The UFT will work with local and international partners to support humanitarian relief efforts in Jamaica, including through donations to reputable relief organizations and the UFT Disaster Relief Fund.

UFT retirees who are enrolled in the union’s Supplemental Health Insurance Program (SHIP) will now enjoy improved dental benefits and some much-needed relief from health insurance plan copays.

Beginning in March, UFT retirees can expect a partial reimbursement from the UFT Welfare Fund -- for as much as $900 for some retirees -- for the cost of an optional prescription drug rider.

Michael Buitrago, an ELA teacher at Flushing HS, helps organize events and activities for students to promote school spirit. "I truly believe that a large part of the high school experience is being able to look at your school like a second home," he...

Because you are a UFT member, you are well on your way to long-term financial well-being. That’s because when you retire, you will have a defined-benefit pension, as rare today as it is valuable.

The following email was sent on March 3, 2023, to all members of the Retired Teachers Chapter from UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Retired Teachers Chapter Leader Tom Murphy.

As a school secretary at PS 154 in Harlem, Shanick Williams provides support — and smiles — to administrators, staff and families.

More than 20,000 UFT members now have their choice of pension systems after a campaign led by members of the UFT Occupational and Physical Therapists Chapter. 


We are facing a crisis in our school system that we are handling largely on our own: Over the past 18 months, more than 20,000 children from asylum-seeking families have arrived in our schools. Yet no one in leadership seems to be talking about or...

UFT President Michael Mulgrew reminded the Delegate Assembly on May 17 that the new state class-size law will begin to be implemented in September, and that there is no excuse for schools to fail to fulfill the mandate.


With the new state budget mandating that New York City make smaller class sizes a priority, UFT President Michael Mulgrew identified 856 high-need city schools with space to reduce class sizes this September.

UFT members enjoy robust retirement benefits, often the envy of workers outside the union's ranks. Union leaders urged members at its second Pension Expo to support efforts to guarantee such benefits for all U.S. workers.

About three-quarters of UFT members participate in the Tax-Deferred Annuity program. Retirees who are 73 or older must withdraw a certain percentage of funds – known as required minimum distributions (RMDs) — from the tax-deferred annuity each year...

Think about expanding your teaching beyond the walls of your classroom with a field trip. Here are some tips to help you plan a trip.

STEM has a long history of being exclusionary, and some students have a hard time imagining themselves in such roles. Bringing real scientists into the classroom, especially ones who share students’ backgrounds, helps expand that vision, middle...

Hispanic Heritage Month ends on Oct. 15. To mark the occasion, I've enjoyed reflecting on the incredible contributions Latino activists have made to our UFT parent and caregiver family. I want to share with you a little information about two such...

The UFT has asked the State Education Department to investigate the city Department of Education for its continued failure to provide mandated special education services to students.

The United Federation of Teachers opposes developmentally inappropriate practices and works to restore child-initiated play and experiential learning with the active support of teachers in their rightful place at the heart of early childhood...

Brooklyn native Vanecia Wilson, a UFT special representative and 31-year veteran educator, continues her advocacy on behalf of teachers, students and school communities as the union’s new political director.

Members of the school community at PS 18 in the South Bronx have transformed a brick wall into a mural reflecting the diversity and values that make the UFT United Community School and its neighborhood a vibrant community.

The UFT Pension Department offers an array of services to inform members of their retirement benefits and help them prepare for retirement.


It’s always a good idea to speak with your family about what to do in the event of a debilitating illness or death. Here is a list of topics to discuss with your family and the legal documents you should have. Let trusted family members know where...

The Tax-Deferred Annuity program is a simple and powerful way to save additional money for your retirement. Your TDA account is funded exclusively through your own contributions.


The Retired Teachers Chapter and the UFT Welfare Fund are proud to present an in-person series of educational, thought-provoking and entertaining lectures as part of the UFT Florida Center’s Day at the University. Please join us for one or all of...

Educators at Flushing High School called on the UFT and took a stand when the principal initiated a program that resulted in isolating ELL students. Instead addressing students' learning and language issues, they were isolated in two windowless...

The following email was sent from School Counselors Chapter Leader Rosemarie Thompson to all school counselors on Monday, Jan. 31.

The UFT will campaign to establish fair and sustainable cost-of-living adjustments to pensions for retired UFT members and other city workers by significantly improving the COLA benefit.

The New York City Labor Council, AFL-CIO, organizes a rally every May 1 to mark International Workers’ Day. But the size of this year’s event dwarfed those in years past as more than 15,000 union members, including hundreds of UFT members, marched...

Each year at the beginning of March, eligible retired members receive a partial reimbursement from the UFT Welfare Fund for the cost of an optional drug rider that provides prescription coverage from their insurance carrier.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York City Council Education Committee regarding school-based education budget cuts for September 2022.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew submitted testimony before the City Council Committees on Education and Civil and Human Rights on diversity and equity in our city's public schools.

The UFT will promote and advocate for practices in our school communities that support children of asylum seekers in adapting to their new language and educational environment.

A recent class action settlement with the city and EmblemHealth will give Medicare-eligible retirees in GHI Senior Care a reimbursement for copays they paid between January 2022 and February 2023.

The United Federation of Teachers' Delegate Assembly, the union's highest decision-making body, on Monday evening overwhelmingly endorsed a proposed health care plan for 750,000 city employees, in-service, pre-Medicare retirees, and their families.

In the RTC's Ocala section in Florida, members new to retirement connect with those in their 70s and 80s, who are the majority in the section and have been enjoying life after school for many years.