Thanks to vigorous lobbying by members from the UFT, its state affiliate NYSUT and other public employee unions in New York state, state lawmakers approved a change in the final average salary calculation for members of Tier 6 of the pension system that will result in a higher pension benefit upon retirement.

Performers and instructors at the New York City location for Second City, the renowned comedy theater group that has launched the careers of many famous comedians and actors, have chosen the UFT as their bargaining agent, the union announced in May.

The 52nd NYSUT Representative Assembly on May 3-4 was a celebration of recent victories, including Tier 6 pension reform, and a rallying cry for the battles ahead.

The attempt by the United Auto Workers union to gain a stronger foothold in the politically conservative South faltered in mid-May when workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama, voted against joining the union.

Performers who play characters like Mickey Mouse and Goofy at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California voted overwhelmingly in May to join the Actors’ Equity Association.

School segregation has been rising over the past three decades, with the greatest increase in large school districts, according to new research from Stanford University and the University of Southern California.