Radical Socialists Make Push to Seize Control of NYC Teachers’ Union; Backers of Anti-Israel Groups and Alleged Killer Among Candidates

By: Fern Sidman

In a development raising serious concerns among educators, city officials, and community leaders alike, radical socialists affiliated with anti-Israel groups and controversial political figures are making a determined push to gain control of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), according to an exclusive report that appeared in The New York Post on Tuesday. The UFT, one of New York City’s most powerful labor unions, represents nearly 200,000 educators and oversees a billion-dollar welfare fund. Now, its leadership is being targeted by a faction of candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group that has increasingly aligned itself with radical, far-left ideologies.

As The New York Post reported, candidates backed by the DSA are polling strongly in next month’s internal elections for leadership of the UFT. This emerging bloc includes individuals who have publicly supported accused killer Luigi Mangione and voiced virulent anti-Israel sentiments, stirring alarm across the political spectrum.

The DSA — which gained national prominence after supporting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential run and propelling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to victory in 2018 — has long eyed organized labor as a key vector for influence. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the group laid out a covert strategy in 2018 to infiltrate major labor unions, citing internal DSA documents unearthed by Politico.

Now, that blueprint is bearing fruit in one of the city’s most influential institutions. Among those leading the charge is Amy Arundell, a former Queens borough representative within the UFT. The New York Post report indicated that Arundell was ousted from her position in October 2023 following a high-profile clash with current UFT president Michael Mulgrew over the union’s condemnation of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel — an assault that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead.

Arundell’s social media activity, which included reposting a statement that “Zionists are literally the most evil people to walk this earth,” drew swift backlash and contributed to her removal. Her X account has since been disabled, The New York Post report noted.

In a statement provided directly to The New York Post, Arundell attempted to distance herself from the controversy, saying, “My only interest is in the future of educators, students and the UFT. Anyone who suggests otherwise is a liar and is trying to distract our members from Mulgrew’s record of health care and pension disasters.”

Another leading figure in the DSA-aligned push is Steve Swieciki, a social studies teacher now running for UFT vice president of high schools. As the report in The New York Post uncovered, Swieciki has openly declared himself a DSA member and has been active in promoting the cause of Luigi Mangione, the man charged with stalking and murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan last year. Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, has become a rallying figure for some radical leftists, with Swieciki reposting memes calling to “Make bad people feel unsafe” alongside hashtags like #FreeLuigi.

Olivia Swisher, yet another presidential candidate, has drawn scrutiny for her ties to the People’s Forum — a Marxist-aligned organization known for its aggressive opposition to Israel and support for hard-left ideologies. The New York Post reported that Swisher was photographed at a 2022 meeting of the group and is a known follower of @nyceducatorsforpalestine on Instagram as well as Breakthrough News, a media outlet operated by People’s Forum.

When contacted by The New York Post, neither Swieciki, Swisher, Arundell, nor the DSA responded to requests for comment.

As the UFT election looms, the union’s established leadership has attempted to push back against the growing influence of outside political movements. LeRoy Barr, chair of the UFT’s Unity Caucus, offered a stark reminder about where candidate loyalties must lie.

“We are a diverse union with UFT members belonging to a variety of organizations,” Barr told The New York Post. “But when a UFT member runs for union office, it is with the expectation that they are putting the needs of UFT members first. No outside organization is going to have the same commitment to our members’ livelihoods, working conditions or safety as we do. We serve the interests of our members, not the goals of outside groups.”

The DSA’s deep and coordinated campaign to gain control of the UFT is no accident. According to the report in The New York Post, the DSA has spent years planning such takeovers. As far back as 2018, internal documents obtained by Politico outlined a strategy to infiltrate major labor unions to push a socialist political agenda. By 2019, DSA had established a formal Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Working Group aimed at promoting economic warfare against Israel. And by July 2024, at least 26 DSA chapters had passed resolutions declaring themselves explicitly anti-Zionist, according to research by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), cited by The New York Post.

The aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks served as a radicalizing moment for parts of the DSA network. According to the ADL, some chapters helped organize violent anti-Israel protests and issued statements glorifying the so-called Palestinian “resistance.” DSA’s influence extended into the UFT’s own internal caucuses as well. The Movement of Rank-and-File Educators (MORE), a faction within the UFT, collaborated with DSA to organize pro-Palestinian demonstrations following the attacks. The New York Post report noted that MORE’s public Google Calendar even included an event titled “NYC Educators for Palestine — Walkout Debrief” on November 27, 2023.

This collaboration has not been confined to street protests. In March 2024, the DSA’s New York City chapter hosted a panel titled “Public Sector Organizing in Our City,” which was held at The People’s Forum. One panelist, Sarah Slichter, a member of MORE’s steering committee, represented the UFT. Slichter, The New York Post report revealed, has been involved with DSA since at least 2013, when she served as the Northeast U.S. Coordinator for the Young Democratic Socialists, DSA’s youth wing.

The political ambitions of the DSA extend well beyond union leadership. In January 2025, the Flatbush chapter of DSA promoted a three-part series titled “What is a socialist education?” Among the topics listed for discussion were the “upcoming mayoral and UFT elections in NYC.” The DSA has thrown its support behind mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who also promotes a hard-left, anti-Israel platform, according to the information provided in The New York Post report.

For its part, the current UFT leadership is sounding the alarm. LeRoy Barr, emphasized to The New York Post that all candidates for union office must prioritize the needs of members, not ideological crusades. “No outside organization is going to have the same commitment to our members’ livelihoods, working conditions or safety as we do,” Barr stated. “We serve the interests of our members, not the goals of outside groups.”

As the UFT approaches its next leadership election, the stakes could not be higher. A victory for DSA-aligned candidates could transform the union from a professional association of educators into a political engine for radical left-wing causes. With control of a billion-dollar welfare fund and the ability to influence public policy at the city and state level, the implications of such a shift would be profound — not only for teachers and students, but for the political landscape of New York as a whole.