Whatever the Outcome, Thank You for Believing

This campaign wasn’t just about a ballot, it was about building a movement. One school, one chapter, one conversation at a time, we’ve begun to reclaim our union. Thank you for standing with us.

To every UFT member—educator, paraprofessional, nurse, counselor, clinician, secretary, therapist, worksite staff, retiree and union siblings—who stood with us:

Thank you.

Thank you for believing that our union can be more democratic, more transparent, and more member-led. Thank you for the conversations: in your schools, in your chapters, and in your communities. Thank you for showing up, speaking out, and voting for change.

This campaign was never just about winning an election. It was, and is, a movement to reclaim our union’s purpose: power in the hands of members and the space to exercise it.

We’ve spent months reaching out to schools and members who’ve too often been ignored by the current leadership. We met educators who didn’t even know who their union officers were. A Better Contract candidates stood in those rooms, together, listening. If our presence, our willingness to hear and respond, made a difference to even one school, one chapter, one member, then this campaign has already been worth it. We have already won.

We respect the voice of the membership. The outcome of this election will be decided by UFT members, as it should be, and we honor that with everything we’ve done.

Whatever the results, we are proud of what we’ve built together: energy, truth, and solidarity that can’t be undone. We’ve sparked something real. And this is just the beginning.

In Solidarity,

A BETTER CONTRACT