Unity Grows Desperate: Offers something old (Attacking opponents) and new (Servicing Members)

 

Unity response of "we heard you" after retiree and para loss? Attack, Attack, Attack, Lie, Lie, Lie

Is the Unity retreat a sign of panic or a regular event? Here I will do those Unityites who want to sleep late next Sunday instead of attending the retreat (I hope they serve better bagels than they at RTC meetings) by revealing Barr's message.

We know how Unity leadership operates - they give marching orders. But maybe this time they want to hear what people think from the Unity faithful. NOT. Inside word is that Barr is being blamed for defeats in chapter elections - a glaring error was mistakenly sending out the retiree flyer with the para ballots. Was that the reason for the 75% vote for Fix Para Pay? More dumb thinking at the top.

The special Unity meeting 8:30 AM with retirees is a new wrinkle in the regular Unity meetings and indicative of a strategy to win back control of the retiree chapter from Retiree Advocate and try to undermine RA. Unity lost all 300 delegates, many of whom were leadership at one point, and now are no longer in the DA. But they can show up at the retiree chapter meetings and at the first one on Oct. 22 we may see signs of their strategy.Will there be a Unity leaflet attacking us for lying, especially since we have an invitation to Marianne and a lawyer for the law suit to give retirees an update. How will that play out since RA received 17K or 63% of the vote. So let's see how Unity plays this as they hope to recover part of that vote for the upcoming UFT elections. If they've lost those voters for future elections, their control of the union is in danger.That 8:30 AM retiree meeting will not be a fun event - and if friendly Unity people attend, please leak to. me.

Mulgrew has urged Bennett to not invite Marianne since he says he wants to focus on the election, which is funny since repeated requests by Bennett to get the retiree chapter involved in the election have gone unanswered. Unity organized a bus to go to Penn, for themselves and never notified the new leaders of RTC despite repeated requests. We also noted the new Unity Retiree tee-shirts at the Labor parade --- if I lost by such a wide margin would I advertise? Those expensive outside consultants Unity is probably hiring are loaded with good advice.

Does Mulgrew have an alt plan? He has a concept like Trump does on Obamacare.

Marianne takes down Mulgrew misinfo on Medicare Adv fake news.

Mulgrew and Gorido, leaders in the Municipal Labor Committee that still  thinks a Medicare advantage plan is better than  traditional Medicare, because they would probably  be the only people on earth that would say that.  Other than the insurance company.  So why are we saying this? 

https://youtu.be/3lZGusvl6N0?si=LBskA_ENBAT9QmTm

Despite Mulgrew making a public relations announcement soon after the RTC election that he was withdrawing support for the city's Medicare Advantage plan, he in fact has been unwilling to show support for the lawsuits that have kept us in Medicare. 

Arthur Goldstein:  Unity, Groping for a Path Forward, Disempowers Chapter Leaders:  They plan to give hand-picked Unity District Representatives the power to contact members at individual schools without CL cooperation.

 Sep 20, 2024

According to St. Michael, the retirees who just defeated his Patronage Cult spread “harmful misinformation.” Evidently, after our doctors told us they would not accept Aetna, we told people doctors would not accept Aetna. Furthermore, after Aetna admitted in NY State Supreme Court that they would withhold care recommended by our doctors, we told people Aetna would withhold care recommended by out doctors.

How dare people contradict Dear Leader? Unity has to get those District Reps into schools clarifying that everything Michael Mulgrew claims is absolutely true (which is especially important when he gets caught in lies).

Reports are coming in that the message is to go into schools aggressively and there are signs of giving special attention to schools with activists who stand up to Unity. Show how tough you are. Maybe pick a fight with the principal. And for sure attack critics of leadership as being anti-union. And to recruit for Unity as early as they can to keep people out of the hands of opponents.
So expect visits. 

Also district meet and greet events.

In some districts they are attacking critics as being anti-union and charging them with being divisive. Why not just cancel UFT elections?

Here is their solution to dealing with schools with chapter leaders who may not be friendly to Unity reps. Arthur reports:

I’ve heard of incidents here and there where Unity big shots called meetings in schools without the cooperation or knowledge of chapter leaders. That was the exception rather than the rule. And from what I hear, these unsolicited visits didn’t work so well. But Unity doesn’t learn from mistakes. Therefore, they’re working on a way for DRs to request emails be sent to individual schools to announce their visits. Unity, Groping for a Path Forward, Disempowers Chapter Leaders

They plan to give hand-picked Unity District Representatives the power to contact members at individual schools without CL cooperation.

