Randi Weingarten, the former head of the New York City teachers' union, received $194,188 last year from the United Federation of Teachers for unused sick days and vacation time accrued before she left to become president of the American Federation of Teachers, boosting her total compensation to more than $600,000 for 2010.
The payment was disclosed in the UFT's annual filing with the U.S. Department of Labor. A spokesman said Ms. Weingarten was "not treated any differently than any other employee at the UFT when it came to the accrual" of sick leave and vacation time. "It's very transparent and straightforward," said Michael Powell, her spokesman.
The amount represents about eight to nine months' worth of her former UFT salary of $272,000, said David Hickey, the UFT's chief financial officer. Ms. Weingarten worked at the UFT for 23 years. She started as legal counsel and became president in 1998. She left in 2009 and the payout occurred between August 2009 and July 2010, the UFT's latest fiscal year.
Joshua Freeman, a professor of labor history at Queens College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York, said the payment is "not out of whack with general practice" among labor unions and municipal employees.
Ms. Weingarten's payment "adds up to five times the annual salary of the average teacher, and it's all money that comes from forced union dues from teachers," said Sarah Longwell of the Center for Union Facts, a group critical of unions.
Joel Klein, who left the DOE at the end of December, also accrued unused sick pay and vacation time. For the 100 vacation days he didn't take—the maximum that the DOE pays out on—Mr. Klein will be paid $96,000. He also accrued 100 sick days during his eight-year tenure, and donated those back to the city.
Mr. Klein earned $250,000 a year, the same as the UFT's current president, Michael Mulgrew.
The labor department document—at more than 220 pages—also details the union's financials for last year. The union, which represents nearly 80,000 teachers, recorded dues and agency fees of $125.6 million, up from $119 million two years before. The union said the dues increased because wages rose and because there was a jump in hiring due to retirements.
The document also shows how much the UFT spent on some of its events. For instance, the union spent more than $1 million at the New York Hilton last year on three events, including its 50th anniversary gala. The UFT's Mr. Hickey said that because the UFT charged some participants for tickets to the event, the union "broke even" on it. The union spent $11,000 on balloons during the year for various events, including for a party for homeless children.
A $5,000 bill from the Miami Beach Resort and Spa followed an AFT women and civil rights meeting. The UFT spent $24,000 at the Hilton in New Orleans to send 30 people to the convention of the National Education Association—another teachers union.
Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club collected $5,000 from the UFT last year, but Mr. Hickey said there was no entertainment involved. The union used the venue for a meeting with teachers' aides. An $11,000 bill at Dyker Beach Golf Course was for a retirement party, for which Mr. Hickey said participants reimbursed the UFT.
One of Mr. Mulgrew's first meetings as the new president of the UFT last year was held at the Brazilian steakhouse Churrascaria Tribeca and included 150 people. The bill was $6,400.
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