A week late - First UFT Exec Bd Meeting Echos Labor Day Parade Lovefest - UFT Endorses Candidate Supporting Retirees on Healthcare

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023

I'm reporting on last week's ex bd (Sept. 11) and other events around that weekend. 

I didn't go to yesterday's meeting because my wife offered me a better meal. But given my reporting on UAW and other strikes

• [It's a Militant Union World - Except for a Certain Teacher Union]

here is Nick@NAC reporting on the Sept. 18 meeting re UAW:

There was a resolution on the UAW Strike. I didn’t speak on it, as I of course support my fellow unionists and had already spoken enough. But, there was a certain irony to voting to endorse another union’s strike for 40% wage increases over 4 years when Unity Caucus spoke out against gaining our own right to strike, and later mercilessly heckled opposition members for suggesting we ourselves should be strike ready. The DC37 pattern that UFT conceded to without a fight, remember was just 16.37% over 5.5 years. To put this in perspective UAW was offered 21% initially over 4 years – that’s more than we got in our final deal. We heckled our own members for asking for a strike over a smaller wage increase than the offer UAW is rightly striking over. I support the UAW, and also support the UFT being able to strike. UFT leadership supports the UAW, but not our own right to strike. The contradiction should speak for itself.

Nick's full report is here.

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH DA - UFT Leadership Separates from Reality - Strikes are for the Wealthy, Sill(y) comments, LeRoy Bombast, Pattern Bargaining is wonderful (for leadership), Arrogant snowflake Unity Leaders Talk Down to Members

Being Critical is Political - UFT Leadership Mantra to critics telling them to STFU

We have seen an uptick in aggressive attacks on opposition voices by some in the UFT leadership, accusing them of playing politics when they raise critical issues. While not a new tactic, used by authoritarians over the decades to paint critics as "the other", recent variations have escalated at the Exec Bd and DA and on social media. "We do the work" is their mantra and when that work is criticized, they take umbrage. Like we know Mulgrew is doing the work - for the city and Aetna. And when union officials ignore and bury complaints from schools, they want a free pass. 

In the meantime, the real work continues.  

As per Article V, Section 10 of the UFT Constitution, we call for a membership-wide vote for any significant changes to active and/or retired members’ healthcare.

Mulgrew has a weighed vote on healthcare at the MLC using our total members as leverage, as if we actually have a say. Politicians believe him -- that members are OK with these changes. We can force a referendum on health care related changes by using

• BRING DEMOCRACY TO THE UFT: SIGN THE PETITION CALLING FOR A VOTE ON HEALTHCARE CHANGES

• UFT Leadership to Members: CityMD Copays should be $400; we’re better off without the right to strike. Notes on the 3-15-2023 Delegate Assembly. -- NICKNOTES@NAC

The Unity assassins were out celebrating the Ides of March at the Delegate Assembly with plastic knives. As we speak, union officials are combing through ancient UFT scrolls blacking out the word Strike. 

"In 1967, UFT members went on strike extended the summer vacation by two weeks. They did the same by 3 months in 68." 

Reminds me of Florida new curriculum where Rosa Parks was not black and was asked to go to the back of the bus because she didn't have a ticket.

HOW DARE YOU TAMPER WITH OUR PERFECT RESOLUTION ON UFT HISTORY WHERE EVERYTHING WE WON CAME FROM BEGGING AND PLEADING, AND MENTION THE DEADED S-WORD --- UFT/UNITY CANCEL CULTURE AFTER CONSULTATION WITH RON DISANCTIMONIUS

NYC Educator on Mulgrew

Ethics-Shmethics--The Mike Mulgrew Story - *Chapter 21--I Scuttle Health Care for Members*

Nick (New Action) and James (ICE) have the DA dope:

• UFT Leadership to Members: CityMD Copays should be $400; we’re better off without the right to strike. Notes on the 3-15-2023 Delegate Assembly. -- NICKNOTES@NAC

• LIVE BLOGGING FROM MARCH 2023 DA --- Eterno@ICE

  If I am not the president, the next president will have a big say in how this is done. Aetna saying they have the best Medicare advantage program in the country. They are excited about it....Michael Mulgrew, Mar. 15, 2023 DA
  

And UFT members are  equally excited about Mulgrew not being president. Is he sending a signal? Let the Unity hunger games begin. Mike Sill made his move at the DA by lauding the history of the UFT, which has never had a strike.

Sunday, March 19

James Eterno called me to say MORE used the old Norm tactic at DAs of amending Unity resos. I used to get the floor by calling out "speaker against" on resos they thought no one would oppose. "I'm against this pablum joint Unity/New Action reso because it sucks." They were shocked. And I was approached by a union official afterwards that Randi complained my scornful approach didn't show proper respect. I had mocked their "we plead" context at Bloomberg goons instead of telling them to go fuck themselves.

 

I was spared the mahem on Wednesday by staying outside the DA, as usual, handing out a leaflet calling for the above referendum on healthcare issues. I had some interesting conversations. One guy seems to have pretty much bought the Mulgrew line. The perception is that retirees are the ones affected and people don't look too far into the future. Medicare will be gone by the time most of them reach 65, with a plastic knife in the back from Et Tu Mulgrew.

 

Retiree Advocate had a good leaflet, as did New Action.

