The UFT’s Endorsement Process Is Broken

We need a member-led process with transparency, healthy debate, and accountability. We stand on our platform position that members should vote for major political endorsements.

In any functioning union democracy, political endorsements are supposed to come from the members. Members are supposed to debate. Delegates are expected to deliberate. The union speaks with one voice because decisions should be built through listening.

That is not how things work in the United Federation of Teachers.

In the run-up to the Democratic primary for mayor, arguably the most consequential election for New York City educators, UFT leadership operated in silence. Members weren’t consulted. Delegates weren’t fully briefed. No open discussion. No honest debate. Just rumors and innuendos.

Among them? That the union leadership was quietly floating an endorsement of Andrew Cuomo, the same Cuomo who slashed our pensions, engineered Tier 6, championed school closures, and spent a decade undermining labor.

Then, four days before the election, Michael Mulgrew announced that the UFT would not endorse any candidate in the primary, claiming, vaguely, that the membership was “too divided.” That decision had never been discussed with members. Although a political survey was conducted, its results had never been publicly shared.

He partially shared vague, cherry-picked results of this internal Democratic mayoral primary survey that admittedly only had about 2300 respondents at today’s rushed virtual town hall —while most are enjoying their summer vacation.

The full results were not shared with the Executive Board. Not with delegates. Not with the rank and file. The expectation is we blindly trust what Mulgrew decides.

Now we’re headed into a Delegate Assembly, tomorrow, where Mulgrew is expected to announce a pre-determined, drafted resolution stating who the union will endorse in the general election for mayor. Once again, delegates will be asked to rubber-stamp a decision that most members had no role in making.

There may be some scripted debate. A rushed vote. But the outcome is already decided. And this outcome has the potential to damage our solidarity.

This is not a democratic process. It’s a performance. And it’s insulting.

Endorsements carry the full weight of our union — the dues and COPE contributions we pay, the work we do, the trust we’ve built in our schools and communities. They should reflect what we value. They should be backed by real input, real transparency, and real debate. Instead, they reflect what one man and his political inner circle think is best for us.

Let’s be clear: the current process does not serve the interests of UFT members. It protects the interests of UFT leadership. It turns our union into a political machine — not a member-driven force.

This isn't just bad governance. It’s anti-democratic and anti-labor, which weakens us.

What We Demand

If we want our union to be a political force worth reckoning with, we need to rebuild it from the ground up. That starts with:

• Publicly releasing the full results of the member political survey
  

• Halting any endorsement vote until members and delegates have had a chance to review the data and discuss it openly
  

• Creating a transparent, member-led endorsement process — including open delegate forums, clear criteria for endorsements, and time for real debate before any votes. Moreover, we stand on our platform position that major political endorsements should be subject votes by all members — member referendum.

• Shifting the political program away from backroom access and toward pressure-based campaigns that align with members’ values and priorities
  

• Holding endorsed politicians accountable — not just during elections, but while they’re in office

The Vision We Believe In

We believe our union should be politically independent — not a rubber stamp for any party or politician.

We believe our endorsements should be earned — not handed down.

We believe our political power should come from truth, transparency, and participation — not control, convenience, or fear.

We are 180,000 strong. When we listen to each other and act together, no politician in this city can ignore us.

Let’s build that kind of political power — the kind that serves members, not leadership. The kind that changes what’s possible — not just for our union, but for every public worker, student, and family in this city.

It’s time to stop playing along with the show. It’s time to start organizing for something real.

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