About that flyer: DSA=MORE=ARISE?

Lets talk about the caucus behind the curtain

Each month the Unity Caucus shares a flyer at our union's Delegates Assembly. Last week was no different - we shared a flyer that seemed to cause a stir. A new coalition named ARISE announced that they would be running in the UFT election this coming Spring. ARISE includes 3 caucuses: New Action Caucus, Retiree Advocate and MORE. The flyer called out the fact that this new coalition is just a rebranding of MORE, in an attempt to hide their own problematic political baggage. When you start to look past the slick website and the new logo, it's clear to anyone paying attention that MORE is the driving force behind ARISE.

So what happened at the Delegates Assembly last week and why does it matter?

A veteran delegate rose to speak against a resolution written to oppose the fact that organizations outside of the UFT are trying to influence the outcome of the UFT Spring election. No one objects to working with and being aligned with organizations outside of the UFT. The issue is that there is documentation (Politico Article: Democratic Socialists look to take over New York’s powerful labor unions | DSA Memo linked in politico article) showing that there is an outside organization ( the NYC DSA) actively strategizing to use the UFT as a tool for its own political objectives [see flyer below]. To flip something that this same delegate said at the DA: We are all card-carrying members of the UFT and unashamedly proud of it!

Full Text of Flyer Distributed at January DA

The upcoming United Federation of Teachers (UFT) elections are pivotal for ensuring that the leadership of our union truly represents the interests and will of its members. The UFT is not a political prize up for grabs in service of external agendas—it is a union created by and for educators, dedicated to improving the lives of its members and the students we serve.

Unfortunately, external entities, such as political groups, organizations, and non-members, are attempting to influence our elections for their own purposes. This kind of interference undermines our democratic principles, suppresses the authentic voice of our members, and can result in leadership that prioritizes ideology and broader political agendas.

One such example is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA has openly stated its intention to infiltrate unions like the UFT to advance their own agendas. In a now infamous internal DSA memo, it was stated that “the DSA can start to help people get jobs at schools that are tolerable places to work.” This statement demonstrates a lack of commitment to our children and our profession. [Link to Politico Article: Democratic Socialists look to take over New York’s powerful labor unions]

The memo further highlights that “the 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,” and noted that the MORE caucus includes “many active DSA members.” [Link to DSA Memo] These words make it clear that their focus is not on improving our schools or supporting educators but rather on leveraging the UFT for political influence by flooding our ranks.

What does all this have to do with our upcoming election? A new slate calling itself ARISE has emerged – but do not fall for the rebranding. ARISE is the MORE Caucus attempting to rebrand itself and shed its political baggage in the process.

We believe the people leading our union should be here because they are educators who care deeply about their profession and the future of public education—not individuals pursuing political agendas that serve outside interests. It is imperative that our union elections remain free from external interference to preserve the integrity of our democratic process. By ensuring that only members participate and influence these elections, we can safeguard the true voice of our workforce and elect leaders who genuinely represent our collective interests.

UNITY/UFT has been, and always will be, member-focused, member-driven, and composed of UFT members that put our members and union first!

Our agenda is clear: protect the union, build our collective power, and fight for our members. We are educators first, committed to the work of teaching, learning, and strengthening our schools for the benefit of all.