 

And Kate Conners from MORE was handing out info on the NY Health Act. She and I talked about the segment Brian Lehrer did with State Senator Gustavo Rivera who explains how that's the real way to save money, not MulgrewCare. 

She said she would raise the issue with Mulgrew and she did by asking him to talk to Rivera. He refused.Mulgrew's commitment to higher costs through privatized healthcare is firm. I hear he made some comment that hinted he may not be running for president again. Maybe that board position at Aetna is looming. 

Nick reports:

Kate Connors had an extremely interesting exchange with Mulgrew over the NY Health Act, where he bizarrely hid behind the need for a reso to support it, despite the UFT DA already having passed such resos twice.

Rules, schmules.

It was cold on Wednesday - how are we letting them get away with not letting us give our lit in the lobby like we'd done for decades? Or not allowing us to observe the DA from the 19th floor? So I left at 5 and went into Whole Foods to get some hot soup. 

It was only when I got uptown to my apartment when I started reading accounts of the DA. A MORE member used an old tactic I used to use by amending a mom and apple pie reso on UFT history by suggesting the UFT origin story and growth of power were based on strikes and strike threats in the 60s. ( I was on the 67, 68 and 75 strikes - but too young for the 60 and 62. )

 

Note the vote totals for opening up Taylor Law discussion, despite LeRoy Barr misleading obfuscation.

 

Here is Nick's report on that part of the meeting.

Michael Sill: Honored to support the resolution speaking in favor of UFT’s anniversary. Asks founders of union to stand for a round of applause (standing ovation). 60 years ago, we faced off with the DOE on contract. That had never happened before. 1960 may seem like an abstract concept. Many teachers we meet elsewhere don’t have collective bargaining rights. They might have consultation rights, but can’t do anything on salary/vacation days. Teacher I spoke to makes 30k; at end she’ll make 35k. She pays a premium for healthcare. That’s life without collective bargaining. Our founders looked around them and saw tons of groups, divided by subject, age, ethnic background, vision. They wanted to bring these groups together. They built a whole wing onto the house of labor. Without them, maybe the Florida teacher might have seen my salary and thought I had it bad. These aren’t mythical creatures. Standing ovation.

James Cole: Rise to make an amendment. Adds one whereas about the key role of the strike, without which we couldn’t have formed. Also resolved to fight for right to strike, now illegal. 1960 wasn’t just a vote that brought us together – there was a strike. And in doing so, we were able to win collective bargaining rights. Over the years, those have been codified in law, but with draconian anti-strike clauses. Strikes brought us real raises – not 3%. Currently there are legislators who are working to amend the constitution. We improve our collective bargaining but winning the right to strike.

LeRoy Barr: Rises in opposition. Acknowledges who were here. With respect to amendment, if case where contract was going to go away, would you go on strike? Gives some other examples. There are reasons we would go on strike, break the Taylor Law. This union was built on the strike we had in 1960. If we didn’t ask to get rid of Taylor Law. Without the Taylor Law, we would have lost the contract. Can romanticize going on strike. Understand what you’re asking for – people will go on strike.

Maggie Joyce: Taylor Law protects our contract. Other districts HAVE to go on strike. Chicago went on strike to get what we have. Remember when we were about to go on strike? My husband can support me, but I have paras who support their entire families. A lot of people here live paycheck to paycheck.

Nick Bacon: speaks in favor. This amendment DOESN’T ask to repeal the entire part of the Taylor Law, just the anti-strike clause. We’ve been affected by this clause. We got an email during the beginning of COVID that we had to go in – not take sick days – or we might lose the automatic payment of dues. That’s the Taylor Law. This reso doesn’t mean we’re going to strike – it just asks the UFT to push for our right to be able to do so if we need to. Others have said that we’d strike if issues were big enough, but right now we have the opposite issue – we’re getting so little (from collective bargaining), such as 3% raises, that our members feel the opposite of mobilized to take actions. Let’s join many other unions in this country in simply having one more tool in our union toolkit – the right to strike.

Question called on amendment. Yeses: 271; Nos: 363; Room: yeses: 37; nos: 148. 38% yes, 62% no. Failed.

Eterno report:

Honor UFT for 63rd birthday.

Mike Sill speaks in support of honoring the UFT on its 63rd anniversary. Honors founders. Look elsewhere in the country to see collective bargaining rights don't exist in many places. Some only have consultation rights, some nothing. Teacher makes $30,000 a year and maxes out at $35,000. Premium for healthcare. That was reality before 1960 in NYC. 106 groups represented teachers. Brought groups together. Built wing on house of labor. 

Amendment to add that we went on strike to get those collective bargaining rights and we want to negotiate to get that right to strike back. Strike to get real raises. State assembly and state senate people are working to get amendment passed to legalize right to strike for public sector workers. Honor founders by passing this amendment.

Leroy Barr opposes the amendment. Grateful for what our founders have done and continue to do. There are reasons we would go on strike in spite of the Taylor law if they tried to take away the Taylor Law like if they cut our pay in half or we had to work Saturdays.  Another Unity person agrees with that. Hard to get people on board with striking in 2020 with COVID. Says strikes are for the privileged.

Nick Bacon says that there is a problem with the Taylor Law. We are only trying to push getting rid of this part of the Taylor Law prohibiting strikes, a fundamental human right. We have to have the right to strike. We need that one union tactic  back to be able to strike. We haven't had a strike since 1975 and this is not calling for a strike.

