Cara Matthews

UFT President Michael Mulgrew joined City Council Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph and other Council members outside City Hall on Jan. 30 to announce proposed legislation that would provide a recurring annual payment of $10,000 to full-time paraprofessionals.

The UFT honored the organizing efforts and successes of members thoughout the city as some 1,500 members, friends and families gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown on Nov. 3 to commemorate Teacher Union Day.

Retired bilingual school social worker Eliot Winokur is making a splash in retirement as a competitive swimmer. He holds top 10 rankings on the U.S. Masters Swimming website for the United States and the world and says swimming is both fun and empowering.

Each year, thousands of retirees take advantage of Si Beagle Learning Center in-person and online courses, seminars, trips, and dining and theater experiences. The program is named for the late Si Beagle, who pushed the union to offer continuing education for retirees when he retired in 1968.


Roughly 350 new retirees gathered for the New Retiree Luncheon at the New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 5 to toast their life after retirement. 


Nurses take an oath to act in the best interest of their patients, but the corporatization of health care and the focus on profits have made it increasingly challenging to keep that vow. Nurses grappled with that challenge and took workshops to enhance their skills and knowledge at the Federation of Nurses/UFT's Professional Issues Conference.

Hundreds of staff and students from Curtis and Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education high schools on Staten Island, along with parents and community members, participated in a walk against violence on Nov. 26 in response to two gun-related incidents in September.

As the Dec. 20 deadline approached, several hundred New York City public schools were working on their applications for funding to reduce class size next school year. In late October, principals were invited to create a plan and apply for funds, which will be recurring, if their school had the available space but needed to hire more staff to lower class size to the new limits in state law.


UFT President Michael Mulgrew is calling on the city to fill vacant school-related professional positions in order to fulfill the special education requirements of at least 9,000 students across the city.

The hydroponics lab at P141K at IS 71, a District 75 site that serves students with profound learning challenges, allows students to participate in gardening activities year-round. The students have the opportunity to witness the plant life cycle from seed to fruit.