If You Can’t Show Up, How Can You Represent Us?

A firsthand account of what happened when our school tried to hear from all three UFT slates — and only two took members seriously.

At our school, staff made a genuine effort to hear from all three UFT slates — ABC, ARISE, and UNITY — by inviting each to host private Zoom meetings. The goal? To give members a chance to meet the candidates, hear their platforms, and ask real questions about the issues that affect our work and our lives.

ABC and ARISE responded immediately. Their meetings happened weeks ago. Multiple candidates from each slate attended, took every question, and engaged in open, honest dialogue with our staff.

UNITY? They scheduled their Zoom this week. Only one person showed up: the district rep. No candidates. No officers. No platform. No agenda. Just a short, vague introduction.

Staff asked thoughtful questions about healthcare, the Danielson framework, special education, curriculum mandates, and pensions. Most couldn’t be answered. When asked why UNITY isn’t backing City Council Bill 1096, the district rep gave a vague reference to the MLC and "what’s already written.” Even the recent pension legislation — which directly affects members’ futures — wasn’t addressed when raised.

When members asked why no UNITY candidates were present, the response was: “They were at a meeting.”

That didn’t sit well.

Several colleagues noted how telling the absence was — and how little accountability there seemed to be. One staff member summed it up perfectly:

“If they can’t even show up to a meeting with members, how are they supposed to represent us?”

The rep said they’d try to get answers and possibly schedule another session with actual UNITY representatives. But the damage was done.

UNITY’s top leadership has time for the cameras — just not for the members.