Parents, caregivers, educators and community members convened at the UFT Queens borough office on Nov. 22 for the borough’s annual parent conference. The roughly 70 attendees learned about mental health, emergency preparedness, personal finances and more, while connecting with each other and taking time for themselves.

About 150 students living in temporary housing enjoyed a day of crafts, games, face-painting and fun at UFT headquarters on Nov. 22 to celebrate Thanksgiving and receive new winter gear courtesy of UFT members’ generosity. Headed by the UFT’s Middle Schools Division, the event provided each student with a new winter coat, a pair of gloves or mittens, a scarf and a hat to keep them warm in the coming winter months.

About 300 nurses convened at a midtown hotel for a day of professional development, including a keynote address on neurology, during the federation’s annual Professional Issues Conference.

Food pantries run by schools in the UFT’s United Community Schools network are lifelines for hundreds of needy families across New York City. The need was especially felt in late fall as a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP benefits for many and a surge in ICE detentions made immigrant populations wary.

About 265 new retirees and guests celebrated their education careers at the UFT Welfare Fund New Retiree Luncheon in Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters on Nov. 18. At a vendor fair prior to lunch, they learned about health care options like the UFT Welfare Fund’s Supplemental Health Insurance Program, as well as classes, seminars and trips offered through the Si Beagle Learning Centers, before enjoying a festive luncheon.

UFT members around the city participated in a Day of Action to show solidarity with paraprofessionals. The action was timed to coincide with the City Council’s public hearing for the “RESPECT check” bill, which would provide annual checks of at least $10,000 to paraprofessionals.

Parents, caretakers, educators and community members gathered at the UFT’s Staten Island borough office on Nov. 8 for the UFT Staten Island parent committee’s annual conference. Attendees took the day to bond with other caregivers and gained valuable information and resources during workshops on topics like keeping students safe online and parent-teacher association governance.

About 1,700 UFT members, families and friends gathered at the New York Hilton on Nov. 2, 2025, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the 1960 strike that won collective bargaining rights for UFT members. At the union’s annual Teacher Union Day event, more than 250 individual members and chapters were honored for their exceptional work and longtime service to the union’s mission, including the members of the UFT Health Care Committee and the Occupational and Physical Therapists Chapter.

See some of our recent activism and join us to get involved in the future.

Roughly 1,500 UFT members raised more than $198,000 for breast cancer research and patient services in this year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks. On two Sundays in October – Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 – members walked in all five boroughs and on Long Island to raise awareness and needed funds.

More than 100 parents, caretakers, educators and community members gathered at the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office on Oct. 25 for the UFT Brooklyn parent committee’s annual conference. This year’s conference theme was “Organize and Activate,” and attendees took in workshops on school safety, political action, special education and PTA organizing.

More than 100 parents and community members gathered at UFT headquarters on Oct. 25 for the UFT’s annual Manhattan parent conference. Attendees learned about first aid and emergency preparedness, trained to become IEP (Individualized Education Program) parent members and spread the word about the rights of immigrant students and their families.

UFT members from all five boroughs of New York City wore pink on Oct. 15, 2025, to raise awareness about breast cancer. 
Save the date for 2026 - See this year's flyer

UFT organizers of this year’s event treated 140 Bronx families to a KidZone & Community Resource Fair at the Bronx borough office. The event featured educational seminars and helpful information for parents from UFT’s Dial-A-Teacher homework helpline, the BRAVE anti-bullying initiative and partners including the Red Cross.  There also was plenty of fun — face-painting and giveaways  — for the kids.

More than 1,000 UFT members turned out in a powerful display of union pride as they marched up Fifth Avenue on Sept. 6 for New York City’s annual Labor Parade. Members paraded in solidarity with thousands of other unionists across the city, on foot, by float or atop a double-decker bus.

More than 200 UFT members turned out on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Sept. 1 to march alongside their colleagues and thousands of other revelers for the West Indian American Day Parade.

UFT members and their loved ones showed up and showed out on June 29 as they marched in the city’s annual Pride March, demonstrating both their LGBTQ+ and union pride.

About 160 members of the Retired Teachers Chapter gathered at UFT headquarters on June 13 for the UFT Welfare Fund Department of Retiree Programs’ 30th annual Day at the University. They were schooled on such topics as elder law and the U.S. Supreme Court, learned about luminaries including Billy Joel and John Lennon and the Beatles, and got to see New York City through the eyes of famous artists.

