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Cara Matthews

New York Teacher Senior Editor/Reporter

UFT Florida Center

Florida Center wants you — in person!

The UFT Florida Center in Boca Raton is now open each weekday, and members can stop by any time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Theresa Hambel

Many happy (tax) returns and other helpful acts by former counselor

While many people were in the midst of holiday preparations or celebrations on Dec. 23, UFT retiree Theresa Hambel was taking a course on changes to federal tax law. It was part one of her annual training as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program tax preparer.

Teachers at a Broadway Show

Staging a great night on Broadway

About 500 new UFT members had the chance to see “How to Dance in Ohio” at Teachers Night on Broadway on Feb. 1. “It was complete joy,” said UFT Vice President Karen Alford, who leads the union’s new member initiative. “The show spoke to all of us as educators.”
Teacher doing a Tier 6 presentation

Fix Tier 6 presentation in schools now

Chapter leaders have taken the Delegate Assembly’s Fix Tier 6 presentation on the road. Chapter Leader Lillian Crespo at PS 216 in Brooklyn and her UFT district representative, Adam Shapiro, showed it to PS 216 members at a Jan. 22 chapter meeting. 

UFT lawsuit takes on mayors budget cuts

UFT lawsuit takes on mayor’s budget cuts

UFT President Michael Mulgrew told union delegates at the Delegate Assembly on Jan. 17 that the UFT is moving full steam ahead with its lawsuit to stop Mayor Eric Adams’ school budget cuts. He said the mayor’s budget restorations in mid-January amounted to only a fraction of the overall cuts.

Two men stand at a podium during a press conference for a congestion pricing lawsuit

UFT sues over ‘congestion’ plan

The UFT, along with seven New York City public school teachers and the Staten Island borough president, filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 4 seeking to halt the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan. The suit charges that the plan’s potential negative impact on traffic and air quality in the surrounding areas was not adequately studied, and the “regressive and discriminatory pricing” of the tolls violates the constitutional rights of the individual plaintiffs. 

A man speaks at the podium during a legislative reception

Union presents legislative priorities to state lawmakers

UFT President Michael Mulgrew and other union officers gathered at the Corning Tower Observation Deck in Albany on Jan. 29 to make the case for the union’s 2024 legislative priorities with state lawmakers. “We have a lot of challenges, as always, in front of us,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew told them. 

Time to enjoy after meeting

New Retiree Luncheon

More than 500 newly minted retirees gathered to celebrate at the union's New Retiree Luncheon at the New York Hilton Midtown on Nov. 21.

Retiree doing paperwork

What you need to know about your TDA and RMDs

Most UFT retirees elect TDA deferral status when they first retire. But when they reach age 73, retirees must withdraw a set percentage of their funds from their tax-deferred annuity – called the required minimum distribution (RMD) — each year.


Dancing to his own drummer

Dancing to his own drummer again

When Roy Fialkow retired in 2019 after a 29-year career as an adaptive physical education teacher, his life came full circle: He returned to Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, where he had been a dancer in his 20s, as the nonprofit’s education manager.