Vote to close debate on all matters passes. 

Vote on amendment:

On Phone 271 to 363 No

In the Room I can't hear numbers.

38% vote for amendment.

38% in a DA often translates into 10% higher with general members. The UFT leadership attempt to distract from any chance to raise the issue is indicative of how they see the Taylor Law anti-strike provision as protection for themselves from even having to raise the issue.

In the meantime, Nick just posted this:

Why doesn’t UFT leadership want us to have the right to strike?

And I saw that Transit Workers are calling for changes in the Taylor Law. 

And this from Europe:

PETITION LINK: https://hcpetition.educators.nyc/?fbclid=IwAR1hTyDOdJKYuEcOW1CIUxjsFnFRkqTV-pACb3PHX9mVJ5vjr397YnrSKbU

 

 

 

UFT Executive Board report - Dec. 5, 2022 - 22 Minutes of Bliss

Choice of salmon or pork chop

Potatoes

Pasta

Green beans

Gravy

Salad

Red velvet pie 

Oh, yes, the meeting:

Leo Gordon: How to support non-union staff at union-busting companies during the holiday season.

Mary Jo G: Chancellor came out with a reimagining special education. None of which addresses systemic staffing issues.

Pillars - scaling up effective programs. ASD programs: NEST and Horizon, growing incrementally. PATH program - inclusion model for students at risk for emotional disturbances - it is in 7 schools. Also expanding the SEED - sensory exploration program that therapists are doing after school and Saturdays. Initially 2 in each borough & expanding. Hopefully paying on time. Establishing an advisory council. Advocates and parents. Will find more info and share.

Ilona: Next week the UFT will hold a meeting for school librarians next week. Attendees will wear a shirt

Mike Sill: Thanks to Alex and HS EB because they wrote a resolution but the other ppl who wanted to participate in motivating were not here, but

Rodney: Oppose policy re: not allowing gay men to donate blood except for certain instances of abstinence for a year. Now they want to propose abstinence for 3 months.

Requesting completely revoking the policy and take a step in the right direction. They’re starting it, but still it’s discriminatory, capricious, and arbitrary. Partner w Natl Black leadership on Health; HRC; GLADD. Please support resolution

Change of DA. It will be 12/21 instead of 12/14

Motion to adjourn at like 6:22p: unanimous

Mike Sill: Okay, if anyone wants to tell LeRoy, go ahead.

Cone of Silence Descends on UFT Ex Bd - Maga Mentality Unity Caucus Shuts People out of Ex Bd in Executive Session Using "Leak" Excuse

United for Change Ex Bd Member

Last night Retiree Advocate held a Zoom on the healthcare issue attended by 250 people who stayed on for the entire event. 

• Exposing the Adams/Mulgrew Threat to Our Healthcare: Untangling the Confusion- Retiree Advocate - Sunday Nov. 6 7PM

What does the success of the resistance to Mulgrewcare have to do with closing the Executive Board to non Ex Bd UFT members? 

 

Everything. The more people know, the less they will believe the bullshit.

The cruelest cut of all - No dinner for me at Ex Bd

Before I begin, once I learned of the closed session I decided not to go, though I was going to ask Leroy Barr if I could just eat and run. My wife had to deal with my dinner, unexpectedly --  she had spent the day prepping for tomorrow's Mah Jong game at our house. We had Japanese food takeout with Saki -- and I never get Saki at UFT Ex Bd meetings. So a win win tonight. But tomorrow I have to get out of here or go crazy listening to 5 hours of tiles clacking.

Monday, Nov. 7
Tonight's UFT Executive Board meeting, which constitutionally is supposed to be open to all UFT members, was turned into an Exec Session using the excuse of a leaked audio of a question and answer on the Mulgrewcare fiasco at the Oct. 24 meeting as an excuse. Recordings of meetings are not allowed as per Leroy Barr's instructions at the first ex bd meeting. The problem is that Barr has not made that same announcement at every meeting and there were obviously lots of new people at the last hybrid meeting and someone assumed it was OK to share some of the questions asked about healthcare and the lame responses.

 

Oh, the tragedy. Unity is acting like the NSA -- but why expect a normal reaction from an authoritarian leadership that at the last meeting ended a 60 year tradition and limited the question period. The closer the flames get the more restrictive dictatorships become --- this is a constant historical truth. Expect more restrictions to follow, but at some point these regimes come to an end as more and more people get burned.

 

While I believe all UFT members should have access to Ex Bd meetings - there must be a cast of thousands just pining to hear these stimulating meetings, I can agree that it is wrong to use audio of sensitive issues best left behind closed doors. I have maintained that anyone who speaks and wants to record themselves and share it that should be allowed. I spoke for 3 minutes at the last meeting and probably should have recorded myself because I think I did a good job on exposing the health care issue.

 

But context, context, context. I could understand it we broke the cone of silence on contracts (which I also oppose but go along with to keep Unity slugs happy.)

 

Why they are going ballistic at this leak of a question and answer on healthcare? The leaked recording exposed the lame/lying response by union officials on health care. 

 

Ineptness is the mother of censorship.

Mic drop.

