NYSUT News: Going - Pres. Andy Pallotta, Coming - Melinda Person Who? Has Never Been a Teacher - Succession or Coup?

Putin Cites Mulgrew/Randi Takeover of NYSUT as Inspiration for Crimean Invasion

I admire the Unity Caucus operation tremendously. I only wish I had such control....My next invasion will be Brighton Beach to protect the Russian speaking population in Brooklyn.... I am looking for a condo in Brooklyn as a base of operation but the real estate prices are crazy.... Vladimir Putin 

Ed Notes, March 4, 2014

Sunday - February 12, 2023  - Happy Birthday Abe

Ok, so Putin lied about his next invasion. The breaking news Friday night of a coming change in leadership at NYSUT brought up memories of the last change of leadership in 2014, one of only two times where there was a contested election. But lots more on 2014 later in this post.

UPDATE 7:30: Trusted source says Pallotta just retired. No drama. Also - no signs of early resistance to the move to Person.

Traditionally, the top levels of NYSUT have been occupied by former teachers and local union leaders, not by bureaucrats. Even Randi, who was a lawyer first when the top level oligarchs chose to make her the next president, did a quick teaching hit job to give her creds and meet UFT constitution requirements. NYSUT doesn't seem to have a similar requirement that officers had to teach.

 

Thus, we see a change coming with the announcement of candidacy for NYSUT President by Melinda Person, currently NYSUT Executive and Political Director - an appointed position, seemed sort of strange less than three months before NYSUT Delegates meet to elect its officers in late April. 

 

By all reports, Melinda Person is well-liked but it is interesting she shows no teaching background in her resume (see below), though she says she wanted to be a teacher. But all you have to do is look at her salary over the past 15 years (below) for a reason she did not teach. Even Randi seems to have had more teaching experience than her.

 

I was confused when I first heard of the announcement Friday night. 

 

She announces she is running while Andy Pallotta is still president? My first thought was she is running against him. But how could that be since she is running under the Unity line? This came across like she woke up in the morning and decided to run for NYSUT president but we know she was chosen by the hierarchy. 

 

I wondered. Who is Melinda Person and what is going on with Andy? Is he being forced out? Another coup in NYSUT?  (See 2014 story below). 

What forces in the UFT/NYSUT/AFT sphere are behind Person?

We got our answer shortly after with this twitter announcement by Andy Pallotta:

  

The order of announcement seemed strange. How mixed were his emotions? A change in leadership at that level involves some preparation. Some introduction around the state to the rank and file of someone no one except maybe the insiders know. Apparently Unity/NYSUT had a meeting the other day and the change was made. Did Andy decide to retire or was he pushed? Most probably, the former. (He must have noticed how much I've been enjoying my 20 years of retirement.) Usually, there are rumors in advance.

 

One thing we noted was that Person has been the NYSUT political director since October, 2014 and was assistant director of legislation for 6 years from 2008-2013 with a gap of a year, right in the middle of NYSUT turmoil over the 2014 election. She occupied the same position at the state level that Cassie Prugh, who recently left the UFT, had. Prugh replaced the popular (with soccer fans) Paul Egan after a fuzzy type scandal. She had been a somewhat shadowy and unpopular figure who came directly out of the Cuomo administration to the UFT. Some saw Prugh as the Cuomo plant in the UFT or vice versa. It is not clear who is replacing Prugh in the UFT. Sources say that she’ll still be working for the UFT on retainer. And who is taking Person's place as political director of NYSUT? Might as well let Cassie do both jobs for a double retainer - I'd love to what the retainer pays.

The UFT/NYSUT/AFT hierarchy is fundamentally run like a monarchy

UFT Contract Teach-Ins Raise Profile with Members and gets good ratings, Some Talk - strike prep (shhh) in schools, Report on Jan. 29 Pep Rally - and other News

Don't tell anyone, but s-t-r-i-k-e was mentioned at some chapters taking part in the UFT contract Teach-In. Taylor Law spies were monitoring and if you uttered the word you will get a two for one penalty. A NO vote on a contract doesn't mean a strike but why not scare the city and show the UFT membership is ready and willing if necessary?

Best union discussion I've heard forever...  comment on the pre-teach in PEP rally.

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2022

Over a week has passed since the UFT contract Teach-in on Jan. 30 and the previous Sunday evening Jan. 29 fabulous and historic EONYC Prep rally chaired by Daniel Alicea. Daniel is doing some amazing things with his web site on The Wire by offering a wide range of people space to publish. Support EONYC. The slides are here.

• [Ed Notes promoted both events: UFT Contract Update Yin-Yang - Jan. 29 EONYC 7PM PEP Rally, UFT Rally Monday Outside Whitney Museum - Reality Bites].

Reports coming in are that the contract Teach-in was a success, as was the PEP rally the night before with about 90 people on the zoom and another 100 or so on the FB stream and included a panel from across the spectrum of the UFT. In a number of schools salaries and health care were big items. And there was some talk about strike. And some anti-Mulgrew sentiment. But there was interest and we give the UFT kudos for engaging.

Due to Mondays being a long PD day, some schools did the teach-in later in the week, as MS 53 (Daniel's school) did. The UFT did promos - and pre-training that 900 people attended and held a noon Jan. 30 press conference in front of the Whitney Museum which got some good press coverage - and also some criticism as to the optics of using a fancy spot instead of a gritty school - there are reports that 700 Queens school held an event. Kudos to Queens UFT Borough rep Amy Arundell for pushing this plan aggressively and enthusiastically.

