From Control to Courage: A Union Reborn

Amy Arundell, A Better Contract

Democracy isn’t just a lesson we teach our students. It’s something we have to live. It should be the foundation of our union, shaping how we work, how we make decisions, and how we fight for each other. At its core, democracy means trusting people. Trusting that the folks closest to the work are closest to the truth. It means decisions get made with us, not for us. Representation isn’t about electing someone and hoping they get it right. It’s about real accountability. Leadership isn’t supposed to rule over us. It’s supposed to serve.

That’s why we ran. Because for too long, Unity Caucus has treated the union like it belongs to them. They operate behind closed doors, hand down decisions without consultation, and expect members to fall in line. Dissent gets silenced. Participation gets staged. Power gets concentrated in the hands of the few, through loyalty tests, patronage, and appointments. That’s not leadership. That’s control. And it’s everything a union should fight against.

And now, in this election, they’ve taken it even further. They’ve refused to modernize voting. Instead, they cling to outdated mail-only ballots and sprinkle in just a few in-person voting sites, conveniently placed to benefit them. They use their union staff roles to blur the lines of fairness and call it business as usual. And when we call it out? They call us disruptive or frivolous.

Clearly, though, what they’re really afraid of is members organizing themselves. They’re afraid of what happens when we start asking questions, demanding better, and standing together. This movement isn’t about a slate or a slogan. It’s about taking back what should’ve always belonged to the members.

A real democratic union starts with trust. It listens to the lunchroom conversations, the late-night texts, the hallway frustration. And it turns that into power. It means open bargaining, members at the table and in the fight. It means elected district and borough reps, not handpicked insiders. It means union-wide referenda on major decisions. If it affects us all, we all deserve a voice.

Democracy doesn’t slow us down, it sharpens our strategy and strengthens our solidarity. It brings more people into the fight and makes our movement impossible to ignore. Picture it: schools and offices where members set priorities together. Delegates who reflect their chapters. Assemblies where debate is welcomed, not shut down. Leaders who earn trust, not demand loyalty.

We know Unity may try to challenge the results of this election. Let them. It will only confirm what we already know: they don’t trust the members. But we do. Thousands of you have told us you’re ready for something different. Something braver. Something rooted in solidarity—not secrecy. We believe in the brilliance of our members. In the courage of educators, staff, and retirees who show up every day and deserve a union that shows up for them in the same way. This is THE moment. OUR moment. Because in our union, no one is invisible. No one is expendable. Every member matters. Every voice belongs. And when we rise together, we rise unstoppable.

A Better Contract is ready: to protect our win, to defend our values, and to build the union we all deserve. One led not by control to maintain power, but by courage to create change. A union powered by workers. Grounded in dignity. Focused on justice, for us, and for the students and communities we serve.

Let’s reclaim our union. Together.
When we fight, we win.
There is still time to vote. Let’s bring it home.
Vote for A Better Contract.