Melinda Katz, the Queens district attorney-elect, thanks the Delegate Assembly for the union’s endorsement.
George Altomare (with microphone), one of the founders of the UFT, speaks in favor of the resolution recognizing members who went on strike on Nov. 7, 1960.
The Delegate Assembly approved five resolutions at the Nov. 20 meeting. They voted in favor of resolutions to:
• stand in solidarity with victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and Virgin Islands, and to work in partnership with NYSUT and the AFT on disaster relief efforts.
• work in partnership with outside organizations to spread the word about the 2020 Census and work toward a full and accurate count of New York City’s population.
• stand with Transit Workers Union Local 100 in its fight for a new contract following the expiration of its previous one on May 15.
• remember the founders of the UFT for their courage to go on strike 59 years ago on Nov. 7, 1960, which led to the formation of the UFT.
• support American Federation of Musicians Local 802 in its efforts to secure residual payments for their work being streamed online.
“You guys are amazing.”
That’s what Queens District Attorney-elect Melinda Katz told the Delegate Assembly on Nov. 20.
“I’m just here to say thank you,” Katz told the group assembled in Shanker Hall at union headquarters in Manhattan. “It was obvious the work you did.”
While Katz easily won on Nov. 7 over her Republican opponent, she did so only after eking out a 60-vote victory in the Democratic primary last June.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew said Katz “has been outstanding on all the issues important to us” throughout her 25-year career in politics. She most recently served as Queens borough president.
Mulgrew noted that while the overall turnout on Election Day was disappointing, all five candidates endorsed by the UFT won their races. Besides Katz, Jumaane Williams was elected public advocate, Darcel Clark and Michael McMahon won the district attorney races in the Bronx and Staten Island, respectively, and Farah Louis was elected to the City Council in Brooklyn’s 45th district.
“Politics is really important to us, and it will pay off for us that these candidates won their races,” Mulgrew said.
Mulgrew told the body that the national American Federation of Teachers would host a national presidential candidate forum on public education on Dec. 14 in Pittsburgh.
In its new endorsement process for the 2020 elections, the AFT has been hosting town halls across the country with all the major Democratic candidates for president.