The city’s superintendents gathered at UFT headquarters in early October. UFT Vice President for Special Education MaryJo Ginese said the union made it clear to them at this introductory meeting that when special education compliance issues are...

UFT Vice President Anne Goldman writes that hospital administrators driven by profit over patient care too often do not follow the nurse-to-patient ratios needed to safely care for patients. The Federation of Nurses/UFT is committed to continuing to...

UFT Vice President Anne Goldman, the head of the Federation of Nurses/UFT, writes that city hospitals are not required to have adequate staffing. The game of health is allowed to proceed knowingly shorthanded, without economic penalty and at risk to...

UFT Vice President Anne Goldman, the head of the Federation of Nurses/UFT, writes that as hospitalizations rise, we again find ourselves in a battle for adequate staffing. Staffing ratios are the foundation for safe patient care.

UFT Vice President Leo Gordon writes about the importance of fostering industry partnerships, like this year's $6.1 billion in funding to tech giant Micron as part of a collaborative effort by the UFT and parent union AFT. These partnerships provide...

Leo Gordon, the UFT vice president for career and technical education high schools, writes that CTE programs in New York City schools have advanced significantly over the past 10 years, with a stronger emphasis placed on technology, industry...

UFT Vice President for CTE Leo Gordon writes that it's a challenging time for career and technical education, but it's also a time of exciting opportunities. The pandemic has illuminated the importance of skilled trades in our day-to-day lives. Now...

UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford writes that we are excited to return to our classrooms to do what we do best after recharging over the summer. And we won’t let budget cuts or layoffs stop us from providing our public school...

UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford writes that it’s been a stressful year, and the pandemic is still affecting all our lives. Some UFT members have gotten a jump-start on their own social-emotional wellness, with training in...

UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds writes that when it comes to our academic high schools and the broader New York City public school system, we need to lead — not follow — on innovation that affects our practice.

UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds writes that we can guide our students to more fully examine who they are and where their passions lie but doing so requires us to bring our truest selves to the classroom.

UFT Vice President Richard Mantell writes that the holidays may be long over, but the giving is not. It’s what we educators do. We provide our students with the resources they need to succeed in life, whether it’s educating them in the classroom...

UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell writes that after holding his annual Middle School Anti-Bullying Conference in October, he learned his 28-year-old daughter had been bullied when she was in middle school. While he was shocked, he...

Richard Mantell is the UFT vice president for middle schools. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management and finance from Brooklyn College, his master’s degree in education with a concentration in guidance counseling from Long Island...

In December 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that allowed UFT members who are enrolled in the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) to transfer into the Teachers’ Retirement System if they wish. Read our FAQ and view important...

Growing up near Coney Island, Brooklyn, Ariella Moshchinsky knew early on that she would pursue a career in the sciences — and she says it was her public school education in Brooklyn schools that helped inspire her to achieve that goal.


Veronica Herrera supports students making their postsecondary plans at Hillcrest HS in Jamaica. "High school students are discovering who they are, and it’s wonderful to be a part of that conversation," she said.

As a new teacher, you are bound to encounter situations with students that are challenging to navigate. If you find yourself in one of the following situations, here is some guidance for making a plan of action.

TRS may ask retirees to complete a Retirement Allowance Verification Form annually. If you receive such a letter, don't ignore it.

UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro writes that the DOE will require the use of one of three evidence-based literacy programs grounded in phonics in all elementary schools by September 2024. The UFT Teacher Center is committed to doing...

UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro writes that the UFT Teacher Center has been a leader in providing New York City public school educators with high-quality professional learning for more than 40 years. The program recently has begun...

The Utah Legislature voted in a Dec. 9 special session to repeal an anti-labor law adopted earlier this year after a coalition of 21 labor unions, including the Utah Education Association, collected 250,000 signatures in favor of a referendum to...

Textbook sales have plummeted as school districts in red states are concerned that content they purchase could violate state laws restricting education on race, history, sex and gender, or prompt complaints in an era of surging book challenges.

Delivery drivers, hotel staff, fast food workers, teachers and thousands of other workers went on strike this summer, as did the people who play them on TV.

The attempt by the United Auto Workers union to gain a stronger foothold in the politically conservative South faltered in mid-May when workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama, voted against joining the union.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to repeal the state’s right-to-work law, making it the first state in nearly 60 years to roll back a law that allows workers to not pay union dues or fees.

Two Massachusetts families have filed a lawsuit against the creators and publishers of widely used whole-language reading curricula claiming that they engaged in “deceptive and fraudulent” marketing of curricula they knew was ineffective.

Starbucks is slated to begin bargaining in late April with delegates from its 400 unionized stores after agreeing to end its two-year campaign against union organizing.


At least four states are considering following North Dakota in mandating that a factually incorrect and misleading animated video of fetal development be shown in elementary schools.


Typical union households have 1.7 times the median wealth as their nonunion counterparts, according to a new Center for American Progress report

Students have been absent at record rates since returning to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data compiled by Stanford University in partnership with the Associated Press.

More than 50,000 graduate students and other student workers on 51 university campuses nationwide have formed unions since 2022, according to the National Labor Relations Board.


The National Treasury Employees Union has filed a lawsuit that seeks to block President Donald Trump’s March 27 executive order revoking the collective bargaining rights of hundreds of thousands of unionized government employees.

Performers who play characters like Mickey Mouse and Goofy at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California voted overwhelmingly in May to join the Actors’ Equity Association.

Weeks after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law prohibiting public employee unions from collective bargaining, a new labor-backed group called Protect Utah Workers is collecting signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to repeal it.

After more than 18 months of unsuccessful contract negotiations, Starbucks Workers United on Nov. 13 kicked off the “Red Cup Rebellion,” a nationwide strike that has expanded to include thousands of baristas at more than 145 coffeehouses.