So that's how they will try to go around critical internal voices in schools they don't control. No problem for the Unity and most non-affiliated schools where the CLs depend on the Dist reps.

So expect a visit from a district or special rep to call us liars. Marianne responded on her Friday night video: 

I wrote the other day:

There is a full court press by a UFT leadership that is sending the troops into the schools to tell members they are here for them. In one school a special rep said she is bringing the smoke -- probably to cover up for the inability to really help.

A former chapter leader texted:

 

Is Unity crumbling? We see signs of that on the edges at the school level. A number of Chapter Leader defenders of the loyalty oath lost in their school elections. There are almost 400 new CL - a massive turnover in over a quarter of the schools. Those 400 are up for grabs and the usual Unity tactic of bringing them into Unity at the earliest stage by promising them free convention trips and after school jobs may not work on this new breed, many of whom may be open to entreaties from the other caucuses, which elected their own members.

LeRoy Barr, who has taken heat for the spring election failures, is trying everything to save the Unity brand by offering up strange words in their world - we want to hear from you.

You can't operate top-down for 60 years and suddenly switch tactics. One thing we saw in the UFT's 3 Consequential Spring Elections and the 2022 general UFT election: The Unity faithful did not have their hearts in it. LeRoy needs to find a way to pump up a demoralized caucus. Remember: Some key activists on the other side were recently in or allied to Unity. I name Nick Bacon and Daniel Alicea as two leading lights. There are more but I'm not going to name them at this time. I even told LeRoy their dumb policies of repression over bullshit cost them more than they gain.

Mulgrew is Unity's weakest link

The Mulgrew Town Hall last Tuesday and the Chapter Leader meeting on Wednesday were viewed as abject failures by Mulgrew's rambling and arrogance. He even insulted one of his loyal supporters who went storming out and took one of my leaflets after having refused one on the way in. Ka Ching. Mulgrew is the Unity version of Biden, except the Dems had the sense to switch before it was too late.

So can LeRoy resuscitate a dead horse - er - union leader?

-----

Marianne, NYC Organization of Public Service Retiree, takes down Mulgrew misinfo on Medicare Adv fake news.

Mulgrew and Gorido, leaders in the Municipal Labor Committee that still  thinks a Medicare advantage plan is better than  traditional Medicare, because they would probably  be the only people on earth that would say that.  Other than the insurance company.  So why are we saying this? 

https://youtu.be/3lZGusvl6N0?si=LBskA_ENBAT9QmTm

Debunking Ellie Engler UFT (not a teacher)

Marianne debunks other Unity claims on healthcare: https://youtu.be/m8Iylg7aUns?si=2zM4NDv6dsSR47_a

No Mike (Mulgrew) , the judge DIDN’T say that - Marianne explodes the choice myth and more in 4 videos

The judge didn't stop you from offering choice-- you did. You had the MLC taking an amicus on the side of the city against the retirees -- the UFT lawyer consulting with city lawyers.

Thursday, May 2

Here is a follow-up to my recent post on the RTC April 16 meeting: 

• Rtc meeting notes: Murphy Runs, Mulgrew Misinformation

This is Marianne's 4th video exploding the distortions and lies he told at a Florida meeting. We need a constant repetition and exposure of the details of the misinformation.

4 no Mike, the judge DIDN’T say that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ksnlq27Kxo

Here are the other 3:

1-Mulgrew Lies to the Retirees in FL - No $500M increase in cost

2 Mulgrew Lies about not knowing about the HiP Rate

 

https://youtu.be/3E5iuTGp2pg?si=DZK86Fs3tu3X7XVj

3 Mulgrew Lies to retirees - MulgrewCare is not special

https://youtu.be/EFPEri4fEJs?si=W7MWAB6c1RE0OSS4

 

Retirees Slams DC 37 Garrido over Threats at Press Conference today, June 22 Rally pics

We thank Councilman Charles Barron and the brave co-sponsors of the City Council for standing up to this thuggery by Mr. Garrido and introducing Int. 1099, which will protect the earned Medicare benefits of their constituents. ... NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

Monday, June 26

The rally last Thursday was packed with retirees and supporters. When I left to catch the 2:30 ferry back to Rockaway there were still hundreds of people still hanging out. I have pics below. How interesting that Charles Barron, an open socialist, who has often been shut out of the mainstream, has become a hero to the retirees which includes people on the right. It proves something many of us on the left learned in our own schools when we won elections: stand up for people and they will look past your politics they disagree with. Other left wingers in the Council back us.

