Trisha Arnold (left) and Emily James, who received the Backer/Scheintaub Award for their work lifting up member and student voices and assisting Contract Action Teams.

Teacher Union Day attendees hold up cell phones with flashlights activated at the end of the awards ceremony as they sing “Solidarity Forever,” led by a video of union founder George Altomare, who died in August, in one of his many performances of the song.

Elementary school chapter leaders gather on the stage after receiving Ely Trachtenberg Awards for their exemplary service.

UFT Treasurer Debra Penny (third from left) is flanked by UFT President Michael Mulgrew (second from left) and UFT Secretary LeRoy Barr, with Paraprofessionals Chapter Chair Priscilla Castro (far left), as she receives the Charles Cogen Award — the union’s highest honor — for her fierce advocacy and compassion in her union work.

Middle school chapter leaders gather on stage after receiving Ely Trachtenberg Awards.

High school chapter leaders gather for a photo after receiving Ely Trachtenberg Awards.

Manhattan Borough Representative Carl Cambria, the UFT’s chief contract negotiator, accepts the Jules Kolodny Award for his leadership of the 500-member Negotiating Committee.

The ballroom at the Hilton is packed with 1,500 union members, family and friends for the event.

Raul Garcia (at right), the chapter leader of the School Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter and the winner of the Sidney Harris Award, gathers for a photo with (from left) psychologists Ana Cifuentes, Nancy Levine, Carmen Riera and Roberto Collado. The award honors an outstanding leader in special education.

UFT members from PS 72 in Manhattan and District 4 Representative Servia Silva (middle, standing) support their Ely Trachtenberg Award winner Fernando Alvarez (seated, second from right).

Teachers’ Retirement System Board Trustee Victoria Lee, accompanied by her daughter, accepts the David Wittes Award, named for the pioneer of the UFT pension, from Mulgrew (at left), UFT Assistant Treasurer Tom Brown and Staff Director LeRoy Barr (at right).

Staff from PS 306 in Brooklyn and the UFT Teacher Center gather for a photo at the awards ceremony.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew introduces Teacher Union Day by talking about the importance of remaining true to the union’s foundational beliefs and mission, and celebrating the members who have gone above and beyond to accomplish great things.

Member Representatives Trisha Arnold (left) and Emily James are congratulated by Mulgrew and Barr after receiving the Backer/Scheintaub award for their work lifting up member and student voices and assisting Contract Action Teams.

Six UFT members receive Marsh/Raimo Awards recognizing their political activism.

Rashad Brown, the assistant to the staff director, says a few words after receiving the Audrey Chasen Award.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew (at left) and LeRoy Barr (at right) stand with members who took home Albert Lee Smallheiser Awards for their efforts at improving working conditions for their colleagues.