Scare Tactics (By David Ginsberg)

The UFT elections are around the corner and, once again, Unity is running on fear mongering rather than actual issues that impact union members. In 2022, the bogeyman was our upcoming contract negotiations. After all, Unity had invaluable experience and wisdom that would garner us a better deal than anything any other caucus could negotiate. What most members were unaware of was that Unity had already ransacked our Stabilization Fund to the tune of one billion dollars in our 2014 contract (p.12) and subsidized our paltry 2018 raises by secretly giving away $600 million per year in perpetuity in healthcare givebacks (hidden away in Appendix B), unbeknownst to UFT members who voted in favor of the contract.

Locked into our current contract until 2027, Unity can no longer be the Roadrunner to our Wile E. Coyote, holding the contract anvil over our collective heads. Instead, they shift the focus to politics – specifically the Trump administration, Eric Adams, and any other prospective mayoral candidate who may run later this year. There are some legitimate issues to be concerned about for sure, but fear must not be the motivating factor when it comes time to vote in the UFT elections. We need to consider who we want fighting for us. 

There are three groups running in the UFT elections this year – ARISE, Unity, and ABC. Unity, and, by association, ABC (it’s impossible to separate the two because half of ABC’s officers are former Unity members), have not had our best interests at heart over the years. They have pushed and promoted healthcare givebacks and meager, sub-inflationary salary increases for in-service members. Whether it was current UFT President Michael Mulgrew agreeing to subsidize our raises with healthcare givebacks or ABC presidential nominee Amy Arundell gaslighting UFT members about how great Medicare Advantage is during an hours-long “informational session,” the leaders of Unity and ABC both have blood on their hands.

Over the last week, ABC has been spamming social media, bragging to anyone who will listen that if it weren’t for them, our pensions would be mush. A strategy taken straight out of Unity’s playbook, ABC has now officially joined Unity in the scare tactics club. “Vote for us because we’re the only ones who can protect you” should never be your campaign slogan. Besides the fact that it’s an obvious lie, it also serves as a not-so-subtle message to our membership that you think you are better than the rest of us and that we are unwilling, unable, and too ignorant to fend for ourselves. 

ARISE, on the other hand, believes in all of our union brothers and sisters. One group cannot do this work alone. We believe that our union can only thrive if all of us are in this, together, and that everyone is capable of making a difference – not just a select few self-appointed blowhards pounding their chests in victory. 

Unlike Unity and ABC, ARISE also has a proven track record – not just words – disavowing healthcare givebacks and the abysmal 2023 contract. ARISE presidential nominee, Olivia Swisher, fought for more union member involvement during contract talks, only to be rebuffed by Unity and ABC members. She has also been against healthcare givebacks from the very beginning, unlike the other presidential nominees. As chapter leader of her school, Swisher has organized work stoppages for proper PPE during the pandemic, improved school safety, protected paraprofessionals from being forced to do tasks that they are not contractually obligated to do, amongst other things.

Michael Shulman, running for Secretary with ARISE, has a long and storied union history. Shulman served as VP of High Schools from 1985-87, and remains the only opposition candidate to win a VP election against Unity. Voting rules were literally changed because of his victory. At the time, only high school educators voted for VP of High Schools. After Shulman’s victory, the UFT made it so every educator, K-12, voted in all elections. Shulman, and other members of the New Action Caucus who are running with ARISE, also created an organizing committee to help UFT chapter leaders during the dark days of the Bloomberg years. 

During the 2023 contract talks, many members of ARISE pushed for Contract Action Teams (CATs), which increased organizing efforts and, given more time, could have helped us in contract negotiations, as UFT members throughout the city would have gotten more and more involved. Additionally, ARISE members serve as chapter leaders, delegates, and executive board members, all in an effort to improve the state of our union.

The bottom line is that there is always going to be something threatening coming down the pike. In 2022, we had the upcoming contract negotiations. This year, it’s Trump, pensions, and the NYC mayoral race. In 2028, it’s going to be the presidential election again, and on and on it goes. Do not be fooled by the scare tactics. We at ARISE believe that our union can take on anything together. There is strength in numbers and we won’t back down from fighting tooth and nail for and alongside UFT membership.
If you would like to become a member of the only group not being run by recent Unity members/supporters, join ARISE, a faction composed of established UFT caucuses New Action, MORE, and Retiree Advocate.