Appreciation Isn’t a Cupcake. It’s Power.

This week is Teacher Appreciation and Nurse Appreciation week.
And May 7th? It’s School Nurse Day—a carveout inside a carveout.

There’s a reason teachers and nurses are recognized in the same week—and it’s not just coincidence. It’s political. It’s historical. And it’s deeply gendered. These are professions dominated by women. Built on care. Treated like a calling, not a career. We’re praised for being selfless, then punished when we demand better. This is what happens to work coded as “women’s work.” It’s essential but invisible. Expected but underpaid. Praised but unsupported. And it’s no accident.

Now let’s focus on school nurses sitting at the crossroads of education and healthcare. Just like OT/PTs, just like our secretaries, social workers, and school psychologists—they’re doing indispensable labor. But instead of being embraced as part of the education team, they’re carved out, thanked separately, and resourced less.

Why? Because when you separate people, you can weaken their collective power. These weeks aren’t really about appreciation. It’s about performative gratitude in a system that runs on our exhaustion. You can’t “thank” someone for their service while stripping away the time, dignity, and compensation that makes that service sustainable.

And let’s tell the truth: not one of us feels truly appreciated. Not when you’re handed a larger workload, a smaller paycheck, and a leadership that celebrates you in public while bargaining you down behind closed doors.

That’s where A Better Contract comes in.

We don’t just want to be appreciated, we expect respect. And we know the only way that happens is when we’re united, organized, and unafraid to demand more.

We believe every member has power.
Not just the power to do their job—but the power to change this system so it respects workers and serves the children of this city.

• We fight for every title. No more silos, no more second class citizenship. If you work in a school, you are not just a school nurse, you are an educator. A critical part of the education of the children of this city. Period. And your union should act like it.

• We see the whole picture. Appreciation isn’t a cupcake. It’s a caseload you can manage. A paycheck that covers your rent. A school where you’re not treated like a spare part.

• We don’t settle for symbolism. We organize for real structural change, wages that keep up with the cost of living, sustainable workloads, respect for your unique contribution. We stand with you, not just in spirit, for a day, but in action. We rise together, or not at all.
  

This week should be a rallying cry—not a PR campaign.

Mulgrew and Unity will offer flowers and photo ops.
We’re offering power, clarity, and a path forward.

Because we know what real appreciation looks like. It’s not a slogan. It’s a contract.
And it starts with a union that sees you, hears you, believes that your contributions are crucial and has your back.

Vote A Better Contract. Because appreciation means nothing without respect—and respect means nothing without power.