TRS Election Update from Candidate Ben Morgenroth - Election is May 14

UPDATE - May 8 - THE DOE HAS CANCELLED THE TRS ELECTION BY DISQUALIFYING BEN OVER SOME MINOR IRREGULARITY AND DECLARED THE UNITY CANDIDATE THE WINNER

Tuesday May 6, 2025 - 

Congrats to Ben for getting the signatures he needed to run. Unity has controlled the 3 pension reps forever and we need another voice. They serve 3 year terms so there is an election every year. Ben ran last year and got one third of the vote. The election is in the schools on May 14 - retirees, ironically, can't run or vote. I know some people in ABC helped get signatures even though Ben is running with ARISE. It's too bad both campaigns didn't make this an issue to tie into the campaigns but I understand how busy people have been.

Here is Ben's missive:

Hi everyone, A couple of quick updates: First and foremost, congratulations! We collected well over the requisite 1,000 signature to get onto the ballot for the TRS election. This accomplishment is thanks to all of YOU and your hard work! Ours is one of two names that will appear on the ballot in May. I would like to ask everyone to please submit the Google Form below after May 14 to indicate whether the election protocols were properly followed in your school. I may not re-send this form link, so please save a copy of it. Please encourage your colleagues to fill it out as well: www.tinyurl.com/trselection25 Important Election Information: Principals are supposed to provide a copy of the notice of the election, including the names of both candidates, by Wednesday, May 7. Principals are required to hold an election in each school or worksite on Wednesday, May 14. If requested by at least 10% of the staff, the principal must call a meeting between May 2 and May 5 to hold a meeting to discuss the merits of each candidate. Once called to order, the contributors present must elect a chairperson and secretary for the discussion meeting. The election on May 14 shall be held at an in-person, called by the principal. A chairperson and secretary shall be elected at the start of the meeting. At the May 14 meeting: the chairperson shall appoint at least one teller for each of the two candidates, and at least 3 tellers in total. The tellers must be an acknowledged supporter of the particular candidate. Each member receives a ballot and signs a list of contributors (provided by the principal) to indicate they received a ballot. If an error is made, a new ballot shall be provided, and the original ballot shall be indicated as a VOID. No electioneering or discussion of candidates is permissible during the election meeting. For members who are off-site, an alternative voting location is to be provided. After each member has deposited their ballot in the box, the tellers publicly count the ballots and post and announce the results. One copy of the results is to be posted on the official site bulletin board. The ballots are returned to the box, the box is sealed and delivered to the principal, who keeps all ballots in a sealed box for at least 6 months. Note: At CUNY campuses, balloting is to remain open from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 16. Ballots are counted and tallied at the end of each day (publicly per the procedure above), but not posted until the end of the second day. Please encourage your colleagues to participate in the election on May 14. Thank you again, everyone for all the hard work! Looking forward to the election. Did you know? In 2009, the TDA rate of return was reduced to 7% for UFT titles, an effective cut of $2.3 million per teacher in retirement benefits. All non-UFT titles, including administrators, still receive the full 8.25% TDA. Tier 6 members receive less than half the benefits of Tier 4 members who make equal retirement contributions, and must work up to 15 years longer to receive a full pension. With the recent State re-amortization budget proposal, now, more than ever, it is important to protect our pension against further cuts, and reverse the most recent ones. Candidate statement: www.tinyurl.com/benfortrs2025statement   Committee for the election of  BENJAMIN MORGENROTH AS TEACHER-MEMBER OF THE RETIREMENT BOARD  Co-Chairs  Andrea Kung, Teacher  Urban Academy Laboratory High School 02M565, Manhattan  Aziz Jumash, Teacher  Stuyvesant High School 02M475, Manhattan  TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM  Dear Colleagues: We are pleased to announce that  Benjamin Morgenroth  will be a candidate for election to the Teachers Retirement Board.  Ben Morgenroth has a strong financial background, expertise, a decade of service in the classroom, and is dedicated to sound investments and member education. Ben is the most qualified candidate for election to the Teachers Retirement board and is the only person running with the financial expertise necessary for the position.  Board trustees are fiduciaries responsible to protect the long-term value of the pension’s investment portfolio and provide benefit security for members. They are entrusted to oversee the investment of our funds and achieve the highest possible long-term rate of return consistent with appropriate levels of diversity and risk.  Ben teaches AP Calculus and Algebra II at Brooklyn Technical High School and has served as a passionate teacher in the New York City public schools for the past decade. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer in Mathematics at Hunter College, City University of New York. He is a life-long New Yorker and a graduate of New York City public schools. He comes from a family of educators and TRS members. Ben holds a BA in Applied Math-Economics from Brown University and a MA in Applied Mathematics from Hunter College. Prior to teaching, Ben served as a business technology consultant and hedge fund risk analyst, helping to manage $3 billion in client investments.  In addition to his investment knowledge and financial expertise, Ben has intimate knowledge of the pension, including the nuances of individual Tiers. Ben is experienced at sharing his extensive pension knowledge with individual members and large groups, including the webinar he hosted focused on understanding and improving pension benefits, options, and Tier 6 reform.  Ben is running as an independent-thinking, union-proud, classroom educator who will serve with the best interests of everyday educators, like you, in mind. He is not beholden to the investors from TRS or any DOE official. This Trustee position will be the third to change hands in as many years. We need to keep our billions of dollars of investments safe and only someone with a strong investment background can be trusted to keep our pension stable, solvent, and ensure that it continues to grow. Ben’s classroom and financial experience make him the best qualified candidate for teacher trustee of TRS.  Ben’s top priorities for our pension:  1. Ensure financial stability and fund solvency to secure financial futures for retirees. 2. Aggressively and judiciously pursue investments that maximize returns while minimizing risk. 3. Continue to hold webinars and workshops in schools to ensure members understand our pension including benefits, investment, and retirement options.  Reverse pension cuts through advocacy to:  ● Improve pension and disability benefits, and pension flexibility, for members in all tiers. ● Restore the 8.25% TDA rate still received by all TRS members except UFT titles, and reverse the 30% reduction (approximately, with compounding) in our TDA benefits instituted in 2009. ● Reduce pension contributions for all tiers and restore the end of pension contributions after 10 years of service.  ● Restore retirement age to 55 for Tier 6 members.  ● Reverse the over 50% reduction in benefits for Tier 6 (compared to Tier 4 with equal contributions) instituted in 2010-2012.  ● Improve Final Average Salary calculation for pension benefits that better reflect real earnings. ● Update COLA law for benefit increases that keep pace with inflation.  ● Offer swifter movement of funds between TDA investment options (reduce time lag from 30-120 days to 1 day)