 

 

Eterno goes into more detail:

The last Executive Board meeting audio was released to Marianne Pizzitola, President of the NYC Organization of Public Sector Retirees, who is standing up to Unity arguably better than anyone in the 62-year history of this union. Marianne is not a UFT member, however, she is a union supporter. She is an FDNY-EMS retiree who is part of DC 37, another government employee union in NYC. 

Many of my colleagues in the opposition in the UFT are not happy that Marianne is out there exposing the UFT and Municipal Labor Committee by playing audio of meetings that have been leaked. Under most circumstances, I would agree that she has no business monitoring the UFT but the UFT as one of the biggest MLC unions has a big say on healthcare and our leadership doesn't fight fair as most of you here know full well.

His full piece here: UFT CLOSES EXECUTIVE BOARD IN REACTION TO BEING EXPOSED BY NYC RETIREE ORGANIZATION LEADER

 Ex Bd UFC member, who has not been heard from in hours - in ex bd jail I imagine - reported before he went into the cauldron:

Executive Session Inexplicably Called Tonight with two resos UFC people are bringing up - if they aren't shot first.

https://newaction.org/2022/11/07/executive-session-inexplicably-called-tonight/ 

Published November 7, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Tonight, 11-7-22, we are being told that it may be an executive session for the UFT executive board meeting. We have not been told why or been given any notice. This means that no observers will be allowed. We will try to present some regular non-session business tonight including the bottom two resos. Otherwise, we will be unable to present minutes tonight.

Resolution on Abusive Administrators

Whereas, hundreds of DOE administrators have been flagged by UFT members as abusive for creating toxic workplaces, taking liberties with the contract, and/or targeting teacher unionists. 

Whereas, abusive principals can destroy the careers of both tenured and probationary teachers, and in the case of probationary teachers, can do so for “any or no reason.”

Whereas, UFT Leadership does not have the power to hire, fire, or discipline administrators, but does have the power to act on our behalf by petitioning the State for increased legal protections, negotiating with the City for increased contractual protections, addressing the Chancellor during consultation on behalf of affected chapters, and, if necessary, by organizing the broader membership in solidarity.

Whereas, for several years, the UFT had a multi-caucus committee dealing with principals in need of improvement (PINI), only to needlessly disband it in 2016 without any ‘successor’ program. 

Whereas, as a result, the UFT has no dedicated formal mechanism for identifying and pressing for the removal, transfer, or remediation of abusive administrators. 

Whereas, a lack of systematic response by UFT to abusive administrators damages member morale, and signals to problematic administrators that they are immune from consequences.

Whereas, in the wake of the Janus decision, failure to address abusive administrators can lead our members to lose faith in the union, putting our local at risk.  

Resolved, that the UFT will work to amend State law to give probationary teachers more protections so that teachers and other staff are not subjected to arbitrary and capricious actions, and be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will work to increase protections and resources against workplace bullying of our members by principals, drawing on recent legislation such as Senate Bill S3395A:  the New York State Healthy Workplace Bill. And be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will work in negotiations to strengthen the UFT contract to afford more protections for both probationary and tenured UFT members, and be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will  highlight the problems of abusive administrators, through membership involvement, various forms of social media, publications, etc., and be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will employ a multifaceted campaign to end the reign of terror of abusive administrators. This campaign will include the many tools and approaches that have previously been passed at Delegate Assemblies including: taking all legal remedies, establishing “swat teams” to go into schools with a history of abuse, assigning key UFT personnel to monitor and regularly visit said schools, organizing campaigns within and outside these schools to modify the behavior of abusive administrators and if necessary to remove them from their schools. And be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will re-establish a multi-caucus Principals in Need of Improvement (PINI) committee to oversee this process. 

Interim Resolution to Address the Rising Cost of Health Care

Whereas health costs have continued to rise, and 

Whereas, the Municipal Labor Committee, including our own United Federation of Teachers (UFT), agreed to find over $600 million in savings to the City in exchange for past salary increases, and

Whereas, the Mayor and the Municipal Labor Committee(of which the United Federation of Teachers is one of the largest parts) proposed a plan to move retirees to a privatized Medicare Advantage plan, and 

Whereas the proposal to move retirees to Medicare Advantage has caused extreme consternation and anxiety for the 250,000 NYC public service retirees (including UFT retirees) potentially affected due to fears that “cost savings” would be accomplished by reducing access to providers and procedures, and overall diminishing the quality and quantity of health care they would receive, and

Whereas 65,000 retirees were so concerned they opted out of the new plan, and

Whereas, Judge Lyle Frank ruled on March 2, 2022 that the plan could not go forward as presented, as it violated the City’s Administrative Code 12-126, and

Whereas the Mayor and the Municipal Labor Committee agreed to lobby the city council to amend the City’s Administrative Code 12-126 to allow their Medicare Advantage plan to go forward, and

Whereas the proposed amendment to the Code would eliminate the current benchmark, opening the door to changes that could hurt both in-service and retired members, and 

Whereas changing the Code would empower the city to push to downgrade healthcare quality and access in future negotiations, potentially increasing the financial burden and health risk for the city’s entire workforce, which is two-thirds people of color and earn incomes on average much lower than most UFT members, and

Whereas the MLC as representative of over 100 municipal unions should advocate for better funding for health care that does not cause union members, including UFT in-service members and retirees, grave concerns, and

Whereas the UFT and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) have a long track record of supporting budget fairness in New York City and New York State, such as NYSUT’s recent #FundOurFutureNY campaign.

