In a crisis, the only asset you have is your credibility.

— Paul Volker

This quote from the late Federal Reserve System chair has been on my mind in the midst of Campaign 2020, as we work to cure our national nightmare. When the UFT and its state and national affiliates endorse political candidates for election, what kind of credibility do these political recommendations have with our grassroots, rank-and-file members?

For citywide endorsements, the UFT assesses the candidate’s record on education, labor and human rights. The same criteria are used by our state affiliate, NYSUT, for statewide endorsements and by our national affiliate, the AFT, for presidential and congressional endorsements. In 2016, some members were disgruntled over the endorsement of Hillary Clinton, which was announced early in the presidential campaign when some candidates had not yet entered the race and before many members had started paying attention to it.

This election cycle, the AFT and its affiliates went all out to correct that and opened the process to member input through town hall meetings, discussions, social media appeals and many other avenues with the goal of engaging as many members as possible. During the primary campaign, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren won endorsement from AFT affiliates. With Biden’s primary victory came the full union endorsement.

It is sometimes argued that generals are always fighting the last war, failing to adapt to new realities. I hope the union’s improved endorsement process has not dulled us to the new realities of Campaign 2020. I believe it has enabled us to better face the changes that need to be made in the White House and Congress if this nation is to survive as a democracy.

For me, the overarching issue is that the occupant of the White House offends every fiber of my being. My sensibilities for progressive labor, social justice, good government and respect for unity are frayed.

The more open endorsement process reinforces the credibility of our union leaders as they seek rank-and-file membership support of union policies and participation in union activities. In this 60th anniversary year of the UFT, we should all stand together. Any union worth its salt must ensure the well-being of its members by providing and enhancing job security, health coverage and pension guarantees. In other words, the dignity of labor. That is its primary duty. All our devotion to students and public education, to political activism, social justice and an enlightened society flow from that core mandate.

We retirees know a lot about credibility and the value of a strong union. We helped give those things a voice in the public forum and we are still doing so.

Are you optimistic about what the future holds? If your spirit needs a boost, think about all the young people you touched throughout the course of your career. Their memories of your devotion and commitment to their lives give you credibility and worth.

The attacks from this administration on our hard-earned benefits and on our aspirations for the society we helped build require that, in this national crisis, we use all our mutual credibility to secure our future.