Beyond securing members’ professional and economic dignity, safety and security, the UFT uses its power to garner great deals and discounts for both retirees and in-service educators. From bargains on travel, clothing and gym memberships to reduced-price Major League Baseball and Broadway tickets, UFT members can save thousands of dollars.
Retired teachers Steve and Tina Cohen of Queens buy discounted movie tickets through the UFT’s promotions and discounts program to support their cinephilia. Members can order the passes, which do not expire, for $10 each for use at Regal/United Artists and Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas theaters and $8.50 apiece for movies at BTM (formerly Bow Tie) Cinemas.
“We’re very active and one of the things we love is the movie tickets,” Steve Cohen said. “We go weekly sometimes when the weather gets pretty bad. It gives us a chance to get out of the house and do something we love.”
Some of the newer deals that UFT members can take advantage of include discounts on car rentals at Avis, Budget and Hertz and travel discounts with Expedia.com and Booking.com. Other bargains are half-price tickets for New York Yankees home games and discounts to Dorney Park & Wild Water Kingdom in Pennsylvania on “friends and family” weekends.
Corporate Shopping, a new benefit, provides discounts and special offers at more than 250 national retailers and financial service providers, such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Walt Disney World, Dell, Chase Home Mortgage, GE Appliance Store, Hotels.com and True Car auto purchasing.
For a $40 annual membership to the Theatre Development Fund, UFT members can take in Broadway and off-Broadway shows for less than $60 a ticket.
In the area of self-care, members can get 40% off an all-access membership at New York Sports Clubs, discounts at PulseHIIT and Spa Week. UFT members looking for great gifts can get a 15% discount at retailers such as 1-800-Flowers and gifts.com. Crafters can take advantage of a 15% discount at Michaels.
“We are always looking for ways to support our members,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “That’s why we leveraged the purchasing power of the union to negotiate these discounts for members.”
To learn more, log in to the UFT Member Hub and select “Benefits” in the top tabs. Alternatively, log in to the UFT website and go to the Discounts & Promotions section. For questions about using your UFT membership card for a discount, call 212-598-9512 or email customerservice [at] uft [dot] org (customerservice[at]uft[dot]org).
In addition to the UFT deals, members can take advantage of discounts through NYSUT, AFT and Union Plus, a nonprofit funded by the AFL-CIO.
NYSUT’s Member Benefits Discounts and Deals program offers discounts at more than 850,000 merchant locations nationwide, including restaurants, supermarkets, florists, clothing stores, hotels and airlines. Members can get a free premium subscription to Calm, a meditation, relaxation and sleep app. Go to NYSUT for more information.
Member benefits exclusive to the AFT include discounts for Southwest Airlines, Hilton and Wyndham hotels, AT&T Wireless, Talkspace online therapy, Dansko shoes and magazine subscriptions. Visit the AFT for more details.
Union Plus has deals for union members on car rentals, vacation tours, theme parks, credit counseling, professional moving services, health benefits, insurance for cars, homes and rentals, and more. Visit UnionPlus for more information.