Therefore, be it Resolved, that the UFT now stands in opposition to revising Administrative Code 12-126, and urges the MLC to follow suit, and be it further 

Resolved, that the UFT in collaboration with NYSUT will look for fair funding sources to help the City meet its health care obligations to its employees and retired employees without reducing the quality or quantity of medical service, and 

Be it further resolved that the UFT consider sources including, but not limited to:  a progressive income tax for those with incomes over $5 million; restoration of the Stock Transfer Tax which could gain over to $12 billion of income to the state, or tax on the wealth of billionaires, or closing the carried interest loophole, or a pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes in New York City, or implementing an inheritance tax on the highest 1% of inheritances, or repealing the corporate profit tax breaks implemented by President Trump within New York State and restoring pre-2017 percentages, or eliminating rebates for taxes on stock buybacks, or repealing tax exemptions on luxury goods such as private planes and yachts, or eliminate city property tax breaks for real estate billionaires and 

Be it further resolved that the UFT will take the lead urging the MLC to wage a full-scale campaign to push the City and/or State to institute or restore these revenue sources, which could be used to secure the continued stability of our members’ and retiree’s healthcare.

 

 

Unity/UFT Ends Decades of Tradition of Open ended questioning at Oct. 24 Ex Bd as Questions Attempt to hold leadership accountable

Opposition doesn't come from a naive place. We have educated opinions that differ from leadership's.... Melissa Williams, CL OT/PT Chapter at Oct. 24 UFT Ex Bd

I'm done with anything Unity does anymore. Not joining the healthcare committee. Probably gonna leave contract. Waste of my time and validates them falsely. Done giving them credibility that they aren't partisan. I'm just sad. I'm sad that unity stooped this low. I really am. I was optimistic about working together to some extent. That died today..... Comment from activist who had intentions of working with Unity

Healthcare savings are nothing but givebacks.... James Eterno

United for Change defeated Unity by 500 votes in the high schools to elect the 7 high school reps to the ex bd. There are 20 thousand high school teachers.  They deserve a voice.

Autocrats threatened with losing control, always react with suppressing democracy which actually energizes the opposition. (See Iran).

If you can't find the time to put in two hours every two weeks at an Ex bd meeting, go find something else to do. 

Links to Oct. 24 Ex Bd meeting notes from Nick and James:

• New Action – UFT Union leadership votes to disenfranchise high school executive board members – Executive Board Minutes – 10/24/2022 -
• ICEUFT Blog LIVE BLOGGING FROM OCTOBER 24, 2022 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEET

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Something broke last night at the UFT Ex Bd meeting, becoming reminiscent of the divide between Republicans and Democrats. We know who the Republicans are. Fundamentally, the UFT/Unity leadership has the mentality of the Republican party - privatizing, voter suppression and anti-democratic. Mitch Mulgrew.

I heard Amy [Arundell] yelling at the top of her lungs when we brought up the length of the president’s report [at the DA] and asking who makes the agenda "it’s our TRADITION," she yelled. Last night she gutted decades of tradition By cutting the question period •limiting it.... Her oath to loyalty over principle may now mean I’ve lost all respect for her unionism......we lose all respect for your unionism when oath to caucus loyalty comes before a modicum of principle. Limiting & silencing questions by rank and file because they make you uncomfortable... Educators of NYC

I admit I was sort of surprised that Amy, who many oppo people have had respect for in the past, led the way on limiting the question period, but I guess she has to demonstrate what a loyal foot soldier she is as her star has fallen somewhat in the leadership hierarchy. 

We watch positioning in the UFT along the lines people watched the Chinese Communist Party where Xi Jinping kept his back turned while his predecessor was escorted from the room. Unity should televise their next Party Congress. Will we see Mulgrew escorted from the room the same way?

Just watch the faces of the Unity Ex Bd and see either blank stares or frustration that they actually have to put up with questions and resos from those who disagree with them. You see, in Unity you don't question. You just follow orders. So actually seeing people ask questions must cause them some culture shock.

 

Last night a line in the sand of sorts was drawn. I wonder if they are taking this comment from Arthur Goldstein, who has been a Unity supporter for years:

Unity is not thinking ahead. This plan is exactly why they won this year by the lowest percentage ever, and exactly why they could lose the next election... The MLC Medicare Advantage Plan

More Democracy is threat to autocrats in Unity Caucus:

If UFC ever really gets it together - which is always problematical -- the retiree vote will move further away from Unity and once the healthcare loses take full effect, the membership will move away too. If I live to see the 2025 election, it should be interesting. If I don't, keep me informed anyway by posting comments on this blog.

 

The standard reaction of autocracies faced with threats to their control (think Lucashencko, Putin, Xi, Mulgrew) is to double down on repression. 

 

Democracy issues were front and center at the EB meeting last night.

Unity puts time limits on EB question period - expect further restrictions on democracy

 

UFT Ex Bd - Oct. 3 - Healthcare Mumble Jumble, Leroy Barr exonerates Unity for all election transgressions

Healthcare and the UFC election complaints dominated the Ex bd meeting, both causing those of us texting during the meeting some double LOL moments.