 

ABC Update: Ballots are out, Candidates Write Letters to Staff, Thursday Brooklyn and Friday Rockaway Meetups, The First 100 Days

Monday, May 5 - Cinquo de Mayo.

 

ABC has been busy - too busy for me to keep up. And now that ballots are out we are in the final stages. Ballots must be returned by May 28 at 9 AM - which really means May 27 - in essence they took two days off the balloting -- we used to be able to return the day of the count which is May 29 and May 30 and maybe even beyond that. Imagine the ballots sitting at 52 Broadway overnight and possibly the weekend.

 

 

 

 

Marianne video:

Spring is a fresh start, the UFT election is too! vote ABC

https://www.youtube.com/live/CEAbn1x4uO8?si=Spl9fy-P9vz0Tp2U

 

 

Why vote for A Better Contract? Because we’re ready to hit the ground running. 💥 On Day 1, we launch a real contract campaign—no delays, no excuses. Our first 100 days will be about rebuilding union strength, ending backroom deals, and finally putting an end to concession-driven leadership.

Vote for bold, transparent, and fearless action. Vote for A Better Contract. ✊

#VoteABC #BetterContractNow #UnionStrong #EndTheConcessions #RealLeadership #UFTelection2025 #NoMoreDeals #TeachersDeserveBetter

 

ABC is committed to transforming our union by listening to our members, who include YOU! You matter-- your experience, your expertise, your frustrations, your health and your happiness! Talk to us and vote for member-driven participation!

 

And don't forget the happy hours in person plus all the zooms. 

 

We had a nice time in Westchester on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABC needs donations to expand our reach for Zoom, MailerLite & printing, especially with more ABC supporters attending our Zoom/in-person events. Any contribution is highly appreciated, so please donate here: https://donate.stripe.com/3cs3df9wBaL1aVaeUU

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

As many of you know, union elections are just two short weeks away.  I’m writing to you today not only as a fellow educator, but as someone who has spent over two decades walking these hallways with you-teaching, learning, growing, and advocating for what’s right for our students and ourselves.

In that time, we’ve stood side by side through challenges and triumphs.  We’ve celebrated each other’s milestones and supported one another through good times and bad.  It’s that shared history, and that deep-rooted connection, that gives me the confidence to ask for your support-and your vote.

I am proud to be running with the ABC Coalition, a team committed to transparency, equity, and putting educators first.  We believe in strong, united leadership that listens, collaborates and takes action.  We want a union that is truly beholden to its members and puts their interests before all others.  I would be honored to bring my years of experience, union involvement, and unwavering passion for our profession to a leadership role on your behalf.

