruing seniority, that only occurs when you are either a probationary or tenured teacher.  Teachers who are serving in a temporary position accrue no seniority.  If you secure a probationary position next year, your service this year might be credited toward your 3-year probationary period.

If teaching assistants and nurses are MTA members, why can’t they access the legal plan that the teachers utilize for wills, health care proxies and real estate closings?  The legal plan is a benefit that is provided for teachers through the MTA Benefit Fund.  The benefit fund, not the MTA, administers benefits to individual bargaining units, not the entire local (MTA).  Each bargaining unit (teachers, teaching assistants, nurses and MECA) makes arrangements with the fund to have benefits available for that unit’s members.  The benefits that are offered are limited to those which the bargaining unit can afford to purchase based upon monies that have been secured through collective bargaining.

I have had people ask me what tier I am in.  What exactly are they referring to?  They are referring to the level of the retirement system to which you belong.  Depending on when you joined the retirement system, you have different levels of retirement benefits and regulations.  You should browse through the retirement system website at www.nystrs.org, fully review the Retirement Benefit Profile that should be mailed to you by the end of the month, and participate in the next retirement workshop offered through the MTA.