February 3, 2026
UUP will begin negotiations for its next contract with the state on Wednesday, Feb. 4, nearly five months before the current agreement expires July.
That makes this the earliest start to negotiations in memory and possibly in the union’s 53-year history.
UUP President Fred Kowal and Chief Negotiator Bret Benjamin set the stage for the talks with a Feb. 3 virtual meeting of more than 500 UUP members that had the exuberant tone of a pep rally before a playoff game. Several chapters set up watch parties in packed meeting rooms on their campuses and members could be seen cheering and waving UUP signs.
Remarks by Kowal and Benjamin matched the determined and unified mood of members. No one can be overconfident entering negotiations, Kowal cautioned, but members can take heart that they have helped their Negotiations Team start talks with the best possible gauge of what matters to the union.
“Folks, we’re going to the table with language already written,” Kowal told the audience. “Usually we are writing the language as we negotiate. Not this time … this is a really pressure-packed environment that we’re going to the table in. We’re going to the table with bulls-eyes on our backs, thanks to the regime in Washington.”
Seeking a contract before federal cuts hit NY
Kowal referenced the devasting tax-and-spend bill that the Republican-led Congress passed in response to pressure from the federal administration last summer. The bill features major tax cuts for the country’s richest residents at a devastating cost to states and middle- or low-income Americans.
The tax cuts cannot be imposed without major funding losses for Medicare; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; the subsidies that made the Affordable Care Act actually affordable for working-class families; and reductions in services for mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Benjamin is leading negotiations for the second consecutive time. He promised to keep members updated on their progress.
“We are going to be as communicative as possible,” he said. “We have a really strong emphasis on job security in this round; we want to expand paths to permanency. We’ve got a really forward set of demands. This is a transparent, formative set of proposals.”
Only UUP members can vote on the contract. To join UUP, go HERE.