The uft leadership new solution to healthcare is to form an in-service health-care committee similar to the bogus retiree health committee loaded with Unity Caucus shills. Watch the new committee endorse whatever mess they are going to make of healthcare for working members in the upcoming contract. Maybe throw a silver sneaker or two at them. As one astute observer of UFT said:  GHI is dead - it will be all managed care and choice will cost you.

My head is spinning over the misinformation at the ex bd last night. Eterno has the raw facts: OCTOBER 3 EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT  as does Nick Bacon: Healthcare, Healthcare, Healthcare – UFT Executive Board Minutes, 10/3/2022

Ilona Nanay, Ex bd HS: I stand in favor of the resolution (in opposition to the privatization of Medicare). A year ago my mother died of breast cancer and she was on a medicare advantage plan. It was virtually impossible for her to obtain care. I think it is one of the reasons that she passed. It is still extremely frustrating – every time I hear [Mulgrew] talk about the program. I would love a breakdown of why the NY Health Act hurts us as members of the union. UFT supported the NY healthcare in 2015. Why is NY Health Act antithetical to us? It would expand healthcare across the community. I can't understand why we are opposed to it.... 

....interrupted in midstream by point of order by Aqeel Williams because he noticed someone on the zoom with a sign - horrors - asked for her to be thrown out of meeting - double horrors.... oh my, someone held up a sign on zoom that few noticed but the Unity police were on the case to interrupt someone talking about their mom dying from cancer a year ago during which you didn't hear a pin drop? Oh, Akeel - you are so sensitive. 

The response from Gaglione was along the lines of - she just picked the wrong MedAdv program. -- Double lack of sensitivity for Vinny. And then later, an upset Ilona was approached by some Unity people who wanted to share how their family members also had cancer -- the very people who voted against the reso -- did they have the right MedAdv insurance?

And this-----

Gee -  someone might leave a comment in the chat that might contradict the lies and lines Unity puts out. These people must control every means of communication.

Chat room began meeting as enabled but as soon as some people began to post it was disabled.

Just a flavor of the Oct. 3 UFT Ex Bd meeting.  --Some more flavors from anonymous comments from observers:

The most fucked-up moments were... When Aqeel interrupted Ilona talking about her dead mother to complain about something that had been happening all along...When Vincent said “unfortunately you need to look at what you’re buying” after Ilona talked about how her mother’s poor healthcare contributed to her death from cancer...When people who had voted against the resolution came over to a crying Ilona to tell her about their dead and metastatic relatives...Then Melissa Williams told them off

More OMFG moments brought to us by DISUnity... Fake news moment when MM said the UFT doesn’t want to organize actions “bc they don’t want to tell members what to do/boss them around,” when really by my recollection of having been at times the only member of 193K+ to show up to the actions the UFT “organized” this summer, in truth, they are simply not able to do so... 

When asked by Lydia at Exec Board meeting yesterday about what is union doing to inform members they can attend Ex Bd meetings: Sill cracked jokes and asked Lydia what she’s doing to get folx involved?... He pulled that line twice. Once with Lydia and again with another speaker. They got "Silled" ... It’s pre-planned gaslighting Playbook... The Secretary and Assistant Secretary make close to a half a million dollars combined. They can at least show fidelity to our constitution which says ex bd meetings are open. Asking a full time teacher and Exec Board volunteer to do their work is patronizing.

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022

A real healthcare debate broke out at the Ex Bd meeting last night as UFT/Unity spun double talk about healthcare costs and solutions, plus the report on the election complaints. 

Mulgrew bad omen: We have to push back against rising costs and how do we do it? We find ways to work with the city to save money --- 

Where those savings actually come from is left fuzzy. UFC Ex Bd people challenged the Unity line with a resolution that pushed back. 

Here's a piece from Nick Bacon's notes during the question period:

Ibeth Mejia: According to Article 3G1, “ The Board agrees to arrange for, and make available to each day school teacher, a choice of health and hospital insurance coverage from among designated plans and the Board agrees to pay the full cost of such coverage.” Why are we discussing limiting FREE plans when a choice of free plans is in our contract?

Response: We are championing choice.

Ibeth: Don’t we already have two not premium free plans, GHI and HIP?

Sorkin: We are looking to preserve good ‘premium free options.’

Ibeth: Presses.

Sorkin: Notes rises costs. Would love to pass costs on to members. So we need to see what else is out there. We have dictates from decades of negotiations over healthcare.

Ilona: DC37 sent out a letter to members stating bluntly that if healthcare isn’t ‘fixed’, their raises won’t keep up with inflation. In other words, if they don’t agree to lower the quality of their healthcare, one can infer that they’ll see other parts of their quality of life be reduced – income, perhaps housing, etc. In the past year or so, we’ve heard similar threats from UFT. Does the UFT leadership agree with this assessment from DC37? How will pattern bargaining affect us? And what can retirees and in-service members expect will happen to the quality or access to healthcare in the future? Will we only receive raises if we cut our benefits? Or will we fight for both.

Sorkin: Familiar with letter – speaking of cost savings not reducing healthcare. Can’t speak to UFT’s role in not negotiating until healthcare. There’s no talk of reducing benefits – just the cost.

Lydia: Clarifying question regarding Ibeth’s question. Why has the UFT allowed the change in Administrative code 12-126.

