The UFT Retired Teacher Chapter is supporting this rally organized by the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees and we hope you can make it! Spread the word.
Tuesday September 2nd
11am at City Hall
It is Mayor Eric Adams birthday, and guess what? He turns 65 years old & is now eligible for Medicare! The time is NOW!! We have to highlight at this press conference/rally that this is the BEST way to protect our Medicare and earned and vested benefits. He must tell the Speaker to get this bill to the floor so he can sign it. It will be held on the STEPS OF CITY HALL. Arrive by 10:15am
Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025
I'm about to head over to the ferry to attend the rally but wanted to get this out. See Marianne Friday night video:
I laughed out loud (with the mic off) numerous times when I attended an RTC Exec Bd zoom yesterday. Support for the rally by the RTC Exec Bd, loaded with ARISE people who despise Marianne, was a pleasant surprise. The 1096 city council law would protect retirees from evil mayors. (Mamdani won't sign on to that bill even though he indicates he would not put retirees into medicare advantage -he may not have to as Trump and fellow gangsters are going to take care of that.)
Other than support for the rally, I was not a happy camper at the general non-militant response from RTC EB and the Retiree Advocate crew that make up half the EB.
Holy shit. Some of these people have faced 50 years of Unity deception, manipulation and control and still don't get it. But then again, many of them have been part of New Action which made the dirty deal with Randi over 20 years ago and spent a dozen years finding excuses to stay in that coalition. I call that the New Action (or France's I surrender in WW2) mentality. Some call it a Vichy mentality.
I hung out with a prominent member of MORE last week who told me no one from MORE attended the meeting, so they are off the hook. But RA and NAC are mot. But still watch the Unity hacks praise the loyal ARISE oppo and slam the ABCs for not taking part in a farce.
The very same Unity people who told and sold us that their Medicate Adv plan was better than Medicare. Remember Mulgrew telling us this time and again - it's just a name, they are the same? At the very least, abstain while waiting for full information, a position Marianne seemed to take in her Friday video. (Of course Unity attacked her for that.)
A suggestion that we ask the lawyers Marianne uses to help us figure out what is happening was mocked. "We have UFT lawyers to do that for us. Let's write a letter to Mulgrew asking for UFT lawyers do the job." Yes, it's the "Let's Plead" strategy that's been so successful.
Meanwhile, the ABC chats have been exploding.
One of the key failures of the RTC was to change a successful plan to push for a membership vote on healthcare changes to a DA vote - which is a joke considering how Unity has gained even more control despite the 300 RA and supposed 100 MORE delegates.
Here is Arthur's take:
Apparently the RTC members who did attend voted yes for Mulgrew’s proposed healthcare changes. So there you have it: RA under Unity’s umbrella…
Trump is out there introducing pre-approvals to Medicare, in a clear effort to make it more like Medicare Advantage. This will be introduced in six states next year, New Jersey included, and it’s something we need to fight.
If you’re under 65, or in service, there is a new health plan out there for city workers. Unity, predictably, says it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Someone once pointed out to me there is, in fact, artisan bread. You cut it with a knife, and it’s got a wonderful crust. It’s got great texture, and isn’t full of chemicals to ensure it can sit in a plastic bag for two years without getting stale.
Queens UFT, in a social media post, wrote, “The new plan, like the current GHI CBP plan, allows for the option of tiering in the future to penalize hospitals that price gouge or act in bad faith.” This, to me, raises a red flag. While the current plan may have that option, I can’t recall it being exercised. Last I looked, a hospital visit would set me back 300 bucks on GHI...... Arthur’s substack -
Fool Me Once, Shame on You...
Fool me half a dozen times, and expect me to fall for it again, and I must be hopeless
Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures
A pilot program in six states will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/health/medicare-prior- approval-health-care.html? smid=em-share
| And the announcement for today | s presser. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NYC Public Service Retirees Unveil Giant 65th Birthday Card for NYC Mayor Adams
Group Invites Mayor to Join Their Organization
Asks Mayor to Support City Council Bill to Protect Retiree Health Insurance
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Today, New York City’s public service retirees come together at City Hall to celebrate Mayor Adams 65th trip around the sun with a giant birthday card and special request: support Intro 1096! This City Council bill put forth by Councilmember Christopher Marte, District One, and co-sponsored by Councilmember Robert Holden, District 3, is the key to permanent protection for the healthcare of hundreds of thousands of retired city workers who currently rely on Medicare. As of today, Mayor Adams has become one of us. When he completes his city service he’ll also rely on Medicare.
“The mayor is no longer on the sidelines in this shameful attempt to undermine healthcare for retirees,” said Marianna Pizzitola, President, NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees which represents more than 250,000 city retirees. “His insurance is also in the crosshairs now. He has said he will support us. Now is the time to SHOW us he will support us by backing intro 1096!”
Health insurance for scores of the city’s most senior retirees has become a political pawn in recent years. Unscrupulous union bigwigs and their elected allies have championed a switch to private insurance in the name of alleged cost-savings. Their proposal is a for-profit alternative run by Aetna, deceptively called “Medicare Advantage.” It is anything but. And of course, dollar-for-dollar, it does not save the taxpayer a single penny. “Advantage” does, ironically, diminish the quality of medical coverage and access for the retirees who need it most. Meanwhile, our members, many with pensions of under $26,000, are relying on food pantries for assistance and faced with the choice of deferring medical care.
In recent weeks, Mayor Adams has expressed support for ending this attack on retirees and retaining their well-earned Medicare. We thank him. He now has a vested interest in following through on his words with tangible action. Supporting Intro 1096 is the best course of action.
New York City’s retired workforce showed up for New Yorkers every day for decades. As they grow older, now is not the time to pull the rug out from under them. Join us in championing Intro 1096. Everyone knows someone affected by this. Support your neighbor, your relative, your fifth-grade teacher – along with every firefighter, police officer, and sanitation worker who made a difference serving this city!
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About NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees
In the aftermath of the proposed Medicare bait-and-switch by the prior administration, this organization was formed to give the otherwise silent and unrepresented retirees a voice. Many tens of thousands strong, we have now grown into a force for resistance against any effort to diminish our medical insurance. We proudly stand at the forefront of accountability – speaking truth to power against those who seek to sell out those who have upheld their oath and their promise to serve.
Media Contacts:
Marianna Pizzitola: 631-793-9715
Robert Ganley 917-841-1812
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