You know me.  You’ve seen my passion.  Some of us have had our ups and downs together, but through it all we’ve come through it stronger and with deeper understanding.  I'm Asking you to trust in that history-and in me-as we head into this important election.

Let’s build the kind of union we can really be proud of by showing your support and trust, and voting for the ABC Coalition.

With gratitude,

Proud Elementary Teacher, and proud ABC Executive Board Candidate

 

March 2007 - James Eterno: ICE BEATS NEW ACTION HANDS DOWN There's No Comparison; I've been with Both Groups!

Why run as an opposition group if you don't oppose much of anything the leadership does? Maybe you want to eliminate the real opposition: ICE-TJC. A truly independent opposition to Unity will strengthen the UFT. New Action's last stint on the executive board proved that some of their people didn't oppose or question Randi too often. I urge everyone to vote for ICE-TJC.

The ICE-TJC opposition to Unity over the last three years has been more active and effective as compared to the prior three when NAC was on the Executive Board, cementing their "bipartisan" relationship with Randi. We have a solid record of raising issues and actually getting some stuff accomplished at the UFT Executive Board.... In 2004 when the resolution to have the president appoint DR’s was up for renewal, only NAC's Ed Beller and I voted no. New Action's other representatives had changed their view or didn't vote..... James Eterno, ICE blog, March 2007

• UFT Election Results 2004/07 Compared

 

May 1, 2025 - Ballots go out today. A vote for ARISE is a vote for Unity.

New Action and Unity have been in the forefront of attacks on ABC in this election. But no surprise there. History counts.

As part of the ARISE coalition, New Action brags about its history and when challenged about their sellout to Unity Caucus from 2003 through 2016, they actually defend it by using the excuse of the Bloomberg attacks and the need for the oppo to work with Unity in bi-partisanship. Bring up the fact that many of the NAC pack were on the union payroll and they go silent. NAC is also a big component of Retiree Advocate and they still tiptoe around Unity.

ICE - Independent Community of Educators - was a group of individuals and ex-caucus members and similar to ABC in many ways - formed in response. The late James Eterno, Ellen Fox and Lisa North all left NAC to join ICE which allied with Teachers for a Just Contract (TJC) which became an active caucus in response to the sellout for elections and defeated the NAC HS candidates in the 2004 election. NAC then ran on the Unity slate in 2007 and won back those seats which they held through 2016. Just as the NACers in ARISE attack ABC in the 2025 election, they did the same to ICE in 2007 (and in other elections). 

Here in a 2007 pre-election blog posting, James compares his 7 years with NAC on the Exec Bd with his 3 years with ICE. I witnessed much of it and saw James grow into a tiger working with the ICEers Jeff Kaufman and Barbara Kaplan-Halper. When James was in NAC I used to sit behind him at Exec Bd meetings and prod him to break out of the NAC stranglehold. I remember a particular issue where some NACers were resisting a Unity push and the NAC leader, currently running for the second highest position in the UFT,  went around telling them to cool it because resistance would make Randi mad. 

In all the years of contention with Bloomberg over closing schools and other issues, I attended almost all PEP (Board of Ed) meetings with other activists to protest Joel Klein and his policies. Throughout the dozen years of Bloomberg, NAC had no presence in the resistance, so the Bloomberg excuse for running with Unity is bullshit.

Here James provides a preview of the different approaches between ICE and NAC which echoes the differences we see between the ABC and ARISE approach.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

ICE BEATS NEW ACTION HANDS DOWN

ABC-UFT Media - Mulgrew’s Election Tactics Spark Legal Consequences

For Immediate Release

Press contact: Mike Schirtzer

(917)683-7014

(New York, N.Y.) The "A Better Contract" slate is sounding the alarm on a desperate, undemocratic move by United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and his Unity Caucus in the upcoming UFT union-wide officer elections. Despite paper ballots being mailed out to members on May 1st, Mulgrew has decided to add his own election rules and block several attempts to increase voter participation.

After years of rejecting electronic voting—even though our sister AFT union, PSC-CUNY, already uses it successfully—and watching turnout plummet, Unity is now pushing a last-minute in-person voting plan at select, controlled locations. Meanwhile, they’re rejecting the one solution that would actually boost turnout and empower members: in-person voting at our own schools and worksites, the same way we vote for our union contract, Chapter Leaders, Delegates, and Paraprofessional Representatives. The fact we elect our building representatives in school, but not who leads our union is absurd.

Online voting would also allow for members with disabilities, such as those who are visually impaired, to cast their votes independently. This would be considered a “Reasonable Accommodation” under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

“They had no interest in increasing participation when members demanded real reform,” said Amy Arundell, UFT Presidential challenger. “Now that they’re losing their grip, they want to stage controlled, in-person voting sites where they can feed you, give you a gift—and convince you to vote again.”