Sorkin: Because we want to preserve choice and we want to make sure the MLC has a voice.

Alex Jallot: Mulgrew did support national healthcare. So are we only going to endorse federal candidates who support universal healthcare?

How are they reducing costs and offering us a choice only if we pay $400 a month per couple? Oh wait -- reducing costs for the city, not for us.

At 7:45 Nick raised a reso calling on the UFT to support Medicare for all - Keep Medicare as Medicare --- Vinnie from Unity gaslights - MedAdv is just part of med part c. 

La di da -- The benevolent UFT is calling for changes in the admin code to offer us a choice - at $400 bucks a month for couples. And those with lousy pensions who can't afford it - that's no choice.

Ibeth- Responds to Mr. Gaglione.  Supports choice. We need free choice. It would cost almost $400 a month for a retired married couple to keep what they have now. We need Medicare for all.

Another A-plus for Ibeth -- short and succinct.

No wonder Unity was desperate to keep UFC off the ex bd. Instead of rubber stamp meetings ending at 6:30 - this one ran until 8PM. I was on the zoom due last remnants of covid but that helped me notice things - with the assistance of people texting from inside.

Mulgrew: Medicare Advantage is only one piece of what has been going on, which is why we need an in-service committee. We go to the doctors more than any other employees of the City....

Is Mulgrew chastising teachers for going to doctors so often?  Like I wonder why teachers go to doctors so often? Do you think working conditions? My first two years I was sick all the time being exposed to roomfulls of children.

Mulgrew: ‘Medicare Advantage’ is still part of Medicare. We have the right to do this, so why not make our own? We want good quality premium free healthcare.

Sophistry - MedAdv is an alternative to Medicare and sucks money out of Medicare and keeps prices high through high admin costs, ex salaries, and big profits. Mulgrew actually complained about allowing them to call themselves non-profits while making high profits while at the same time trying to move retirees out of public options and into one of these plans.

 

Here is Nick Bacon speaking for the resolution in opposition to the privatization of Medicare he presented:(Click hyperlink to left for full text).

Bacon: Endorses resolution in opposition to the privatization of Medicare.  It was said earlier by Mulgrew that UFT supports a national single payer public option. Indeed we as a union have passed resolutions to this effect. It stands to reason that Medicare, the only current public option, which such a system would be modeled after, must be preserved. Therefore, we must resist privatization of Medicare. Medicare Advantage will get cost savings through privatization that limits access to care for our retirees (and future retirees) who dedicated their careers in service to our City and students. It will add to administrative costs and add barriers to care like prior authorizations. Medicare Advantage is much like charter schools, which we as a union also resist. Charter Schools offer to do the same as public schools but ‘better’ and often ‘cheaper’ through privatization. They erode public education by doing this. Medicare Advantage does the same to Medicare. Given our own obvious analogy in education,  our own precarious situation relative to privatization, we must argue for salvaging our public Medicare. And we owe it to the workers who have retired and one day will retire.

Sworkin: Stand in opposition. States things thee says things that are false and is misguided. ‘Sometimes we need to make tough decisions.’

Yeah, Jeff, your tough decision will end up screwing us.

Only the 7 vote and Mike Schirtzer in favor of the resolution. Unity votes down resolution.

UFT Election Complaints report by Leroy Barr:

This is part 2 of the UFT report on the UFC complaints. There's lots here to revue but Eterno and Nick cover a bunch of it. I took note of this one:

The complaint charged that UFC delegates had been shut out of making resos at the DA. Leroy reported: It is false that non-Unity members have not been allowed. November: (Bacon), Daniel Alicea (had on agenda), January (Strivers), various motions to amend also noted.

BULLCRAP - Actually, close observers have noted very clearly that after the oppo won some points at the October 2021 DA -- notably on class size - Unity shut down oppo voices for the rest of the school year. Leroy claimed Mulgrew doesn't know where people sit when insiders have told us repeatedly that they actually hold DA practice sessions with what is known as the Unity Speakers Bureau - one Unity member told me Mulgrew has a seating plan for Unity people. The LOL moment came when Leroy pointed to Nick Bacon being given the opportunity to make a reso as an example of UFC Oppo - except Nick was actually a member of Unity at the time and UFC hadn't yet been formed.

 

UFC HS Ex Bd Nick Bacon responded: 

Simply want to clarify that it’s unfair to say UFC was called on in resolutions. When I was called, I was a member of Unity. UFC did not clearly exist yet. When Daniel was called up his resolution had been put on the docket the previous school year, well before UFC existed. It had been on the docket so long that it was moot when he brought it up, hence him taking it off the agenda. All other members discussed did not bring up original resolutions. They simply called up amendments or other points of order, which they don’t need to be called on by Unity-elected officers in order to do.

[Note - Leroy informed me they are editing the report to take Nick's comment into account].

 

By the way - UFC election percentages show serious support from members who voted -- UFC should be given time and space at the DA.

 

Mike Schirtzer calls for lifting UFT Negotiating committee Cone of Silence a crack. 

Can we publicize contract meetings and some our demands that serve our students and parents. Get members in front of cameras to say we want what families want.

 

Mike did this in a good way --- pointing out that keeping negotiating issues behind closed doors is not the best way to galvanize support. Teachers major demands help children - we should be showing that.

