The following notification was emailed to all members as part of the UFT Update on October 3, 2022:

With New York City being one of the few remaining municipalities that still provides premium-free health care for its employees, the UFT continues to fight vigorously to protect and preserve premium-free health care for both in-service and retired members. We all have read about the escalating cost of health insurance, prescription drugs and medical care nationwide. New York City is no exception: The cost of health care for municipal employees and retirees has almost doubled over the past decade.

The Municipal Labor Committee (MLC), the umbrella group of 100-plus municipal labor unions including the UFT, negotiates the health care benefits of all municipal workers with the city. In June, the city, with the MLC’s support, put out a request for information (RFI) to let the health care industry know that the city is seeking a 10% decrease in health care costs without sacrificing any of its employees’ existing health benefits. With the constantly rising costs of health care in our country, it’s more important than ever to find cost-saving measures so we can preserve premium-free health care for all our members.

A health care committee of in-service UFT members is being assembled to help us explore the options and navigate the road ahead.

Learn more about rising health care costs »

See the latest updates on the fight to protect and enhance our premium-free health care »