New York City Teachers Union Spent Over $125K On Bagels And Pizza In 2017

In 2017, a New York City teacher's union increased its spending by $3 million to $185 million, some of which was spent on delicious carbohydrates. The New York Post reports that United Federation of Teachers (UFT) officials spent over $112,317 on bagels and $13,615 on pizza.

In addition to the bagels — which came from La Bagel Delight, just a few blocks from UFT's Brooklyn borough office — and the pizza pie, UFT spent $6,262 on coffee and more than $5,000 on candy. Indulgences also included $1.4 million in food provided by Lackmann Culinary Services and $189,763 from Ravioli Fair caterers.

An additional $2.5 million was spent on lodging, conventions, and banquets, including $1.37 million for events at the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, $986,128 for "retreats/training" at the Hilton Hotel in Westchester, and $5,943 at the Le Meridian in New Orleans.

The union represents approximately 185,000 members. According to their website, UFT provides professional development workshops for roughly 30,000 members annually, so the large catering budget may not be surprising.

"We are proud of every dollar we spend on services to our members and defending public education," UFT spokesman Dick Riley told the New York Post.

For more high-expenditure eats, here are the world's most expensive burgers, cheesesteaks, and other "cheap" dishes.