UFT - United Federation of Teachers

With more than 140,000 members, the UFT is the sole bargaining agent for most of the non-supervisory educators who work in the New York City public schools. It represents approximately 74,000 teachers and 17,000 classroom paraprofessionals, along with school secretaries, attendance teachers, guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers, education evaluators, nurses, laboratory technicians, adult education teachers and 32,000 retired members. The UFT also represents teachers and other employees of some private educational institutions. The allied Federation of Nurses/UFT represents some 2,500 registered nurses of the New York City Visiting Nurse Service and several private New York City hospitals and health care institutions. The UFT's central headquarters is located in Manhattan. The UFT was founded in 1960 as Local 2 of the now 1 million-member American Federation of Teachers. The union is also affiliated with the 420,000-member New York State United Teachers and belongs to the AFL-CIO and the Central Labor Council.