Cara Matthews
New York Teacher Senior Editor/Reporter
‘Demystifying Disability’ workshop
About 25 school staff gathered on Dec. 3 for a "Demystifying Dsability" workshop led by special education teacher David Friedman from PS 69 in Jackson Heights.
Teacher Union Day
About 1,700 UFT members and guests marked the union’s 65th anniversary at this year’s observance of Teacher Union Day on Nov. 2 by honoring union members past and present for their efforts to improve working conditions and strengthen members’ rights and benefits.
Fight for ‘RESPECT ’ continues
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams blocked the “RESPECT check” bill from coming to a vote before the full City Council this year. But the UFT plans to redouble its efforts to get the bill across the finish line in the new year.
Blue for RESPECT
UFT members supported the “RESPECT check” bill on Nov. 13 by holding teach-ins, wearing blue and tagging City Council members on social media in photos of themselves holding “RESPECT for Paraprofessionals” signs.
Kudos to Amy Craine, District 31 Pre-K Centers, Staten Island
UFT members at the six sites that make up District 31 Pre-K Centers on Staten Island are no longer staying silent in the face of mistreatment from their principal, thanks to Chapter Leader Amy Craine.
NYCE PPO coverage begins Jan. 1
With the latest legal hurdles cleared, all city employees and pre-Medicare retirees in the GHI CBP plan and their dependents will be automatically enrolled in the new NYC Employees PPO plan on Jan. 1, 2026.
Members answer call for Mamdani
Hundreds of UFT members knocked on doors across the city and worked the phones to campaign for Zohran Mamdani and the union’s other endorsed candidates in the weeks leading up to the mayoral election.
Retirees join the fight
Retirees at the Staten Island Borough Office knit and crochet stuffed animals, blankets and other goods to support the UFT's Making Strides against breast cancer efforts, while other retirees joined members in various walks throughout the city and Long Island.
What to know about RMDs
About three-quarters of UFT members participate in the Tax-Deferred Annuity program. Retirees who are 73 or older must withdraw a certain percentage of funds – known as required minimum distributions (RMDs) — from the tax-deferred annuity each year. Here's all you need to know about RMDs.