Here’s the catch: if a member votes again in person, that vote overrides their mail-in ballot. That means your original vote—already cast —gets thrown out and replaced. It’s double voting with a twist: only the second vote counts.

Even more concerning, many of these in-person voting events are being held at special dinners and award ceremonies—mixing voting with celebrations in a way that creates the appearance of impropriety. This raises serious ethical concerns and calls into question the legitimacy of the entire process.

“They won’t let us vote at school or online—but they’ll hand out dinners, awards, and gift bags, then tell members to vote again. First vote tossed. That’s not democracy—it’s a scam,” said Daniel Alicea, candidate for UFT Vice President of Middle Schools.

“This is about one thing: control,” said Arundell. “Unity knows the only way they can hold onto power is by stacking the deck—selecting who votes where, while their loyal insiders run the show.”

To make matters worse, the so-called “nonpartisan” election committee is anything but. It’s filled with Unity Caucus members and paid union staffers, making this entire process biased from the top down.

The A Better Contract slate has filed a lawsuit to stop this manipulation and is demanding a fair election—where every vote counts, no matter how or where it’s cast.

“This union belongs to the educators in our classrooms—not to a political machine clinging to power,” said Arundell. “We’re not backing down.”

Link to full lawsuit here

verified petition2.pdf drive.google.com

A Better Contract is an independent slate of over 550 UFT members that will challenge the over six

 

ARISE Pro-Unity Positions Proves ARISE never AROSE: Don't Waste A Vote That Helps Unity Win - VOTE ABC

Saturday, April 19, 2025 - ARISE SINKS!

Proof is in the pudding. ARISE is not running against Unity but against ABC. 

Holy Cow - ARISE's Bacon increasingly takes the same line as Unity - this time on the Intro 1096 City Council law that so many retirees want to see passed to protect their Medicare. And engages in an attack on Marianne Pizzitola and her enormously successful organizing of retirees to battle for their medicare. 

Of course the motivation is that Marianne is supporting ABC and only wishes she would back ARISE and if she did you would never see him writing these comments. Even more interesting to me is that 2 of the 3 legs of ARISE - Retiree Advocate, and his own caucus New Action, are loaded with retirees - in fact 25% (140) of their candidates are retirees, many of them elected to the DA in the massive retiree win in last year's retiree chapter election, which they won with what Nick Bacon would call a "myopic" focus on the healthcare issue - and they won due to the massive support Marianne and her troops gave them. That election and the 75% win by Fix Para Pay are amongst the main forces driving the possibility of defeating Mulgrew -- note there are 70k retirees and 27k paras -- about half the total voting UFT membership. 

That FPP is aligned with ABC -- with 120 paras running with ABC - over 20% of the 560 candidates - unprecedented in the history of the UFT - irks ARISE which had reached out to FPP to ask them to run with ARISE, especially since ARISE does not seem to have many - or any - paras on their slate.  

Yet, ARISE continues to join in the Unity attacks on ABC for focusing on the issues of most concern to UFT members and attempting to create a broad-based non-sectatarian inclusive movement. Shame, shame, shame.

How does the position of ARISE on intro 1096 - which many of the 300 elected RTC delegates and Exec Bd members support - play out with them or even with the 140 retiree candidates?

This was posted by Dan Alicea on FB:

Whether fueled by political/personal vendettas, unabated paranoia or Mulgrew’s Unity talking points, Nick Bacon, the caucus boss of New Action, now believes full support for Intro 1096 is short-sighted and could adversely hurt active members. 

 

This despite an overwhelming majority of UFT retirees voting in favor of a reso in full support of Intro 1096 and their calls for our union to lobby and commit its resources to it.

 

This is strange since many of those who support the bill and the RTC resolution are RA, and even New Action (NAC) UFT retirees.

 

https://arthurgoldstein.substack.com/.../uft-retired...

 

Bacon thinks that we need a task force of UFT labor lawyers to decide our futures. Despite, MLC/UFT lawyer, Alan Klinger, on an audio recording not willing to call 1096 illegal but rather that he worries it would impact future options of the MLC to negotiate retiree benefits for active service benefits and wages.

 

UFT retirees, a vote for ARISE is a wasted vote. 

 

ARISE never AROSE. 

 

Nick has shown his MORE-led, caucus-first coalition is willing to ignore the will of UFT retirees. They are willing to bow to Mulgrew for political gain and election season posturing by pitting actives against retirees.

 

If you think it’s time to replace Mulgrew because our healthcare, pensions and benefits are too important to risk, only ABC offers a steady hand of seasoned union leaders and the unwavering commitment to support the issues that matter to retirees. 

 

On May 1st ballots will be mailed to our homes. In May, we take back our union and make MEMBERS FIRST, again! 

