UFT Election Results: Unity’s Grip Weakens—A Better Contract Rises as Only Growing Force- By Mike Schirtzer

 June 8, 2025

First let me state that neither Mike nor I speak for ABC but our words will be used as representative of ABC. ABC clearly arose - or arised - or arrived. ABC is criticized for being too aggressive - exactly the opposite of how UFT leadership behaves passively when dealing with the DOE and politicians -- but they sure are aggressive in attacking ABC. Frankly, I want more ABC in your face when dealing with the DOE and Mayor.

I don't agree with everything that Mike Schirtzer, the eternal optimist, says here. As a pessimist I can't even guarantee ABC is still around in 3 years. Or next month. (Cheers arise from ARISE - and Unity.) But getting about 18k votes, the highest of any opposition in history, is nothing to sneeze at and was not due to social media but to having people in the schools. Do they know you, do they trust you, as James Eterno used to say, is operative. 

Mike will come under attack for this post. How dare Mike celebrate the UFT election as a "win" for ABC? I'd say some people in ABC are not celebrating because they thought they would win, unlike ARISE which knew they would lose. They would be celebrating if they ran roughly even with ABC. But instead of analyzing their 18 point loss to ABC and their 40 point loss to Unity, they are blaming ABC's campaign. Talk about tone-deaf. My prediction is that ARISE will re-arise in 3 years and play the same losing game by making it impossible to have one slate - the Einstein definition of insanity. 

This is not to say that many ABCs would work with almost everyone in ARISE in the future (except for one or two) but not with the caucuses themselves. And in fact ABC took that position since November and will continue to take that position.

[Check out what I wrote 5 years apart: April 28, 2019: UFT Election Overall and Retiree Data... and June 25, 2024 - Can Unity Be Beaten in 2025 UFT Election?]

The major obstacles to defeating Unity after these results are the weakness of the caucuses after decades of getting the same results and their insistence that only they should be allowed to run UFT elections. (My next post will do a breakdown of the numbers). 

The attacks on ABC from both Unity and ARISE are similar (Leo Casey and Nick Bacon separated at birth) - and we saw in the campaign an informal alliance of sorts between Unity and ARISE -- like the ARISE candidate who ran against Mulgrew is doing workshops next weekend at the UFT (and Mulgrew called on her twice at the DA). And the enormous praise for a co-chair of one of the ARISE caucuses who is also on the ARISE steering committee for relentless attacks on ABC going back months -- a clear sign that elements of ARISE are already thinking that the goal is not uniting with ABC but exterminating ABC and leaving the field to the same old caucuses that failed so badly in this election. And Unity has the same goal. Build up ARISE as the legitimate and loyal opposition and try to bury ABC.... Oh, and Mike, who has been on the UFT Exec Board for 9 years, elected on the MORE and then the Unity slates, will now be off the board ------ Norm

UFT Election Results: Unity’s Grip Weakens—A Better Contract Rises as Only Growing Force- 

 By Mike Schirtzer

 

Unity didn’t win. They survived. And their time is running out.

The numbers are in—and while President Mulgrew and his Unity Caucus claims another win, the truth is undeniable: their mandate is collapsing.

Out of over 200,000 UFT members, 57,905 ballots were counted (an increase of 15% from the last election but still only 28% of eligible voters). Of those, Unity received just 30,219 votes. That means fewer than 1 in 10 members actively support this leadership. Most didn’t vote at all—because they either didn’t know there was an election, or they’ve lost faith that anyone is listening.

A Better Contract is an independent group of UFT members that came together for the first time because it’s time for a better union, a better contract, and better leadership. A Better Contract won 17,874 (32%) votes, the largest vote for an opposition caucus in history, on our first time out.

In 6 months we shattered expectations and built real power. We posed a threat to the leadership of our union who were forced to respond and we earned more than double the votes of the groups that have run and lost over the last 30 years.

No Victory—Just a Crisis of Confidence

• Unity, Mulgrew, and their failed social media team are trying to spin this as a win. But in reality, it’s a sign of a union in crisis. Turnout was dismal. Enthusiasm was lower than ever. And more members than ever are stepping forward to say: we’ve had enough.
• Tier 6 still robs newer educators of retirement security.
• Paraprofessionals remain dramatically underpaid.
• In-service members and retirees are still defending the healthcare they already earned.
• Prices go up, tariffs, rising healthcare costs, and they told us to be happy with 3% raises- shame on them!
  

Amid the apathy and dysfunction, our movement is growing: 

In our first full campaign, historic gains were made in elementary schools, with one of the highest vote totals in history. As A Better Contract cut into Unity’s long-held dominance. 

In functional chapters—which include paraprofessionals, clinicians, and other essential school support staff—A Better Contract won 3,889 votes, thanks to bold organizing like Fix Para Pay and the OT/PTs who are sick of being told “take your contract whether you vote for it or not”!. 

Among retirees, Unity clung to a majority, but A Better Contract still won nearly 9,000 votes—an unheard-of number for a first-time challenger.

The conclusion is clear: Unity is shrinking. A Better Contract is growing.

A Better Contract is the only movement with momentum, the only one expanding the electorate, and the only one offering a credible alternative to business as usual. Make no mistake—every concession Unity made in the last year was a reaction to growing pressure.

• Suddenly, dental and vision benefits improved.
• Unity flip-flopped on Medicare Advantage, opposing the very plan they helped create.
• $10,000 para pay legislation showed up in City Council—for the first time in years. We still haven’t seen the checks yet, will we ever?
• Delegate and para rep stipends—ignored for decades—were suddenly announced.
• On Tier 6, Unity started talking tough,  providing  lip service, but not much else

That’s not leadership. That’s fear. And it proves we are the ones moving this union forward.

Unity didn’t inspire voters. They relied on mail-in ballots from retirees and decades of institutional control. They survived because of their reliance on members not voting or mail in ballots—but even then, they barely topped 50%

Their message as a members only club doesn't resonate with the membership. While they stalled or fractured, A Better Contract listened and responded to members, expanded turnout, and delivered a clear vision for a better union.

This was the most important UFT election in a generation—and it exposed a broken system and a growing rebellion.

A Better Contract is the only movement bringing in new members, re-engaging the disengaged, and giving a voice to the unheard. And we’re just getting started.

To the 17,874 members who voted for A Better Contract: we see you, we thank you, and we’re just getting started. To the 140,000+ members who didn’t vote: we’re coming to you. We’ll earn your trust. We’ll fight for your future.

We’re Not Done—We’re Just Getting Started We’re building a union that listens. A union that acts. A union that wins. And everyone is welcome to join us.