The other point is that the right wing Republicans also support us - my own Joanne Areola - I never vote Republican but on this issue alone I may vote for her next time.

This morning there is a press conference to expose Henry Garrido from DC 37 for his attack on the bill Barron presented.  I've got a zoom at 10 so I'm not going to be there. The assumption has been that Mulgrew is also threatening City Council members who support the bill with no endorsements. They should call his bluff as those people will get the votes of 250K retirees which is worth more than a UFT endorsement, which has often been a kiss of death.

On the other hand, there is a theory floating around that if Mulgrew was smart (certainly far from a given) he would support the Barron bill, which would maintain the Senior Care option and allow people to remain in traditional medicare as a way out of the mess he's gotten himself and us in. It is pretty funny to see people I meet in other unions say what a rat Mulgrew is.  

Speaking of rats:

One more point -- Retiree Advocate Caucus UFT and CROC - Cross Union Organizing Committee which includes retirees from other municipal unions, were involved in the rally and bought out their people.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

June 25, 2023

 

New York City Organization Of Public Service Retirees Responds to Union Boss Henry Garrido’s Misrepresentations & Smears on NY1 with Errol Louis

PRESS CONFERENCE WITH COUNCILMAN BARRON

MONDAY, JUNE 26^TH

11 AM

CITY HALL

On Thursday, June 22^nd, District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido delivered a two-page missive declaring legislation (Int. 1099) proposed by Councilman Charles Barron of District 42 in Brooklyn, the most irresponsible proposal in the history of the City Council. That same day, the NY Daily News reported how Mr. Garrido was planning on threatening council members who supported the legislation - not because the bill to protect Medicare for retired public servants has merits - instead, due to him making a deal with the devil to trade away those benefits for his own enrichment. 

Accordingly, to try and clean up his bullying, he went on a P.R. sprint to justify his actions by going on an unchallenged interview on NY1 with Errol Louis to misrepresent and distort his actions without any fact-checking or pushback. 

Several Unions - not all - within the Municipal Labor Committee bulldozed the Municipal Retirees into an inferior Medicare Advantage Plan that will cause some to lose access to their doctors, physicians, and treatment facilities while undergoing severe ailments like cancer and dialysis run by a company - CVS/Aetna - that's under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for defrauding the Federal Government for Medicare Fraud. 

Moreover, the NY Post Editorial published an OpEd laying out the true reasons for this switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan by stating, "The projected savings help fund the latest round of municipal labor contracts that hike wages for cops, teachers, firefighters, sanitation and clerical workers." ...

There we go. 

“Mr. Garrido admits his Stabilization Fund is empty, but he’s not telling you they misused it and now are selling off retirees and the disabled for a cash infusion. There are no $600 million savings to the NY taxpayer as that money goes to the same unions stealing the benefits earned and paid for by senior citizens and people with disabilities.  He should collectively bargain for benefits, something retirees can no longer do. We live that adage, ‘If you don’t have a seat at the table, you must be on the menu. Mr. Garrido picked the wrong main course!’” said Marianne Pizzitola, President of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.

NYC Municipal Retirees, all former Union workers, are being forced into a privatized plan that will cause us harm in funding current workers' raises. That is just wrong. 

We thank Councilman Charles Barron and the brave co-sponsors of the City Council for standing up to this thuggery by Mr. Garrido and introducing Int. 1099, which will protect the earned Medicare benefits of their constituents. 

###

Marianne Pizzitola

President

NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

And

FDNY EMS Retirees Association

 A few pics from the rally with credit to me and Denise Rickles from retiree Advocate.

 

Another defeat for #Mulgrewcare - NYC RETIREES WIN in NY Appellate Court - Administrative Code § 12-126 (b) (1) requires respondents to pay the entire cost, up to the statutory cap, of any health insurance plan a retiree selects.

