I attended the UFT Ex Bd meeting Monday night -- Unity seemed pretty upset at the opposition - how dare we call for a real contract, which increasingly looks like a 3% pattern with some tweaks. Adams might throw a little bone in exchange for the UFT leadership selling out the retirees on healthcare. In the meantime they are avoiding talking about the healthcare savings for the city coming out of working UFTers - co-pay creep, the probably replacement of GHI by Aetna -- none of these are negotiable they tell us.
Monday the Unity snowflakes were vexed by a UFC motion calling for taking time to actually read the contract. resolution on contract full disclosure. They whined that two weeks is too long but they could have amended that to a few days but they didn't even do that. A Unity hack who is supposed to represent teachers as a special rep, said she only cares about the high schools and doesn't read the rest of the contract. That explains a lot about someone who was well-known to pull oppo lit out of mailboxes as a chapter leader.
I've been in some twitter debates with Unity supporters who don't seem to think beyond the propaganda. What is holding up the contract when we know the pattern is the pattern and class size is off the table? The amount of shit teachers are asked to do plus the extended time crap seem to be a biggie for members and the city is not moving on that. What leverage does the UFT have? Rallies today? Not enough teeth in just that. They might worm a few nuggets out of Adams and then sell them as the greatest contract ever.
I pointed out that the dome of silence over negotiations offers nothing to people who are organizing in the schools and communities. As I pointed out in my article in The Indypendent, a difference between Chicago/LA and NY is they are using open bargaining to organize while our 500 negotiators have a muzzle on.
One thing I do know is that if UFC ever was a threat of winning, the DOE would back Unity all the way. I was once told by Joel Klein's honcho during the 2012 Chicago strike - he really seemed worried it could happen here - and I laughed and said never with Unity in charge.
Nick has the notes of the full meeting:
I will say -- the turkey was pretty good. And loved that cheesecake - I think I will ask LeRoy to order me some rice pudding for the June 5 meeting.
Here is where I'm headed to now - maybe see you there.
Media Advisory for Wednesday, May 24th 9:30AM
Municipal retirees will gather outside City Hall on Wednesday May 24th to hold a People’s Hearing and Rally to protest Mayor Adam’s ongoing efforts to compel them into a subpar privatized Medicare Advantage plan. Retirees will testify about the deleterious effects of Medicare Advantage health plans. Demands will be made that the City Council act now to protect retirees’ Medicare health benefits by passing the current legislation which will enshrine these rights and by including retiree healthcare costs in the city budget.
The message to Mayor Adams is STOP SCREWING RETIREES! The message to NYC elected officials is PASS the RETIREE MEDICARE BILL! SAVE NYC RETIREE MEDICARE! WE VOTE! Retirees will then testify inside City Hall at the public budget hearing. Later, retirees will join the People’s Plan Rally and March to protest the city’s austerity budget and to demand Care not Cuts.
Municipal retirees expect NYC Council Member Christopher Marte, Kristin Richardson Jordan, Alexa Aviles, Chi Osse and possibly others to join them.
WHERE: Broadway between Murray Street and Park Place outside
of City Hall Park
WHEN: May 24th (Wednesday) from 9:30-11.
Retirees join People’s Plan Care not Cuts March at 5:00.
VISUALS:
Retirees with signs and banners, chanting and music outside City Hall urging a life-size cutout of Mayor Adams to Stop Screwing Retirees! Retirees wearing head bands of screws going through their heads give oral testimonies about the devastating effects private Medicare Advantage plans will have on their health. Free screws will be given out to symbolize that city workers, even when retired, should never be mistreated.
Organizers: Cross-union Retirees Organizing Committee (CROC)
Media contact:
Sarah Shapiro, CROC
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The Cross-union Retiree Organizing Committee (CROC) are rank-and-file NYC municipal retirees who say NO to the City’s attempts to force municipal retirees into a privatized Medicare Advantage plan.