Some 250 school secretaries, colleagues and loved ones gathered at UFT headquarters on June 6 to celebrate the union’s 38th annual school secretaries award celebration. School secretaries were applauded for all the ways in which they contribute to their schools, from handling payroll to welcoming parents and other visitors.

The UFT organized social events in each borough this year where the union’s newest members made connections, learned more about the UFT and built community. New members took part in bowling, painting, a scavenger hunt and immersive team-building games across the city.

About 200 members, students and their guests attended the 19th annual Better Speech and Hearing Month Celebration on May 27 at UFT headquarters. The UFT Speech Improvement Chapter recognized speech teachers and their students for exceptional projects completed in speech therapy, showcasing the breadth and depth of therapies that speech teachers provide.

More than 250 UFT retirees and guests packed Shanker Hall at union headquarters for the Retired Teachers Chapter’s annual luncheon on May 23. Speakers celebrated the tenacity of union activism over the last 65 years and honored RTC members for 50 years or more of service.

About 200 honorees and guests attended the inaugural Middle School Awards Night on May 15 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan. Twenty-five members were honored for being stars at meeting the needs of their students during a transformative stage of adolescent life, serving as educators, mentors, counselors, parents, advisers and even friends.

More than 1,600 UFT members filled the New York Hilton Midtown on May 17 for the UFT’s annual Spring Education Conference, a day of professional development, a mayoral candidates’ forum, vocal performances by Broadway musicians and a gala luncheon, all under the banner of this year’s theme, “We Teach This City.”

About 400 members of the UFT Family Child Care Providers Chapter and their guests filled Shanker Hall at union headquarters for the 12th annual awards ceremony on May 9. More than 50 members were honored for providing exemplary service to young children and their families.

At the Federation of Nurses/UFT’s annual Nurse Recognition Awards dinner on May 8, about 200 nurses and their guests gathered inside Shanker Hall at union headquarters to celebrate 19 hospital and homecare nurses for holding firm in contract negotiations this year and continuously advocating for better training and support for nurses as well as patient care often in work environments that sought to prioritize profit.

Members of the UFT School Nurses Chapter gathered for their chapter's annual School Nurses Appreciation Dinner at union headquarters on May 7, timed to coincide with National School Nurse Day. They had an opportunity to network and hear from UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

UFT members citywide participated in the union's May 6 Day of Action to turn the heat up on state lawmakers to fix Tier 6 of the pension system. Members in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan held simultaneous rallies; Bronx members passed out leaflets at three major transit hubs; and  Staten Island members held in-school actions. Their top demand:  Allow public school educators to retire with an unreduced pension at age 55 with 30 years of service.

About 250 UFT members from the city’s academic high schools gathered on April 25 at Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters to honor outstanding educators and schools and to celebrate the 10 years since the UFT’s Team High School gave its first awards to academic high school educators.

More than 300 early childhood educators packed Shanker Hall for the UFT’s 17th annual Early Childhood Conference. Attendees took inspiration from social and emotional learning expert Leslee Udwin, the event’s keynote speaker, and enjoyed a day of camaraderie with colleagues, a vendor fair, workshops for professional development and a grab-and-go lunch.

On April 2, which was national Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, thousands of UFT members wore blue to work in solidarity with their paraprofessional colleagues. Also that day, school chapters across the city organized ways to recognize their paraprofessionals.

More than 1,600 UFT members crowded Broadway from City Hall Park to City Hall in a Rally for RESPECT on April 2 – Paraprofessional Appreciation Day – to call on the New York City Council to pass legislation to give paraprofessionals an annual "RESPECT check" of $10,000 to help address a dire shortage of paraprofessionals

UFT members and their families — 2,400 strong — packed Globall Sports Center in Garden City, Long Island, to enjoy carnival games, bounce houses, indoor zip lines, balloon art, face painting, dancing and food at the third annual UFT Family Day.

Eight teachers, three paraprofessionals, eight students, two principals and three PTA presidents received awards at the UFT District 11 Scholarship Dinner on March 28 before a gathering of 540 attendees at a Bronx restaurant.

Nearly 1,100 paraprofessionals and other members gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown on March 22 to celebrate the outstanding work of their colleagues, attend professional learning sessions and have fun at a carnival. City Council Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph, a key supporter of the RESPECT check legislation, was the keynote speaker.

School counselors gathered at UFT headquarters eager to connect and network with their colleagues under the theme, “Unlocking Potential — One Student at a Time.” School counselors enjoyed breakfast and lunch and a full day of professional development workshops.