 

Good for Mike ---

UFT Sept. 19 Exec Bd Takeaways: Coalition Jells in Pre-Meeting, Unity turns down working with Oppo on Ex Bd, Big Grievance win with serious money at Aviation HS

Monday, Oct. 3, 2022

 

Tonight is an Ex Bd meeting (see below for agenda). 

 

I attended the Sept. 19 meeting and tested pos for Covid 36 hours later -- unlikely I got it there. I feel great but last tested pos on Thursday - a deep dark line. I may be neg but with the weather I am staying home and will zoom in. I will test again tomorrow because we have a Peter Lugers date with family on Friday and have to give notice if we are still pos. Some people stay pos for up to 90 days I was told. Fingers crossed. I can taste that steak -- thank goodness I still have my sense of taste - my wife feels she has lost some sense -- I
think I can steal some of her steak if we end up going to Lugers.

Anyway, I started writing this report two weeks ago but got distracted by covid. They serve food and despite my request for Peter Luger steaks being rejected, the food has been quite good.

Sept. 20, 2022: UFT Ex Bd meeting - 18 people associated with opposition show up in person and more on zoom.

It is important for non-Unity people to attend these meetings as a declaration that the UFT is not owned by Unity.

 

I enjoy these meetings for the camaraderie of the various elements of the United for Change coalition, which has not been very active since the election ended in May. At both the Sept. 12 and 19th meetings we all met an hour before and talked about which issues that need to be addressed, questions asked, etc. 

Here's what's really interesting. Many Retiree Advocate people are there mingling with the 30 something new people and what a nice dynamic. That's what I will miss tonight.

We discussed a reso calling for a bi-partisan ex bd action committee - similar to the arrangement New Action had with Unity in their ten years of bipartisanship -- I will admit to have a gag reflex at that memory --- I don't believe in working at the top with people who really have little interest - and that was proven immediatly at the Unity reaction - or over reaction to this mild reso.

When the elected high school Exec. Bd. members presented their resolution --- Nick Bacon did it - see Nick's New Action report on the Exec Bd.:

• Substitute Rights, Healthcare, Buses, 6th Classes, and a No to Action Committee – UFT Executive Board, 9/19/2022

• EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT (Unedited)

....it was predictable Unity would line-up to attack the resolution. As one Unity Caucus speaker after another lined up at the microphones to speak against you could tell how scripted the attack was. Many speakers stated that the UFT Negotiating Committee of 500 should constitute and be the controlling factor in forming a UFT Action Committee. This was supposed to make sense! Really a committee of 500?...New Action: Substitute Rights, Healthcare, Buses, 6th Classes, and a No to Action Committee – UFT Executive Board, 9/19/2022

  

It's not a bad argument - if the negotiating committee is legitimate and not a rubber stamp. I don't feel forming little bi-partisan action committees with Unity has much worth. I'm not for participating in the Unity stacked negotiating committee either -- but the UFC people think they had to be there or get slammed - and some even think they can accomplish something. Maybe they will. I don't hold out much hope.

To me what was interesting was the initial reaction - or non-reaction - of the UFC people who didn't seem to have an offhand response to the Unity argument that the negotiating committee was more democratic. But saving the day from the zoom was Mike Schirtzer -- the lone independent on the Ex bd even though he was elected on the Unity slate. He came up with a cogent, logical reason for this committee that almost convinced me. Sorry, Covid fog has wiped out what he said. (And what a great excuse I have now for anything I screw up.) Mike seemed to unlock the door for the UFC people and one after another they went to the mic and made their case.

Ok - what else happened at the meeting? I claim Covid fog but you can read the official UFT minutes below. But Ibeth Mejia, CL of Aviation HS, talked about her school's major grievance win. Eterno has a more detailed report on how Unity/UFT has let 20 years go by without forcing the issue - CHAPTER LEADER WEEKLY UPDATE: CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS START OCT 13; AVIATION HS SIXTH PERIOD PAY GRIEVANCE WIN;
 

I also wanted to share some thoughts about the UFC crew from someone I will keep anon due to some connections to Unity -- but it is so well written and thought out:

I just wanted to express my gratitude for all you have done in just 2 executive board meetings. 

You have brought school based, member issues to the leadership of our union, it is important that the folks leading our union hear from working members so they are aware of what is going in our classrooms. 

I know some of you may be disappointed the reso didnt pass, but the debate around it  was great and meaningful. 

Resos brought by opposition will not pass unless it is run by adcom (officers) first- but it still serves at least two purposes.

1. It redirects or changes the conversation-even when it doesnt pass- i would expect at the next contract meeting there will be talk about school based actions-this only happens because of your reso. 

2. it serves a political purpose, I hope all your groups send out to your members the reso you brought forth and the rationale for it and share the minutes of the meeting from nick and eterno-it is important that members see what theyre votes resulted in-a group of representatives bringing members' interests forward to our leadership. I also hope you share the ex bd meeting notes with your chapter 

The tone and meaning of these meetings have already changed, the talk is about member issues and member concerns-your very presence at these meetings makes it better. It is important that our leaders are accountable to the members they serve-you are there holding their feet to the fire.

At any rate, every member has a better union, a more responsive union, because of your presence and action at these meetings.

And notes for tonight: