Sunday, July 8, 2007

Sicko Union



We saw Michael Moore's "Sicko" the other day - at the behest of our 23 year old cousin who just graduated from college. It's nice to see interest in the issue of health insurance from the younger generation. But then again, faced with the prospect that they may have no health insurance, who can blame them?

There is no question the movie will have an impact on the debate, though I always have issues with some of the methods Moore uses in all his movies, especially his disingenuousness. There was also a feeling of exploitation. When you are up against the powerful forces arrayed aghast you on this issue, I guess some of it is justified, though in some cases Moore's case is weakened in his uncritical admiration for, say France, where certain elements of society do not seem exactly enamored, despite free health care. And when Moore points to the fact that so many other services are paid for in the public arena, like schools, I guess he isn't aware of the privatization efforts of people of BloomKlein ilk - by the way, Mike, examining what they did to education in NYC would be a fitting topic for your next documentary. Call it "Sicko II."

But this is about the UFT and the health care issue, inspired by a comment on ICE-mail by Sean Ahern:

"As the owner of HIP does UFT Inc. qualify as a health insurance company? When was the last time our so-called union called for a single payer national health insurance plan? Could it be that their business interests trump all others?"

Now, some members of the UFT will say, "Why should we care about universal health care? We have a pretty good plan." While "Sicko" points to the fact that even people with health plans can find themselves in financial risk at some point, I will take the road of saying that a union that has the resources the UFT has, should be out there fighting for such a basic right for all people in society, especially since so many of our students may not exactly be getting the best health care. Think that affects the job teachers can do?

But I haven't seen the UFT making too many of the political points that unions used to make. And don't expect the AFT to do any more when it has new leadership. As Sean says, they are business unions functioning more in support of the status quo than interested in changing it.

2 comments:

NYC Educator said...

The UFT owns HIP? Isn't HIP about to merge with GHI and revoke its non-profit status?

Are we shareholders? Will we be getting dividends? Or will the money all go to red-baiting bulk-mail?

Anonymous said...

I thought we did call for universal health care. Both under Sandy and Randi. I'm pretty sure I've voted for it. Getting it implemented in reality has more to with right-wingers in the Senate than it does with the union movement.