New York City Teacher Union Election Underway

Mike Antonucci:

Most AFT locals are run by officers elected as part of a caucus, which is a sort of internal political party. The United Federation of Teachers in New York City has been the exclusive domain of the Unity Caucus for more than 60 years. Now, an election is underway to see if its reign will continue.

An assortment of opposition factions have coalesced to form United for Change. It constitutes the greatest challenge to Unity’s control in the union’s history. Whether that will amount to a victory, or even a close contest, is an open question.

You can go to each caucus’s website or social media pages to get the platforms, claims and official positions, but I suggest you take a look at two sites run by long-time union activists.

NYC Educator is the home of Arthur Goldstein, a former member of the opposition and fierce critic of the Unity Caucus and what he referred to as its “loyalty oath.” He now sits on the union’s executive board and is running with Unity. Back in 2018, the opposition caucus he worked with staged a sort of a purge, leading to his disillusionment.

Goldstein is a reliable voice for Unity’s positions, but he is not its mouthpiece. If you want a reasonable view of the union’s environment from the Unity side, he is essential reading.