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.

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 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.

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.

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 in all five boroughs and on Long Island raised thousands of dollars by participating in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks in October.

UFT members across the city wore pink on Oct. 11, 2023, to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Hundreds of UFT members joined the Labor Parade on Sept. 9 in New York City, marching up Fifth Avenue with their counterparts from other unions across the city. Members marched, rode the UFT float or sat in two double-decker buses along the parade route.

About 150 RTC members spent a Day at the University on Sept. 8 at UFT headquarters. They were treated to Lou Del Bianco singing Frank Sinatra songs; Barry Joseph chronicling the history and popularity of seltzer; and workshops on New York City public school memorabilia, politics and the U.S. Supreme Court.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew kicked off the first day of school for New York City public schools on Sept. 7 at PS 121 in the Bronx with Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks. They welcomed the more than 900,000 students back to school citywide, including about 21,500 from families that have migrated to the city in the past year; announced a state waiver that will allow more bilingual educators to teach migrant students; and touted the new, phonics-based reading curriculum.

Eleven busloads of UFT members and school community members joined tens of thousands of demonstrators at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Aug. 26, to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the spirit of this year’s theme, “Not a commemoration, a continuation,” the demonstrators called for dignity for workers and civil rights.

UFT members marched with tens of thousands of other New Yorkers on June 25 at the New York City Pride March in Manhattan to celebrate the LGBTQ community and show support for LGBTQ rights.

The UFT gave nearly $1 million in scholarships to 196 high-achieving high school seniors and 12 college graduates at the annual Albert Shanker College Scholarship Awards on June 6 at union headquarters in Manhattan.

Twenty-eight school secretaries from across the city were honored with awards, flowers and festivities at the union’s annual School Secretaries Awards Soirée. Honorees, colleagues, family members and UFT leadership gathered in Shanker Hall at union headquarters to celebrate.

Retired Teachers Chapter members gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown on May 30 for their annual luncheon for the first time since 2019. Forty-two retired educators and nurses received awards for their work and service over the past four years.

Speech teachers and their students were honored for innovative projects at the 17th annual Better Speech and Hearing Month Celebration at UFT headquarters. Their projects were displayed throughout Shanker Hall and presented via video.

Thousands of UFT members came together in five simultaneous borough rallies to demand a fair contract. Elected officials, community members, students, family and friends stood beside them in support.

The union’s signature education conference of the year was a fun and inspiring day for more than 1,300 UFT members that featured a morning discussion on self-care, CTLE workshops, a performance by hip-hop icon Kurtis Blow and a gala luncheon.

The UFT Family Child Care Providers Chapter, together with family and friends, celebrates outstanding members during its 10th annual ceremonies at borough events.

School nurses from around the city gathered at UFT headquarters for the annual celebration honoring their work in the New York City public schools.

The annual District 11 Scholarship Dinner brought together 450 educators, students and community members from the Bronx for a night of celebration and awards.

Outstanding high school educators, school-related professionals and union activists who support their school communities, students and union in the work they do every day were honored in the union’s annual awards ceremony at UFT headquarters.

Federation of Nurses/UFT members were recognized for their advocacy, leadership, union work and distinguished service at the union division’s annual event.

UFT members took to the streets for a week of action April 24-29, 2023, distributing fliers to community members about their fight for a fair contract.

Nearly 400 educators learned how to engage their youngest students with play at the UFT’s 15th annual Early Childhood Conference on April 1 at union headquarters in Manhattan.

The UFT Jewish Heritage Committee and the Educators’ Chapter of the Jewish Labor Committee kicked off the Passover season with a Labor Seder on March 30. The event at UFT headquarters in Manhattan connected the themes of liberation and redemption in the Jewish story of the exodus from Egypt with the struggles of the modern-day labor movement. This was the first time they gathered for the annual ritual since 2019.

UFT members demonstrated through "public grade-ins" across the city on March 30, 2023, that educators deserve respect and autonomy in their next contract. 

Paraprofessionals from across New York City celebrated colleagues’ achievements, learned new skills at workshops and enjoyed games and self-care activities at a carnival during the 2023 Paraprofessionals Festival & Awards Luncheon at the New York Hilton Midtown on March 25.

A packed house of UFT members gathered at House of Joy restaurant in Chinatown on March 10 for the annual Lunar New Year Banquet organized by the UFT Asian American Heritage Committee.

Nearly 800 UFT members traveled by bus to Albany on March 13 to advocate for full funding for New York City public schools and expansion of successful union programs including the UFT Teacher Center, and to oppose charter school expansion in the city.

UFT members came together for the union’s annual HERstory celebration on March 11 in the UFT Queens borough office to acknowledge the challenges women have overcome and celebrate the achievements they have made, individually and collectively.

Hundreds of school counselors gathered at UFT headquarters on March 11 for their chapter’s 19th annual conference. Excited to be gathered fully in-person, they heard from UFT representatives and speakers in their field, had warm reunions and networked with colleagues.

More than 900 school social workers from the UFT Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter gathered in person at union headquarters and remotely for a free day of professional learning and networking with colleagues.  

UFT members and their families and friends raced against the clock to uncover the “secrets of Grand Central Terminal” at the Middle School Division’s first-ever scavenger hunt on Feb. 4, 2023.

Staten Island 2nd-graders learn about fire safety and about the history of firefighting during a class trip to the New York City Fire Museum in SoHo.

A standing room-only crowd packed Shanker Hall on Feb. 3 as 450 educators, community partners and family members gathered at UFT headquarters to celebrate career and technical education in New York City public schools. The annual event’s theme was "Rebirth and New Beginnings."