Discover more from A BETTER CONTRACT - UFT MEMBERS
'A Better Contract' Pushes Forward for a Member-Led UFT
ABC continues to set the pace for the 2025 UFT Election race and transformative changes. ABC champions a better contract with the City of New York and a better social contract with union leadership.
Happy Weekend, UFT!
Thank you to all who attended The ABCs of Pay — Let’s Talk About Pay UFT Member Assembly this past Tuesday. Your time, insights, questions and thoughtful contributions made the discussion both engaging and productive. Together, we’re building the foundation for a union that puts members’ priorities like pay, dignity, and working conditions first.
As we discussed during the meeting, improving pay and working conditions requires collective action and a bold strategy that reflects the needs of our members.
Our union president, Michael Mulgrew, recently acknowledged the challenges of pay equity, citing pattern bargaining as a barrier to addressing inequitable pay disparities for paraprofessionals.
While pattern bargaining has been a defining strategy under the current leadership, it is not the only approach to fix para pay and secure a living wage.
A more creative and assertive bargaining strategy, along with an action-ready membership, can challenge the status quo, ensuring that all members receive the compensation and respect they deserve. This reinforces the importance for new union leadership that listens to members and explores all options to secure a fair contract.
Our discussion on Tuesday showed that simply by coming together, we are already making an impact. The issues we raised are now being addressed. This demonstrates the power of collective action and the effectiveness of amplifying our voices.
We’re excited to keep this momentum going!
Here’s how you can stay involved:
Join us at upcoming UFT Member Assemblies: Mark your calendar for January 7, 2025. RSVP, here.
Join a Working Group: We currently have working groups centered around: Organizing, High School, Elementary, District 75, Paras, and social media. Some will be meeting next week, already! See the dates and times, below.
To get started, go to: join.uftmembers.org
Spread the Word: Encourage your colleagues to join our movement and attend the next meeting. Check out our LinkTree for ways to share our message.
Join our Slate of Candidates: Want to join this historic movement for member-led transformative change? We are actively seeking prospective candidates to run for UFT executive board, AFT and NYSUT delegate positions. To connect with us, go to: slate.uftmembers.org
Here are our upcoming ABC Working Group meetings:
ALL District 75 UFT Members and All UFT Paraprofessionals Citywide
Tue, 12/17 at 7 PM
High School Division
Wed, 12/18 at 7 PM
Organizing Committee
Wed, 12/18 at 7 PM
** We are scheduling meetings for retirees, elementary and middle school and other functional titles, very shortly. We will keep you updated.
ABC (A Better Contract) is dedicated to building a union where every member feels valued, heard, and empowered. We are union proud and union strong. We are non-partisan and we are not affiliated with the establishment union caucuses that are often too self-agendized.
With your support we can continue to challenge the status quo, win the upcoming 2025 Union leadership election, and bring about the change we need.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to get more involved, don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can create a stronger, more equitable future.
Finally, please take a moment to check out our landing page to see how you can get involved: http://uftmembers.org
Stay updated with us at: http://abettercontract.org
Download, share and print a flyer to post at your school/work site: flyer.uftmembers.org
And follow us at:
In solidarity,
Katie Anskat, Queens Metropolitan HS Delegate
katieharten@gmail.com
Paul Egan, PS/MS 194 Chapter Leader
Egan10980@gmail.com
Arthur Goldstein, Vice Chair of Retiree Teachers Chapter (RTC)
agoldstein@uftmembers.org
Chad Hamilton, P.S. K231 Chapter Leader
chadhamilton231@gmail.com
Steve Swieciki, Lehman High School Chapter Leader
uft.swieciki@gmail.com
Subscribe to A BETTER CONTRACT - UFT MEMBERS
We are a member-led, grassroots movement of UFT members organizing and mobilizing to build union power, and to increase member awareness and member voice. We are organizing for a better contract for all UFT members and school communities.