About 1,500 UFT members, family and friends gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown on Oct. 29 to honor the brave educators who put everything on the line in the 1960 strike that forged the union and the UFT activists who follow in their footsteps. This year, Teacher Union Day was dedicated to the Contract Action Teams.

About 225 Federation of Nurses/UFT members spent Nov. 17 at union headquarters in Manhattan learning about local, state and national issues affecting their profession, including staffing shortages and understaffing. They attended workshops on workplace deescalation techniques, social media best practices, self-care and other topics, and also networked with colleagues from other sites.

The UFT Middle Schools Division hosted its annual Thanksgiving Luncheon and winter coat giveaway on Nov. 18 for students living in shelters throughout New York City, many of whom come from asylum-seeking families. Students explored a variety of activities, enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal and received brand new winter coats donated by UFT members and staff.

The new class-size law and the importance of getting the DOE to abide by it was on the minds of parents and caregivers who attended the union’s parent conferences in Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens in October and November.