RTC Nov. Meeting Update: Unity tries to hide they are FOR Co-pays as Marianne leaves a comment

I was preparing for court to protect our healthcare that some of the unions including the Uft was trying to call back and privatize, like all those that support project 2025, [force us] into Medicare advantage as the default plan...They brought up a new point, as well. They insisted if we did not pay these copays, they would be passed on to in service members. That’s an interesting approach. I’d argue, though, that these co-pays were imposed only to make Unity’s Medicare Advantage scheme appear more attractive. ... Marianne Pizzitola, comment on Ed notes. 

Wow, we heard some of the same arguments from the Unity gang trying to sabotage our co-pay reso. Marianne's long reach into the co-pay debate at the RTC. Her comment proves the point - Unity favors co-pays but tried to disguise it with bogus arguments, similar to what the UFT was claiming in court, so they must have been briefed.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

 

I sure did have my fun yesterday, one of my more energetic days. The RTC Exec Bd meets at 11:30 on the 19th floor to do final prep for the 1PM RTC meeting. And there's some food. I had a nice turkey sandwich and there was some extra food at the end, so I took an egg salad for dinner. You see? There are some perks to getting elected. By the way, all RTC exec bd meetings are open to all RTC members. And there were chips and cookies. Oh, and also a meeting. Of course, Arthur who was remote, has the skinny: 

Our Second Democratic RTC Meeting

I went downstairs to hand out the latest ABC leaflet.

 

There was a long line down the block, as they don't open the doors until 12:30. Here's a wrinkle you might not know. When Unity controlled the RTC, there were people checking people in. Now we have to do it ourselves and our volunteers are learning the system. One nasty women who I tried to explain this to said, "So things will get better with you people?" Clearly a Unity hack.

I went upstairs and put some leaflets on the table. A woman told me they were being removed. I ran over and objected but they were gone. He said something about union rules. One of the first things we decided was to have an open table for caucus materials - any caucus. So I said RTC rules say we have the right.

 

I told the union guy I was going to make a stink about it. He called LeRoy, who called me over to discuss the issue and claimed union rules don't allow caucus materials. I pointed out that I raised the issue with Randi 25 years ago and she gave us a table for caucus materials which LeRoy canceled. He said these are different times. I said he was making up rules out of thin air and this isn't the end of it.
 

I checked with Bennett and he said UFT lawyer Rude Beth Norton told him we couldn't have caucus materials. WTF - these people are unbelievable. I decided not to raise it at this meeting.

 

(Later another retiree told me she rescued my leaflets from the goons and I had a batch to give out as people were leaving - and one lady looked at it and is interested in signing up with ABC. I was also yelled at for handing it out by a caucus member who feels no one other than the caucuses have a right to run in the election.)

 

Bennett was great at the meeting in handling a tough situation - super patient, as he should be. When people ask me who I would want for UFT president I say someone like Bennett. Some of my buddies were impatient at why he was being so tolerant - he's giving people enough rope was my reply. I love the interplay of the parliamentary game and saw clearly what Unity was doing - trying to delay the co-pay. They used the argument that we should do this another time to make it stronger. Well, they could have amended it, but clearly had nothing to add when the real purpose was to support the UFT leadership which is for co-pays. So the best they could do was try to delay. 

 

Here is part of Arthur's report on the co-pays.

...the original version of which I actually wrote, was to oppose co-pays on Medicare/ Senor Care. Unity was more polite this month than last, but worked hard to disrupt this. They brought up points that, to me, seemed irrelevant. They said it did not jibe with a City Council bill that insists we retain the same quality coverage we had in 2021.

They brought up a new point, as well. They insisted if we did not pay these copays, they would be passed on to in service members. That’s an interesting approach. I’d argue, though, that these co-pays were imposed only to make Unity’s Medicare Advantage scheme appear more attractive. There was, if I recall correctly, an $1800 ceiling on co-pays in the MA plan, and none for Medicare with Senior Care. Of course, before that Medicare/ Senior Care had NO co-pays. To sell the scheme, which they did not, that had to change.

During the debate a friend and delegate from Florida was texting me that Marianne was working to change the law that the Unity people were raising. Mike Broucom, also from the Marianne wing, went to the mic and pointed out how the Unity arguments were irrelevant -- I would say red herrings.

 

Speaking of Marianne, yesterday was a court date in Albany, but last night she was catching up with the ageist issue over memes mocking RA retirees, and she left this comment and link to her video response and she also offers some update on what happened in court:

Sorry I was late to the conversation (on Aqeel Williams)! I was preparing for court to protect our healthcare that some of the unions including the Uft was trying to call back and privatize, like all those that support project 2025, [force us] into Medicare advantage as the default plan.

And this time, I tried to convince the court they only had to pay $7.50 for any Medicare eligible.

So basically, the unity leadership led the fight against the aged.

One of the Uft lawyers, Alan Klinger admitted in a video a year ago that intro 1099 does not impair collective bargaining, what it did do was reduce what the city would pay for an active worker if it was paying for Retirees. That video is here. https://youtu.be/RWyav-cvbrE?si=nWaUFvx3RmiTQrMV

My statement on Mr. Williams is here:

https://youtu.be/JUjeXY5qiZ4?si=b9oVKe-ansTI5JfZ