 

Vote for A Better Contract (ABC)

Learn more: http://abettercontract.org

 

 

The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees are having an in person mayoral forum on April 17th at CUNY, 6PM

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

ABC, A Better Contract, will have a bunch of people there.

The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees are having an in person mayoral forum on April 17th. Many retirees live out of state and cannot attend. Retiree healthcare is not just an issue for those who are retired. This issue is important to us all, for our future. We need to demonstrate people power so that mayoral candidates know that we are paying attention. Candidates need to see we can deliver numbers. So, let’s stand in solidarity with all public service retirees and exercise power.

Of all the candidates that were invited, Curtis is attending as well as Jim Walden, Scott Stringer, Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie , Michael Blake, Whitney Tilson, and Jessica Ramos. 

Zohran Mamdani backed out after agreeing, Adrienne Adams said no, Eric Adams ignored us, and Andrew Como said no. 

Attending is not an endorsement of any candidate. It’s demonstrating to all candidates that they must address the issues that are important to the constituencies they want to endorse and vote for them. 

Here’s the registration link

https://forms.gle/JHQAVPe8oVLz7K1N8

The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees are having an in person mayoral forum on April 17th. Many retirees live out of state and cannot attend. Retiree healthcare is not just an issue for those who are retired. This issue is important to us all, for our future. We need to demonstrate people power so that mayoral candidates know that we are paying attention. Candidates need to see we can deliver numbers. So, let’s stand in solidarity with all public service retirees and exercise power.

Of all the candidates that were invited, Curtis is attending as well as Jim Walden, Scott Stringer, Brad Lander, Zellnor Myrie , Michael Blake, Whitney Tilson, and Jessica Ramos. 

Zohran Mamdani backed out after agreeing, Adrienne Adams said no, Eric Adams ignored us, and Andrew Como said no. 

Attending is not an endorsement of any candidate. It’s demonstrating to all candidates that they must address the issues that are important to the constituencies they want to endorse and vote for them. 

Here’s the registration link

https://forms.gle/JHQAVPe8oVLz7K1N8

 

 

A Tale of Two Cities, Part 2 - Boston vs. NYC: What Our Union Could Be Doing for Paraprofessionals - Katie Anskat

This is part 2 of A Tale of Two Cities. Part 1:  Amy Arundell: A Tale of Two Cities, Chicago Fights and Wins — What NYC Can Learn

 

In part 2, Katie Anskat compares the Boston contract for paras with NYC. By the way, she could have done a tale of 3 cities by comparing the victory for paras in LA. 

In 2023, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) supported a 3 day strike by SEIU Local 99, which includes paraprofessionals and other support staff, in a solidarity action. The 2023 contract for LAUSD paraprofessionals (support staff) included a significant pay increase, a new minimum wage, and expanded health care benefits. The contract also addressed work hours for specific roles like classroom assistants working with special education students. 

Friday, April 11, 2025

 

ABC supports paras getting the 10K bonus, even if unpensionable. 

 

The rally for paras to get the bill passed - well they don't say very much when we ask "Where is the bill?" How can you pass a bill that exists in imagination? Some view this entire process as bait and switch for the elections where a big erosion of the 27K para vote, as happened last year in the chapter election, seriously threatens Unity. So we see a full court press for paras and for retiree votes with welfare fund goodies tossed in. At least the threat to Unity seems to spur some level of response - the bigger the threat the more they will do to try to counter it.

 

ABC, with Fix Para Pay support, has recruited 120 paras to run on the slate, unprecedented - I actually can't remember paras every running with the Unity opponents. Check other slates to see how many paras. I do find it sort of funny - or sad - that groups that brag about social justice don't seem able to connect to paras to the extent they will put themselves on the line to run in the election.

 

Here is Katie's post on substack.

A Tale of Two Cities, Part 2 - Boston vs. NYC: What Our Union Could Be Doing for Paraprofessionals

This is the second installment in our two-part series from A Better Contract (ABC). In Part 1, we looked at the Chicago Teachers Union’s big wins.

https://abettercontract.org/p/a-tale-of-two-cities-part-2-boston

Katie Anskat

Apr 06, 2025

 

ABC Treasurer candidate Katie Anskat dives into the Boston Teachers Union’s groundbreaking contract for paraprofessionals—and contrasts it with the UFT’s attempt to sell a $10,000 non-pensionable bonus as a breakthrough.

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When I saw what the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) just secured for their paraprofessionals, I couldn’t stay quiet.

Because this isn’t just policy. It’s personal.

