You never forget the moment when life falls apart. The doctor calls. The paycheck doesn’t show up. The classroom becomes a battlefield. And in that moment, you don’t want a slogan. You want someone who will pick up the phone—and fight for you.
Carmen was a paraprofessional in the Bronx. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she didn’t post online. She didn’t wait in a queue. She called her union.
Within a day, Unity connected her to a specialist, helped with her leave paperwork, and made sure her dignity was protected.
And that’s just one story. One call. One member. Multiply it by thousands, and you begin to see what Unity really is.
Real help. Real people. Real fast.
Some Talk. We Act.
Some people want your vote. Unity wants to protect your livelihood.
While others post, protest, and promise, we’re in classrooms, conference rooms, and courtrooms—winning real things for real people.
We reduced Tier 6 vesting from 10 years to 5 years.
We passed class size legislation after decades of delay.
We protected premium-free healthcare when everyone said it couldn’t be done.
We built career ladders and PD stipends for paraprofessionals.
We won paid parental leave.
We didn’t just talk about raises—we signed them and got them in your bank account.
That’s not noise. That’s leadership.
“We don’t fight for applause. We fight for you.”
You’ve Already Seen the Difference
You’ve stood in classrooms with broken supplies and overflowing rosters. You’ve watched colleagues burn out and retire early. You’ve fielded questions you shouldn’t have to answer, and held it together anyway.
You’ve felt invisible.
But Unity sees you. And we’ve never stopped fighting for what you deserve.
We’ve stood beside teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors, nurses, secretaries, retirees, new hires—because we are you.
This Isn’t Just an Election. It’s a Decision.
You can vote for Unity—who has been there through every fight, every phone call, every contract. We will continue to fight.
We’ve been through frightening times together — federal threats to slash education funding, chaos in Washington, and fear in our immigrant communities. While others panicked, Unity organized.
We defended classrooms from budget cuts, protected immigrant students and staff, and stood up when political winds turned cruel. No matter your title, your background, or your borough, Unity fights for you, not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard.
That’s what real union leadership looks like. Or you can take a chance on a group that’s never had to carry this responsibility.
This isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a decision about who shows up when it’s not convenient.
It’s a choice between:
Proven strength or untested slogans
Quiet victories or loud distractions
A union you can count on—or one that might vanish when the applause fades
Some of us are just beginning our careers. Some of us are preparing to retire. Some of us already have.
But we all stand on the same foundation, built by Unity, defended by Unity, and strengthened every day by those who believe in service over soundbites.
We’ve raised children in this union. We’ve buried friends. We’ve celebrated weddings, mourned losses, survived pandemics, and passed laws.
We’ve done it all together.
Not because it was easy. Because it was right.
“Appreciation isn’t a muffin. It’s action.”
What Real Union Work Looks Like
These are their words. These are our members.
Ask the members who’ve been there:
“My rep showed up at 7 AM—just to check if I was okay.”
“They fought to get my maternity leave approved after it was denied twice.”
“After my spouse died, I didn’t know what to do. But they did. They handled everything.”
This isn’t theory. This is daily life. While others flap, we fly in formation
This is Unity.
You Already Know What to Do
If your paycheck has ever been fixed because someone fought for you, If your school ever got what it needed because someone refused to back down, If a union rep ever stood by you when no one else would…
Then you know what to do.
Vote Unity.
And If You’re Voting for the First Time…
Welcome. This is how we protect our contracts, our benefits, our schools, and each other. It’s not just a vote. It’s your story. It’s your future. It’s the quiet promise we make to one another:
No matter what happens, you won’t face it alone.
Unity. We don’t just fight. We win. Together.
We’ve got each other. Always.
P.S. If you’ve ever whispered, “Thank Goodness for the union,” This is your chance to say it louder. Vote Unity.
-Ellie (AKA Flying Monkey)
NY State Legislature Bill (Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022): https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S8006 (Reduces Tier 6 vesting from 10 to 5 years. Supported by UFT/Unity lobbying.)
Class Size Law Passed in 2022 (NY Daily News): https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-class-size-mandate-20220914-ztixw5odgfhx3ge7c53oxepmae-story.html (Signed into law with UFT support after decades of advocacy.)
UFT Press Release on 2018 Agreement: https://www.uft.org/news/news-stories/paid-parental-leave-now-reality (Secured under Unity leadership. Applies to DOE employees represented by UFT.)
UFT on Preserving Traditional Medicare Access (2023): https://www.uft.org/news/news-stories/uft-sues-preserve-retiree-choice (UFT withdrew from MLC agreement when retiree choice was at risk.)
Michael Mulgrew letter to members (2023): https://www.uft.org/news/you-should-know/your-health-benefits-under-attack (Details Unity’s defense of premium-free healthcare.)
My list of people that i touch base with grows and grows. As Linda wrote, we are a family in so many ways.