Today, the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees won their case in the First Department NY Appellate Court.   The Court was very clear Code § 12-126 (b) (1) provides: “The city will pay the entire cost of health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents, not to exceed one hundred percent of the full cost of H.I.P.-H.M.O. on a category basis.”

The court correctly determined that Administrative Code § 12-126 (b) (1) requires respondents to pay the entire cost, up to the statutory cap, of any health insurance plan a retiree selects.

The Retirees applaud the decision.

Marianne Pizzitola

President

NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

This is why the UFT leadership is so desperate to change the code and has had Dist Reps send out a plea to chapter leaders to call their city council to change the code -- so the city would not be required to pay the entire cost? 

At last night's UFT Ex Bd meeting, United for Change reps made a plea to the UFT to reverse course and support current members and retirees. I will post their comments in a follow up.

I will also add the link here to the decision when I get it.

And here it is: https://www.nycretirees.org/_files/ugd/6a0ad2_247a57e48c164348b17a8aeb3817a5da.pdf

This is resounding rejection

Nothing in the statutory text or history supports respondents’ interpretation that the provision is satisfied so long as they pay for the costs of one of the health insurance plans offered to retirees, which they have determined to be the Medicare Advantage Plus Plan.

This was a major talking point for needing to change the code.

Unanimously told its BULLSHIT

Not only did they lose but the court squashed their initial propaganda campaign

It’s no wonder they’ve pivoted to this ends our collective bargaining rights

Which is even more ABSURD

 

Daniel interviewed Marianne Saturday on WBAI -a Must listen.

https://talk-out-of-school.simplecast.com/episodes/healthcaredebacle

click above link to listen - a most informative hour.

Ibeth Mejia at UFT Ex Bd Opposes changing Admin code, urges Blue Ribbon panel on healthcare changes

I support the UFT changing course to come out in opposition to amending Administrative Code 12-126.  Most retirees do not want to be forced into a privatized Medicare Advantage plan where some health insurance company can get even richer on our backs. Strong unions like the UFT should be taking on these insurance giants. 12-126 gives us a nice benchmark plan with the HIP-HMO rate. Leave it alone and find savings elsewhere. The Taylor Law protects healthcare collective bargaining rights. It is a mandatory subject of bargaining.The moratorium clause is part of a state law that protects school district retirees in NY. I am not a lawyer but I like our chances if the City or Arbitrator Sheinman try to impose something unpopular on our retirees or active people. Privatized Medicare is unpopular. This is from Workbites.

Council Member Joann Ariola (R-Queens) told Work-Bites she had fielded thousands of queries from constituents on the Medicare Advantage controversy and that it was running 10 to 1 against making the change in the Administrative Code sought by Mayor Adams and the MLC leadership.

Brooklyn Council Member Charles Barron, (D-Brooklyn) said he was “100 percent with the retirees…because I think they have to keep the commitment they have because it’s beneficial for those who paid their dues and I think the Medicare Advantage approach is privatizing."

"Healthcare costs are out of control,” said Council Member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan). "I have been lobbied by both sides but at this point, I am supportive of the retirees.”

That is a Republican, a left wing Democrat and a more  moderate Democrat I just cited.

Now I would like to cite a past UFT President: the legendary AL Shanker. He said the Union should avoid splitter issues. By seeing what the Council Members are saying, this is clearly a splitter issue. It is the MLC leaderships and their supporters against the rank and file retirees.

Change course. Let's play this out. If the MLC leadership gets a bill in front of the Council, there have to be public hearings. I can pretty much guarantee the MLC leadership will be standing against 9-11 survivors and heroes who will be at the Council en masse to oppose this change to 12-126 that will force them into privatized Medicare. Please don't do it. There is no MLC consensus on revising 12-126 Most of the uniform unions who are quite popular oppose changing 12-126 and they blame the UFT for leading this battle. Don't split the labor movement and don't try to balance the City books on the backs of retirees by privatizing their healthcare. We need to buy time until we can work for a national single payer system like every developed nation on earth has except for the USA. 

I suggest putting together a blue ribbon panel as has been proposed. Find otherb ways to save money with new audits and other savings but please leave the 12-126 as it is and support this resolution.