The United College Employees of FIT (UCE of FIT) was established in 1967. It began by representing full-time faculty who sought support from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to organize for collective bargaining rights.
In 1967, the union and FIT reached a contract, making it one of the earliest higher education collective bargaining agreements in New York State. AFT recognizes FIT as a pioneering higher education local in the state and cites its early contract as among the first AFT higher education agreements in New York.
By 1970, the union expanded to include staff and part-time