I teach in an inclusion classroom. I work side-by-side with paraprofessionals every single day. And I’ve seen what happens when our system fails to value them — not just as professionals, but as people. I’ve seen paras working two to three jobs just to make ends meet. I’ve seen them take the weight of a classroom on their shoulders without complaint. I’ve seen their brilliance, patience, and power.

And I’ve also seen the exhaustion. The tears. The feeling that no one is listening — not even the union that’s supposed to.

So when I saw Boston’s tentative agreement https://btu.org/contract-bargaining-updates — real raises, expanded benefits, and permanent pensionable raises — I didn’t just think, “Why can’t we have that?” I thought, “Why haven’t we fought for it?”

I don’t just see numbers with the Boston Tentative Contract. I see respect. I see a contract that says, “We see you. You matter.”

And when I look at what UFT leadership is offering paras here in NYC — a $10,000 bonus that isn’t even in the contract and doesn’t count toward your pension — I see the exact opposite.

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Real Raises vs. Temporary Bonuses

In Boston, paraprofessionals already start around $45,000 — and under their new tentative agreement, many will see raises of 20–30%, with some earning well over $53,000 by the end of the contract. These are pensionable, permanent raises that build a future — not a press release. That’s not just a raise — that’s stability, that’s dignity, that’s a union doing its job.

Here in NYC, while some paras can eventually reach similar earnings, it takes years of service and longevity steps — and most start far lower. Starting salaries for paraprofessionals are closer to $32,000–$34,000, depending on title and step. Instead of raising base pay, UFT is offering a non-pensionable $10,000 bonus that’s not in the contract, tied to a bill that hasn’t even been written, and can disappear at any time. That’s not respect — it’s election-season bait.

Meanwhile, UFT is flooding the airwaves with commercials pretending it’s already a done deal.

It’s not just misleading. It’s insulting.

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The Longevity Disgrace

In New York City, paraprofessionals are paid on a step schedule that requires them to wait years between raises — and the most meaningful increases don’t come until well after 10 years of service.

After 15 years, paras are eligible for longevity increases — but those are small, fixed amounts that top out around $1,000 per year. They're not percentage-based, and they do little to raise a para’s overall standard of living.

This structure punishes early-career paraprofessionals — the very folks who are often taking on the most intense student needs. Instead of getting paid for the value they bring now, paras are told to wait a decade or more for the salary they deserve.

Compare that to what Boston just did: front-loaded, pensionable raises that show respect immediately — not just when it’s “earned” through decades of underpaid work

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Conditions and Protections Matter

Boston didn’t stop at wages. They delivered real support and security:

• Paras can’t be excessed because of licensing gaps.

• Classrooms with high needs automatically get additional para support.

• They get 4 personal days, tuition reimbursement, and Line of Duty Injury (LODI) protections.

Here in NYC? Paras are in overcrowded classrooms with no cap. Still no LODI. Still treated like second-class employees — even though they’re the ones keeping classrooms and kids afloat.

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This Is Personal

I’ve been teaching in NYC for 17 years. I’ve sat beside paraprofessionals in tough IEP meetings, in crisis interventions, in early morning prep and late afternoon debriefs. I’ve watched them break up fights, manage impossible schedules, and love our kids fiercely through it all — often while working second and third jobs or wondering if they can afford to stay in this city.

I’ve also seen them cry in the hallway — feeling unseen, unheard, and unprotected by the very union that’s supposed to fight for them.

And now, they’re being told to clap for a $10,000 bonus that is not even a drafted bill yet? If it is written and passes, could it vanish in the next budget cycle or due to a new Mayor? These are the questions I am asked and it breaks my heart to admit the truth - that as of 4/5/25, there is no bill that exists for this paraprofessional bonus.

It’s unacceptable. We owe them so much more.

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A Better Contract Means A Better Union

We’re not here to make excuses. We’re here to make change.

We are proud to be supported by Fix Para Pay, a movement that has never stopped organizing for justice for paraprofessionals in NYC. And we proudly support them back.

Together, we’ll fight for:

• ✊ Pensionable raises that build lasting stability

• ✊ LODI protections that treat paras like the professionals they are

• ✊ Fair, front-loaded longevity and step increases that reflect the value paras bring today — not just someday

• ✊ Tuition support for all paras — not just those pursuing DOE-approved paths

Boston didn’t wait. They organized. And they won.

We can do the same — if we choose to fight.

Let’s stop settling. Let’s start listening.

Let’s build a union that reflects the very people who keep our schools standing.

When we fight, we win.

Amy Arundell: A Tale of Two Cities, Part 1: Chicago Fights and Wins — What NYC Can Learn

....their success is just about a contract. I think it’s about a culture. A culture of courage. A culture of clarity. A union that sees every struggle inside the school building as connected to the fight outside it. A union that organizes relentlessly—and wins publicly. 

