Michael Mulgrew re-elected President of the United Federation of Teachers
UFT President Michael Mulgrew won his sixth term as the union’s president. Mulgrew and the Unity Caucus candidates received 54% of the vote.
"I want to thank the tens of thousands of UFT members who put their trust in Unity and in our work on behalf of the union. I also want to recognize all the candidates who ran in this election—it is no easy task," Mulgrew said. "Now, we have to focus on the work in front of us—protecting public education, fixing Tier 6, and getting the financial respect our paraprofessionals deserve."
Mulgrew and the Unity Caucus won 54% of the vote. The ABC Caucus, led by Amy Arundell, won 32% of the vote. The ARISE Caucus, led by Olivia Swisher, won 14%.
View the certified election results »
A total of 58,318 ballots were returned, a 15% increase compared to the 2022 union election.
The vote was conducted by the independent Global Election Services (GES), which mailed a total of 201,791 ballots to members’ homes on May 1, 2025.
All UFT members are eligible to vote for president and other union-wide offices, including members of the retiree chapter, though the total number of retiree votes is capped at 23,500.
Over 2,000 candidates on three slates ran for election. All positions are for three-year terms starting July 1, 2025.
Background:
In UFT elections, which occur every three years, union members choose the president and vice presidents representing elementary, middle, and high schools; career and technical education high schools; education; special education; and one vice president representing members not employed by the New York City Department of Education. Other union-wide elected positions are Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. In addition, there are a total of 90 slots on the union’s Executive Board, including members elected at large and from elementary, middle and high schools, along with the functional chapters.
Another 750 candidates are elected to serve as delegates to conventions of the American Federation of Teachers and the New York State United Teachers, and 59 delegates to the National Education Association. Retirees vote for 36 NYSUT Retiree Council delegates and 12 AFT Retiree Council delegates.
Eligible UFT voters included teachers, paraprofessionals, school secretaries, occupational and physical therapists, guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers, administrative law judges, registered nurses, family childcare providers and other active and retired members.
Mulgrew became UFT president after serving as the union’s vice president for career and technical education high schools and its chief operating officer. He was elected to his first full term as UFT president in 2010. He began his education career as a teacher and spent most of his 12 years at William E. Grady High School in Brooklyn, where he served as chapter leader for five years.