We’re Not Falling Behind—We’re Being Held Back by Unity’s Mindset

While UFT members struggle paycheck to paycheck to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living in the NYC area and pay more out of pocket, Unity lectures and distracts with red herrings.

Let me respond directly to Unity’s argument—because it’s exactly what’s wrong with how this union has been run for decades.

They say UFT wages have “outpaced inflation.” And they say it like that’s some kind of bold achievement. I say this with respect—but also with urgency: that’s not the win they think it is. That’s not leadership. That’s a low bar. And working people in this city know it.

Inflation is just a national average. It’s not the cost of living in New York City. Inflation doesn’t tell you what it costs to keep a roof over your head in the Bronx, pay childcare in Brooklyn, or buy groceries in Queens. You can beat inflation on paper and still be broke at the end of the month—and that’s exactly where many of our members are right now.

So let’s clear something up right now:
Unity gets it wrong—again—when they claim A Better Contract is calling for raises that simply outpace inflation. We know better than that. We’re calling for raises that outpace the actual cost of living. Not some abstract index. Not some Beltway average. But what it really takes to live and work in this city with dignity.

Here’s a chart. Unity tries to distracts us with “keeping pace” with the national inflation rate, we know its the Consumer Price Index, locally that best measures:

Unity can keep flexing their Econ 101 graphs, but here’s the thing—they’re talking to each other, and certainly not members in school and worksites. We live in the real economy. And in the real economy, rent has gone up 30% since our last contract. Food prices are at a 40-year high. Transit, healthcare, utilities—all up, especially in the tri-state area. So if your paycheck doesn’t go up with it, you’re not falling behind—you’re being held back.

Let’s talk about what other unions have done, while Unity was busy telling us to be grateful.

In Boston, the Teachers Union won pensionable raises of 20–30% for paraprofessionals. That’s not a bonus. That’s not a maybe. That’s money in your pension and in your pocket. They front-loaded those raises and backed them with support systems—personal days, tuition reimbursements, LODI protections.

In Chicago, the Teachers Union negotiated COLA language directly into their contract. That means when inflation or the cost of living rises, so do their salaries. Automatically. No press conferences. No election-year gimmicks. Just permanent protection.

Now here in New York? Our union leadership is offering a $10,000 “Respect Check” that: isn’t in the contract; isn’t pensionable; isn’t tied to any legislative language as of April 2025, and could vanish with a new mayor or a budget cut.

Let me say this plainly: You cannot bonus your way out of wage suppression. You cannot back-pat your way to dignity. And you cannot spin statistics while paras are working two jobs just to stay in the city they serve.

And let’s talk about pattern bargaining. Unity loves to point to it like it’s gravity. Like they’re helpless. But that’s not how pattern bargaining is supposed to work. Pattern bargaining, when done right, prevents unions from being played against each other. It’s about coordinated power. But Unity’s version? It’s management’s dream. The City picks off the weakest union first, pressures them into a weak deal, and Unity rushes to accept it as the pattern. Then they sell it to us as a victory. That’s not negotiation. That’s managing decline.

A Better Contract has a different vision. We believe: No union settles alone. If one of us is under attack, all of us respond. Transparent bargaining. No more backroom deals. No more surprises. Collective pressure. Coordinated public sector power—educators, transit workers, sanitation, healthcare—all standing together to demand what we’re worth.

Because here’s the truth: the City will never just hand us what we deserve. We have to build the power to demand it—and back it up. That’s what we’re doing with A Better Contract. We’re organizing a member-led movement—starting in every school, every district, every borough. Our contract campaign kicks off this September, and we’re bringing the fight to the public, to City Hall, and to every bargaining table in this city.

We’re not here to tinker around the edges.
We’re not here to be grateful for less.
We’re here to reclaim our union and rebuild our power.

Because when working people stand together and demand more—not just from the city, but from our union—we win. And if you think we can’t?

Just watch us. When we fight, we win.

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