Long-time followers of Ed Notes are familiar with the coverage of the Chicago Teacher Union going back to the victory of CORE caucus in the 2010 election and how our crew from NYC had met with them a year earlier and had frequent contact with them over the early years of their victory, including at the AFT convention in Seattle a few weeks after they won. I won't put up the numerous links but these intital reports of the victory that helped change the labor movement:

MORE CHICAGO HOPE AS CORE SWEEPS

Chicago Hope - UPDATED - 9am

 

One key in Chicago that differs from the Unity approach is open bargaining and the public reports on the progress. This contract win was a big one and I guess it doesn't hurt that the mayor was a teacher and member of the CTU and an organizer with them.

Also, Amy was interviewed this week.

Listen: Amy Arundell Makes Her Case to Lead the UFT LATEST STUCK NATION RADIO MAR 31

Work-Bites: https://www.work-bites.com/view-all/a7nwt235ykmjme5355xchk7tezmw8x

 

 

A Tale of Two Cities, Part 1: Chicago Fights and Wins — What NYC Can Learn

This is the first in a two-part series from A Better Contract (ABC) comparing what’s possible when unions fight—and what happens when they don’t. In Part 1, Amy Arundell, longtime educator and presidential candidate on the ABC slate, reflects on the Chicago Teachers Union’s tentative agreement and the culture of organizing that made it possible.

Amy Arundell

Apr 04, 2025

 

https://abettercontract.org/p/a-tale-of-two-cities-part-1-chicago?r=4ptxgk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

 

I wasn’t planning to write today. But after reading through the Chicago Teachers Union’s tentative agreement, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something important had just happened—and that we needed to talk about it.

The 2025 CTU contract locks in substantial pay raises, guarantees more prep time, and expands community support for students—showing just how powerful collective action can be. If you’re ready to see how these educators turned “impossible” into a done deal, you’ve got to check it out. Click here for all the details: https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/ctu-announces-historic-tentative-agreement-major-leap-forward-toward-transforming-chicago-public-schools/.

What the Chicago Teachers Union just accomplished—it wasn’t magic. It wasn’t luck. It was movement. It was members, organizing each other, mobilizing consistently, and building power over time. It was setting clear priorities, building public pressure, and refusing to be told “no.” They didn’t wait for politicians to save them. They did it themselves—and they did it together.

I want to be really clear about something. I don’t think their success is just about a contract. I think it’s about a culture. A culture of courage. A culture of clarity. A union that sees every struggle inside the school building as connected to the fight outside it. A union that organizes relentlessly—and wins publicly.

And let me tell you what struck me most: it wasn’t just the raises. It wasn’t just the prep time. It was the way CTU connected everything they do to uplifting workers and the communities they serve. They didn’t organize for scraps. They organized for dignity.

Now, back here in New York, Unity tells us: this can’t be done. They say don’t expect too much. Be realistic. Accept what you’re given. And every time they say that, I ask: do they think we haven’t seen what our brothers and sisters in Chicago just achieved? Do they think we didn’t notice?

Because we noticed. And we are not accepting the scraps.

When we started this campaign, there were maybe 20 of us sitting around folding chairs, talking about the same things I’m talking about with you now. But we were armed with a faith in member power. And we are armed with a belief in transparency. And most of all—we believed in each other.

We are now on the verge of winning. And if we keep moving together, we will—and we will be a union again. A union that listens. A union that leads. A union where truth replaces talking points and backroom deals are replaced by bold demands.

CTU didn’t wait to be rescued. They got organized. They built up. They broke through.

And we can too.

Let’s stop settling. Let’s start organizing with urgency and demanding with discipline.

Together, we will drive our future.

When we fight, we win.

Ben For Teacher Retirement System - Still Time to Help with Petitions

Did you know?

• In 2009, the TDA rate of return was reduced to 7% for UFT titles, an effective cut of $2.3 million per teacher in retirement benefits.
• All non-UFT titles, including administrators, still receive the full 8.25% TDA.
• Tier 6 members receive less than half the benefits of Tier 4 members who make equal retirement contributions, and must work up to 15 years longer to receive a full pension.

Ultimate irony - retirees can't vote, nor run, not sign the petitions.

 

In last year's election, Unity hacks attacked Ben's petitions with a vengeance but we had almost double the number needed - so help out in the final days of petitioning.

 

Saturday, April 5, 2025

I wanted to post this before I head into Manhattan for the big rally today -- I will have some petitions for Ben with me for an in-service people I run into to sign. 

 

Here is Ben's campaign poster from last year.

With the recent State re-amortization budget proposal, now, more than ever, it is important to protect our pension against further cuts, and reverse the most recent ones.

