Cara Matthews

In a terrible blow to New York City public schools still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Eric Adams plans to make three successive 5% cuts to education funding between December and June.

The UFT is launching a Fix Tier Six campaign in an effort to improve the pension benefits of its more than 50,000 members who have joined the New York City pension system since April 2012.

The UFT and other education advocates are applying pressure on the Adams administration to have a viable plan for implementing the state’s class-size reduction law. The mayor’s midyear budget cuts and his comments about how he doesn’t believe the city will be able to meet the new requirements have cast doubt that his administration even intends to comply with the state law. 


UFT members celebrated past, present and future union leaders on Teacher Union Day by mourning founder George Altomare on the anniversary of the union’s first strike and honoring the new school-based Contract Action Teams and others who carry on his legacy.

As they learned about the latest treatment protocols and other workplace issues at their annual union conference, Federation of Nurses/UFT members vowed they would continue fighting to make the state enforce the landmark 2022 safe staffing law and hold hospitals accountable.

After years of advocacy by the UFT, paraprofessionals will be included in the Teacher’s Choice program for the first time this school year.


State Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul — along with UFT President Michael Mulgrew — unveiled new legislation to safeguard children online on Oct. 11 at UFT headquarters.

Susan Kramer has always been the type of person that people gravitate toward when they are struggling with a life dilemma or need advice and support. After retiring at the end of the 2020-21 school year, she saw an ad for a course with the United States Chaplain Corps and applied.



In addition to having legal letters written or phone calls made on a UFT retiree’s behalf, the UFT Welfare Fund Retiree Legal Plan with Elder Plan Supplement provides access to attorneys who can give advice, answer questions, review documents, prepare a will and more. Telephone advice and consultations are unlimited.

A monthslong UFT initiative to reach out to retired paraprofessionals, connect them with union services and support, and encourage them to get involved in the Retired Teachers Chapter culminated with a meet and greet at UFT headquarters on Sept. 19.