The powerful teachers’ union has mastered one subject — spending members’ dues.
Overall, the United Federation of Teachers boosted spending on its far-flung empire by $3 million in 2017 to $185 million, even as union officials worry that a pending court case could significantly limit its ability to collect dues from teachers who don’t want to be in the union.
And UFT officials spent a lot of that dough on, well, dough — buying up more than $100,000 worth of bagels and another $13,000 in pizza.
In fact, the UFT could be called the United Federation of Feasters as annual financial report filed with the federal government show everybody in the union and the political movers and shakers they’re trying to influence were well fed last year.
The union spent $2.3 million for catering and Big Apple lunch staples — including the aforementioned $112,317 to Manna 90 Inc., also known as La Bagel Delight, on Court Street in Brooklyn; $13,615 on pizza; $6,262 on coffee; and more than $5,000 on candy.
The feasting also included $1.4 million in food provided by Lackmann Culinary Services and $189,763 from Ravioli Fair caterers.
The feast comes in part thanks to $58.31 in semi-monthly dues collected from teachers, up from $56.10 in 2016, according to the filings. Under current law, the union is allowed to collect “agency fees” from 2,043 educators who don’t belong to the union as well as 187,000 members.
The union also lived large by spending $2.5 million on lodging, conventions, banquets and other events. The bills included $1.37 million for events at the NY Hilton and Towers, $986,128 for “retreats/training” at the Hilton Westchester, and $5,943 at the Le Meridian, in New Orleans.
More than $500,000 was spent on promotional goods, and at least $309,000 for entertainment, movies and Mets and Yankees tickets.
The anti-charter school union — which has close ties to Mayor de Blasio and the Democratic establishment in Albany and City Hall — also spent $3.9 million on political activities and lobbing and bankrolled $1.8 million on TV ad buys.
The union also generously funded groups that back its agenda — particularly in the fight against expansion of charter schools, according to the report, which covers spending from Aug. 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017.
Anti-charter activists New York Communities for Change collected $301,704 from the UFT, a 38 percent increase from 2016. The NAACP, which issued a national moratorium on the charter school sector in 2016, collected $36,185.
The UFT spent $4.1 million on legal representation — funds that are used to defend teachers brought up on incompetency or misconduct charges, as well as for advice on in contract negotiations and litigation.
And UFT officials and staffers were well compensated — with many making substantially more than the teachers they represent.
A total of 119 UFT employees received made more than $100,000 in salary and other compensation in 2017 — six more than in 2016.
Three UFT employees earned more than city Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina’s 2017 salary of $233,430 — including union boss Michael Mulgrew, who nearly cleared $300,000 in compensation ($299,119).
Even Mulgrew’s wife, Emelina Camacho Mendez, whom he wed in 2016, was on the payroll as a special rep, pulling in $14,520 for salary and expenses as well $98K salary with the Department of Education.
The UFT defended its spending as appropriate.
“We are proud of every dollar we spend on services to our members and defending public education,” said UFT spokesman Dick Riley.