Ben Morgenroth ran in the election last year against a no-nothing Unity shill as Ed Notes reported:  

• ICE Endorses in TRS, 
• Teacher Retiree System (TRS) Pension Election 
• Vote for Ben to End Unity Monopoly of Pension reps.

The UFT has 3 pension reps who serve 3-year terms that are staggered, thus triggering an election every year and they are all Unity Caucus reps who take their orders from the union leadership, which dovetails so closely to the center/right Democratic Party line and also is so cozy with the financial industry. I have advocated for years that the oppo should challenge Unity in every venue, including the TRS election.

 

Ben is back and he got 33% of the vote despite a massive Unity campaign against him and a boycott by MORE to support him because of an ugly false rumor spread by a current prominent member of ARISE. Irony: Ben is running with ARISE for the Exec Bd. Will the same forces aligned with ARISE refuse to back him this time and help the Unity candidate win?

 

Many ABC candidates are helping Ben with the petitions despite his running with ARISE and also will organize voters for him in their schools. 

 

Teacher Mike Schirtzer Celebrates Paraprofessional Day

For Unity, MORE, and New Action, this is an election gimmick...Mike S.

April 2, 2025

Mike, a candidate for HS Ex bd on the ABC slate, didn't mention that over 100 paras are running with A Better Contract through the Fix Para Pay group. This is the first time in UFT general election history that paras have joined groups running against Unity and Mike points out the failures of the past and even some current caucuses in their failures to work with paras - certainly United for Change in the 2022 election, of which I was involved, failed in this regard. I always wonder about all those teachers in the caucuses  and whether they talk to paras at all in their schools. Retiree Advocate has few if any paras associated with it and I'm trying to come up with paras who ran for the 300 delegates to the RTC. Note: This is also a failure on my part and had been for decades so I don't take myself off the blame list.

 

 

There is no bill yet and the 10K bonus is non-pensionable and looks like an election bribe but we still support them getting that money and despite Unity attacks, ABC has supported the 10K and signed the petitions while also being critical of the tactic of using bonuses that are not pensionable.

 

Some schools are holding celebrations:

Holy Paraprofessional Day! by Mike Schirtzer

As an ICT teacher for almost 20 years, I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible it has been to work with so many amazing paras. Every single one I’ve worked with has made my students’ days brighter and better. They’ve helped me become a better teacher. They are the backbone of our schools.

And let’s be clear—the foundation of any union is negotiating strong contracts. That’s why we pay dues. It’s so our union leadership can sit across from the DOE and fight for real raises, benefits, and protections. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

But what are we being told now? That we have to beg City Council for a raise because our union leadership can’t get it done at the bargaining table? That’s an admission of failure. You’re telling me that every other union in this city negotiates raises for its members, but for paraprofessionals, the best we can do is hope and pray politicians throw them some crumbs?

Crumbs in our weekly paycheck—and we’re supposed to be thankful? We’re supposed to rally and wear blue, but whatever you do, don’t bring up the shady backroom political deal. Don’t bring up that it’s not pensionable. Don’t mention that we’re not doing this for school aides and parent coordinators in DC 37. Just smile, say thank you, and keep paying your damn dues.

And even if this raise, bonus, City Council gift, or whatever we’re supposed to call it actually happens—it’s not pensionable. So when paras retire, they’re left high and dry. This is the same scam they pulled on teachers with those garbage bonuses that don’t count toward pensions. Who in God’s name gave Michael Mulgrew the power to hand out non-pensionable “bonuses” like some Wall Street CEO, while refusing to fight for real raises?

And one more thing—because my brothers and sisters in A Better Contract (ABC) have been too kind about this: Let’s talk about New Action and MORE, running under their front group Arise.

New Action has been around for 40 years. MORE for over a dozen years. And now they’re running around pretending to care about para pay? Have they ever made fixing para pay a priority? Hell no. For Unity, MORE, and New Action, this is an election gimmick. For us, it’s about a union doing what it’s supposed to do—fighting for real raises and making our paras’ lives better.

We have worked alongside the leaders of Fix Para Pay—not only including them, but taking our lead from them. Isn’t that how a real union works? A real union listens to its members and fights for their needs. Unlike Unity, MORE, and New Action, who treat para pay as a political prop, we believe in doing the real work to make our paras’ lives better.

This isn’t about political maneuvering—it’s about securing fair, pensionable wages through proper collective bargaining, not backroom deals or non-pensionable bonuses. Our paras deserve respect and real compensation, not empty promises.

Meanwhile, ABC has been fighting to fix para pay from day one. We’re running actual paras for the Executive Board because we believe they should have a real voice in this union.

Unity, MORE, and New Action haven’t cared about para pay—yesterday, today, or tomorrow. Don’t be fooled.