Around the UFT

UFT volunteers transformed Shanker Hall at union headquarters into a wonderland of candy-cane balloons, games and crafts for the union's annual holiday party and toy drive for students in need. Organized by the UFT Elementary School Division, the party welcomed nearly 100 children from six city shelters in partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless.

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.

Educators from schools across the city exposed their students to a variety of career and college pathways at three fairs hosted this fall by the UFT's Academic High School Division. The Future in Focus event highlighted careers in which the workers typically belong to unions.

About 500 middle schoolers from 31 schools throughout the city learned ways to combat bullying during the UFT's annual anti-bullying conference led by BRAVE, the union's anti-bullying initiative.

Parent empowerment was the objective at the Queens Power Summit, which drew more than 80 parent leaders, students and UFT members to the UFT’s Queens borough office on Nov. 23.

More than three dozen UFT members turned out for fun and games at Bingo Night at the union’s Queens borough office on Nov. 22 to raise awareness of COPE, the union’s political action arm.