In its first in-person event since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the UFT Italian-American Heritage Committee staged its annual dinner on Oct. 26 at Mario’s Restaurant in the Bronx and honored two recently deceased members: UFT founder George Altomare and former committee chair Patricia Filomena.

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.

School psychologists gathered in person at Shanker Hall and remotely for their chapter’s annual Psychologists Appreciation Day professional development on Friday, Nov. 10. Between networking, collaborating and socializing, the psychologists learned about strategies to support students with executive dysfunction.

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.

More than 500 recent retirees attended the annual New Retiree Luncheon on Nov. 21 at the New York Hilton Midtown. UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Retired Teachers Chapter Leader Tom Murphy congratulated the honorees on reaching the well-deserved milestone and encouraged them to stay involved with the union by joining the RTC.

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.

UFT members and their families filled Shanker Hall on Nov. 30 for the Jewish Heritage Committee’s first awards dinner. The committee honored AFT President Randi Weingarten and City Councilmember Julie Menin for their practice of tikkun olam, a Hebrew phrase meaning to repair the world.

Pink Day returned to schools as UFT members across the city dressed in pink on Oct. 13 to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Members of the UFT African Heritage Committee met for their 19th annual dinner dance and awards ceremony at Antun's Restaurant in Queens on Feb. 4. This year's theme was "Embracing Challenges & Building our Future."