UFT Officer Election Task Force Meeting Summary -12/03/2025

Unity UFT leadership stated they would not share an official summary or minutes from the meeting. Below is ABC-UFT's summary from the meeting.

Introduction and Attendance

The first meeting of the UFT Officer Election Task Force convened at UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway at 4pm on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. UFT Negotiator and Task Force Chair Carl Cambria led the meeting. Attendees included in-service teachers, retirees and union representatives from various districts, chapters, and election slates. Attendees introduced themselves and shared their roles.

Task Force Members in Attendance

A Better Contract (ABC)
Daniel Alicea, Special Education Teacher, UFT Delegate, MS 53
Katie Anskat, Mathematics Teacher, UFT Delegate, Queens Metropolitan High School
Chad Hamilton, Special Education Teacher, UFT Chapter Leader, 75K231

ARISE
Olivia Swisher, Art Teacher, PS/IS 30

Unity*
Nancy Aromando, UFT D15 District Rep
Doreen Berrios-Castillo, Retiree
Carl Cambria, UFT Negotiator
Priscilla Castro, UFT Paraprofessional Chapter Chair
Michael Herron, UFT Grievance Dept.
Sean Rotkowitz, UFT Staten Island Borough Rep
Servia Silva, UFT Manhattan Borough Rep
Nina Tribble, Retiree
James Vasquez, UFT Special Rep for High Schools

Task Force Members Not in Attendance:
Ariel Arroyo (Unity, UFT D20 District Rep); Dana Falciglia (Unity, UFT D11 District Rep);
Michael Shulman (ARISE, Retiree, UFT RTC Vice Chapter Chair)

*It was noted all 11 task force members representing Unity are full-time, at-will UFT employees or retired (no in-service, full-time educators).

Background and Purpose

The purpose of this task force is to develop recommendations for the 2028 UFT officer election process, focusing specifically on voting modalities – in-person, electronic, mail-in and hybrid – and increasing member engagement and turnout. Carl Cambria provided context on the formation of the task force, explaining that it was established following recommendations from the UFT Election Committee during preparations for the last UFT officer election in Spring 2025. The UFT Executive Board accepted the recommendation to create this task force to address very low voter turnout within the UFT, and explore ways to enhance engagement in UFT officer elections. The scope of the task force is limited to officer elections and does not extend to chapter or contract ratification votes. The task force is charged with evaluating voting options, relevant legal compliance, especially with the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), and potential vendors— with the goal of delivering a recommendation to the UFT Executive Board by the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Meeting Structure and Decision-Making

Task force decisions will be determined by consensus when possible, with voting as a fallback if consensus cannot be reached. Carl Cambria stated the task force is advisory in nature and will not maintain official minutes; and that task force members are encouraged to take their own notes. An agenda will be circulated ahead of each task force meeting to ensure participants are prepared.

Four meetings beyond today’s are currently planned:

· February 4: Invite a labor lawyer (Adam Bellotti) to present on electronic voting and legal compliance. Task force members are asked to submit questions or topics for the presentation by the winter recess. ABC and ARISE task force members requested additional presentations by union members already using electronic voting (e.g., CTU, PSC). Carl Cambria stated he will look into it. Carl Cambria asked if Beth Norton (UFT General Counsel) and Yasmin Colon (UFT Election Coordinator) could join the Feb. 4 meeting, and there was agreement from all members of the task force.

· April 15 or April 29: Begin drafting recommendations to the UFT Executive Board.

· May 20: Finalize recommendations if needed.

· Final report to be presented to the UFT Executive Board at either the May 4, May 18, or June 1 UFT Executive Board meeting.

Representation and Task Force Composition

Carl Cambria explained the UFT Executive Board sought to mirror the composition of previous election committees in forming the task force, aiming for representation from all slates in the UFT 2025 Officer Election. Chad Hamilton pointed out that Unity holds a grossly outsized majority of members on the task force, with both ABC and ARISE underrepresented, and asked how the decision of representation was made. Unity members on the task force explained that current representation on the task force follows a history and tradition already established by Unity. Unity members explained that since Unity won the UFT officers election in 2025, Unity would continue to uphold that history and tradition. Chad Hamilton pointed out that ABC and ARISE represent tens of thousands of UFT members, and those members’ voices are being underrepresented and diminished. Daniel Alicea voiced concern about a lack of proportional representation on the task force, and advocated for a more inclusive approach to ensure all voices are heard and union democracy is strengthened. Daniel Alicea emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and member engagement throughout the task force’s working process. It was pointed out that Unity won the last UFT officer election in 2025 with only 54% of the vote, with ABC and ARISE taking 46% of the vote. Those numbers are not represented on this task force, with a task force composition heavily weighted toward Unity.

