UFT members who have been horrified by the devastation and death caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can help the embattled nation’s educators by contributing to the UFT Disaster Relief Fund.

The trustees of the New York City Teachers’ Retirement System voted on March 7 to divest its holdings in Russian securities in protest of the war against Ukraine launched by Vladimir Putin. “We have to stand up for justice,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew following the vote. 

Staten Island University Hospital South nurses represented by the Federation of Nurses/UFT on March 27 ratified a three-year contract that provides three annual raises of 3% each, a $1,000 ratification bonus and, most significant, moves nurses hired over the last five years out of the Northwell Health Network and into the UFT Health Care Chapter Benefit Fund.

Federation of Nurses/UFT members employed by NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn on Feb. 24 overwhelmingly ratified a three-year contract that provides solid salary increases while making inroads in addressing the universal problem of staffing shortages.

In a deal that promises to accelerate labor organizing on campuses, the governing councils of the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers in March agreed to a formal affiliation that would unite nearly 316,000 academic employees.

Minneapolis educators approved a new contract nearly three weeks after going on strike for higher wages, smaller class sizes, protections for educators of color and mental health support.