July 22, 2026

There’s still time to vote to ratify UUP’s tentative contract agreement with New York state.

Voting opened on July 10 and runs through 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27.

Active UUP members in good starting as of June 4 are eligible to vote on the agreement, which UUP President Fred Kowal and Chief Negotiator Bret Benjamin have called the best contract for members in years.

Only UUP members can take part in the contract ratification vote.

“This is a strong five-year agreement that provides across-the-board raises in each year of the contract, includes retention awards for eligible employees, protects exceptional health benefits, establishes AI provisions, and contains expanded job and due process protections,” said Kowal. “ I urge you to vote yes on this contract, which will serve our membership well for years to come.”

MK Election Services, a union company that UUP has used in past contract ratification votes, will once again administer UUP’s electronic ratification approval process.

Ratification postcards and follow-up emails were sent to members eligible to vote on the contract. These communications, sent by MK Election Services, are member-specific; each postcard and email has an individualized access code and instructions on how to cast votes.

Members who believe they are eligible to vote but haven’t received correspondence from MK Election Services should call the company at 203-403-8401.

The complete tentative agreement (indicating all additions and deletions) can be viewed on UUP's Members Only page on the UUP website. There, you’ll also find a PowerPoint presentation of the tentative agreement and an overview of negotiated changes in the document.

Election results will be announced after balloting ends.