By Karen Feldman, JNS
If they succeed, New York City public schools will be controlled by operatives who prioritize ideological activism over the needs of students and parents.
Elections for the United Federation of Teachers, one of New York City’s largest and most powerful labor unions, are happening now. Ballots will be counted on May 29, and, as a teacher who has spent decades in the classroom, I’m concerned for my union and the city’s public schools.
Radical slates Alliance of Retired and In-Service Educators (ARISE) and A Better Contract (ABC) harbor antisemitic, anti-American agendas outside the mainstream and are challenging long-standing UFT president Michael Mulgrew, leader of the moderate Unity Caucus. If either succeeds, the UFT will be controlled by operatives who prioritize ideological activism over the needs of students, parents and educators.
This didn’t happen overnight.
In 2019, Politico reported that the Democratic Socialists of America outlined a plan to execute a “rank-and-file strategy,” embedding radicals within major labor unions across the country. A leaked DSA memo painted a clear picture: “UFT is the largest local of one of the largest unions in the country. It has the potential to be extremely influential in electoral politics.”
Put simply, the DSA is clear about its plans to use NYC’s UFT as a tool for ideological activism. After this election, their strategy may bear fruit.
ARISE is an offshoot of a larger group called the Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE), formed in 2012 to overthrow the current UFT leadership. MORE has partnered with radical left organizations such as the People’s Forum, which led anti-Israel protests, and New York City Educators for Palestine. MORE members are also active with the DSA, and the group has supported ARISE.
The problem is that ARISE and ABC aren’t just union activists looking for better pay and working conditions. Their candidates—Amy Arundell from the ABC caucus and Olivia Swisher from ARISE—have each openly expressed antisemitic views. Arundell posted on her now-disabled X account, “Zionists are literally the most evil people to walk this earth.” Moreover, the New York Post reported in April that Swisher has links to People’s Forum and was photographed at a meeting of the group in 2022. Swisher has also participated in NYC Educators for Palestine protests, which collaborate with the People’s Forum.
According to reporting from the online 5 Towns Central, which serves Long Island and surrounding neighborhoods in New York City, Arundell’s “views have been characterized as profoundly anti-Zionist, with her social media activity reflecting conspiracy theories that pose real dangers.” And Swisher, “has openly called for divestment from Israeli securities within the UFT pension fund.”
These actions do not exist in a vacuum. Organizations like the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) have documented how extremist ideology, including antisemitic conspiracy theories and glorification of terrorism, has seeped into public education. The damage is already visible. In March of 2024, groups including MORE and New York City Educators for Palestine organized pro-Hamas rallies after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
This union election isn’t about a difference of opinion on contracts or benefits. It is about whether New York City public education will be hijacked by ideologues who seek to tear down the very system they are supposed to protect.
Unions should advocate for fair pay, decent benefits and better working conditions, not serve as Trojan horses for political extremism. Teachers, parents, students and all stakeholders have a right to expect that the New York City teachers’ union promotes a politically balanced, inclusive curriculum—one that supports democratic success rather than ideological activism.
Educators deserve to know their union will stand by them regardless of their personal, political and religious beliefs.
If groups like ARISE and ABC are allowed to dominate the conversation, then public education in New York City risks shifting from a focus on academics and excellence to one centered on radical ideological activism. And if they win, the union will likely endorse DSA-backed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who has the support of far-left luminaries, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
That’s a direction we cannot afford to take.
