New Action is a community of union proud and union strong UFT members.

We are united by our core values of member-driven unionism, a strong contract, educated members who understand their rights and how to enforce them, as well as union democracy, transparency & accountability. We’re relentlessly driven by our mission that a better and mighty union is possible when we fight together for improved, safe working conditions of staff and learning conditions of all students.

New Action is the oldest opposition caucus (political party) in the United Federation of Teachers, in existence since the mid 1980’s.  We can trace our forerunners to the mid-1970’s. 

New Action is composed of rank and file members of the United Federation of Teachers who are or were teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, nurses, therapists, school counselors and members of the School Based Support Team. 

Over the years many NAC members have served on the UFT’s Executive Board. Currently, Nick Bacon and Edward Calamia, of NAC, sit on the UFT executive board, representing high school teachers.

Our New Action blog publishes perspectives on policies affecting UFT members and is widely read among the entire union membership.

New Action/UFT is the only opposition caucus with a proven track record of supporting the leadership when we believe that a policy benefits members. However, we will vocally oppose them when we believe that a policy hurts UFT members. 

40 YEARS OF UFT ACTIVISM

New Action has a 40-year record of accomplishments as the alternative to Unity caucus.

•  In 1995 New Action led the historic fight against the infamous “Zero, Zero” contract – Result: it was the only contract to be defeated by the members.
• In 2002 and 2003, New Action organized informational picketing in over 100 schools – Result: salary parity became the number one union issue
• New Action fought for an activist union in the 2004 national elections – Result: several bus loads of union members visited battleground states to oppose President Bush.
• New Action has argued that many chapter leaders need assistance and chapters need rebuilding – Result: Creation of the bipartisan Organizing Committee which sent retiree activists into schools to help chapter leaders. Before Unity closed this committee, we were active in over one hundred schools.
• New Action pushed for a resolution calling for a rapid withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Result: The UFT Executive Board and Delegate Assembly adopted this policy prior to the November elections.
• New Action pursued a pension reform petition that garnered over 10,000 signatures, helping lead to the creation of a 25/55 option in Tier 4.
• New Action is working collaboratively with the United For Change coalition, a coalition slate of various dissenting rank and file caucuses, organizations and individuals that ran in the 2022 UFT general city-wide elections.  Result: 7 UFC High School Executive Board members now currently sit on the executive board.
• New Action has successfully written or co-written resolutions passed at the DA requiring UFT leadership to pursue reforms on discontinuance and assisting members from the Dominican Republic.

What is different today? 

At the city and national level, unions, including our own UFT , are under severe attack.

These anti-union forces are threatening not only our hard –won rights and benefits, but our very existence.

We believe that the membership wants a united UFT to make the best fight to combat these attacks.

For the past several years we have played a leadership role in moving our union in a more progressive direction.  We are the union’s future.

Join us in the fight for a better, mighty union. Together.

To follow our media sites:

Twitter: @NewActionUFT

Facebook: NAC Facebook Group

Instagram: @NewActionUFT