Discussion of Voting Modalities

The primary focus of the meeting was to explore voting methods for future officer elections:

· Electronic Voting: All task force members expressed interest in exploring electronic voting to boost participation. Challenges such as legal compliance, security, accessibility (particularly for retirees and less tech-savvy members), and vendor capabilities were highlighted. Labor lawyer Adam Bellotti will present on legal updates and vendor options at the February meeting.

· In-Person Voting: Feedback from the recent election indicated extremely low turnout for in-person voting (only 1,353 votes), though it served as a valuable backup for a relatively small number of members who experienced ballot delivery issues. Carl Cambria suggested consolidating in-person voting sites and reducing the number of days available to vote in-person, to create scarcity. He also suggested improving promotion and awareness of in-person voting.

· Mail-In Voting: There was unanimous support from all task force members for continuation of mail-in voting, along with acknowledgement that mail-in voting is grossly insufficient on its own. With less than 25% of UFT members participating in officer elections, UFT continues to demonstrate remarkably low union density in elections and very low member engagement. This remarkably low turnout does not go unnoticed by the enemies and adversaries of our union, and can directly impact UFT’s effectiveness in contract bargaining and other union campaigns.

· Hybrid and Multiple Options: Broad support emerged among all task force members for offering multiple voting methods to accommodate diverse member needs, including those who travel, reside out of state, or have varying levels of comfort with technology. Comparisons were made to successful models used by other large, public sector unions (e.g., CTU, PSC), and requests were made to gather data on turnout for different voting types, including school-based and electronic voting.

Legal Considerations and Union Constitution

A key point was the possibility of needing to amend the UFT Constitution to explicitly permit electronic voting, based on legal advice from UFT lawyers. While there are arguments that current constitutional language may be interpreted flexibly by the UFT Executive Board, it was reported by Carl Cambria that UFT lawyers recommend amending the UFT Constitution to avoid challenges from the U.S. Department of Labor. The recommendation process of the task force will include consideration of legal compliance and any necessary constitutional changes. Task force members agreed UFT Counsel Beth Norton is permitted to attend the next task force meeting on February 4. Yasmin Colon, Director of the Election Dept./UFT Election Coordinator, will also be invited to attend the task force meeting on February 4.

Data Requests and Analysis

Task force members requested data on:

· Participation rates for various voting modalities (school-based, electronic, mail-in, in-person, contract ratification, SBO elections).

· Breakdown of turnout by member category (elementary, high school, retirees, etc.).

· Lessons learned from other large public-sector unions (e.g., CTU, PSC) that have implemented hybrid or electronic voting.

Task force members acknowledged that factors influencing voter turnout include not just the voting method but also member engagement, whether UFT members feel they are truly included by union leadership as active participants in their union, whether UFT members feel they have a voice in their union, and the perceived personal relevance to UFT members of UFT elections. Outreach, education on updating member information, and organizing at the chapter level were identified as ongoing needs.

Next Steps and Action Items

The meeting concluded with the following agreed-upon next steps:

1. Submit questions and topics to Carl Cambria for the February 4 labor lawyer presentation. Submit questions before the start of winter recess.

2. Gather and analyze voter turnout data from previous elections, including breakdowns by member category and voting modality.

3. Explore amendments to the UFT constitution to permit electronic voting.

4. Invite union members from other organizations to share experiences with hybrid and electronic voting. This includes union members from CTU (Chicago Teachers Union) and PSC (Professional Staff Congress – representing CUNY professors). ABC and ARISE members of the task force pointed out that while it is fine to hear from a labor lawyer, the task force should also hear from actual union members about their experiences with electronic/hybrid voting.

5. Continue fostering open and respectful dialogue to build consensus toward a recommendation that increases member participation and union democracy.

Closing Remarks

Carl Cambria thanked all participants for their engagement, candor, and willingness to share perspectives. The task force will continue to meet and work collaboratively toward developing actionable recommendations for the 2028 officer election, with a strong emphasis on increasing turnout, ensuring legal compliance, and maintaining union integrity.