The great Work-Bites reporter Bob Hennelly had UFT officials on WBAI:

Bob's guests are Vice President for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Janella Hinds, special education teacher Faiza Khalid, and UFT Borough Representative in Queens Amy Arundell on the UFT building rank and file solidarity at contract time.Listen here. (They go on at the 31:30 mark). Note- Janella Hinds of a Secretary Treasurer at MLC in addition to being VP high schools. Hennelly knows his stuff on healthcare.

In addition, UFT contract committees met in person during that week after school. It was a pretty busy week and Yes, Virginia, the oppo people have been supporting the leadership initiatives on the contract while maintaining the right to be critical.

James Eterno commented a few days before:

• UFT CONTRACT TEACH INS: CAN WE AT LEAST ALL HAVE THE SAME SET OF FACTS TO WORK FROM?

Nick Bacon had some advance advice for how the Teach-in should run:

UFT: Let’s do those contract teach-ins right today

Contract teach-ins start today. As I wrote last week, I’m in favor of the teach-ins, albeit with some modifications. I support them to the extent that they help members learn, think, and build some organizing infrastructure around our contract. I oppose them to the extent that the timing is odd (though better late than never) and the materials designed for them resemble propaganda to pre-organize members for a potentially undeserved ‘yes’ vote.  Luckily, at this point, we have some new materials. The good folks over at MORE published a much better version of the UFT’s official powerpoint. It looks to resemble the original powerpoint well enough that it could be switched out without any new planning. And, James Eterno over at ICE-UFT published an awesome article thoroughly analyzing the flaws with UFT leadership’s explanation on what we ‘do and don’t’ have power to bargain over. (Spoiler alert: we have way more power than union leadership would have us believe). I’d frankly print out that article and read it with your chapter. You might also take a look at some sample contract demands like New Action’s and share those with your chapter.

 I wonder if the leadership didn't open up a pandora's box by getting people involved while telling them about all the things they can't negotiate. James takes these apart one by one.

MulgrewCare Update: It's About Collusion and Civil Rights - Retiree Evie Rich Uncovers the Racism, Sexism and economic impact - Amsterdam News

Brewer correctly characterizes for-hire arbitrator Martin Scheinman’s December 15, filing in favor of the Medicare Advantage switcheroo a “non-binding report.” Pizzitola is more blunt, calling it “paid propaganda.”... Joe Maniscalco, Working-Bites

 The hits keep coming for Mulgrewcare with the above piece just out - see full article below. Then this dagger to the heart of Mulgrewcare by retiree Evie Rich (also reprinted below).

this thoughtful piece penned by Evie Rich

@NYAmNews thru a BIPOC lens about your Medicare privatization scheme & how it affects all workers, but especially workers of color is poignant & a clarion call. Reverse course, now. Workers UNITE! --- Educators of NYC

Key Takeaways from the sharply written article in The Amsterdam News:

• we must see ourselves as members of a new army of ordinary people, determined to change the delivery of health care in New York City. Let’s take power away from those who “stay back” and move forward, seeking a permanent solution to the central issue of our time: access to free, comprehensive, affordable health care. 
• Health care is not only a human right. Access to quality, comprehensive, affordable health care is imperative. We are an army of older residents engaged in this struggle and determined to win it — for ourselves, our children and our children’s children.
• The stakes are high here. This is not simply a retiree issue. It affects large numbers of the city’s current work force and the larger population as well. A change in Section 12-126 of the Administrative Code opens the door to future changes in the quality and cost of active employees’ health insurance. 
• a racist healthcare system that has always denied Black and brown people access to quality care. Passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 required the 20% co-pay as dictated by Republicans and Southern Democrats. Healthcare inadequacies are rooted in this system, which recognizes the financial limitations of some patients as well as limited access to preventive care. Too many people of color are underinsured or uninsured.  
• Thirty-one of the 51 City Council members are people of color. They represent a NY City workforce of 305,000 that is predominantly female and minority. Eighteen percent of the workforce is eligible to retire now and 29% is eligible to retire in five years. Assessing that workforce, 58% of the men and only 36% of the women are in the top income bracket of $70,000 or more. Among retirees, the disparity in income is probably greater. The point here is that they are mostly white. 
•  One in four African-American families has a net worth of zero! Imposition of the Medicare Advantage Plan would create a two-tiered healthcare apparatus dominated by women and low-income families. In a forced transfer to a Medicare Advantage Plus program, Latinx and African Americans will be denied the care we need.
  

 https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/12/19/time-to-stand-up-and-go-tell-it-on-the-mountain/

 

At the most recent Retiree Chapter Meeting, I was on zoom and heard a retired para and secretary point out they don't have the option to opt out because their pensions are so low. These were not people in the activist wing of the retiees. A year ago I was prepared to spend $4500 a year to keep my current Medicare and Seniorcare because I could afford it. The court case killed that by declaring I could not be charged. Mulgrew wants to change the admin code so I and others of economic means can do so. One of the recent outrages from Unity hacks was Lyn Winderbaum saying she likes her Medicare and wants to pay to keep it. Marianne took her down for that, pointing out the inequities. I know retirees before me with pretty low pensions. So, now I am opposed to that option because I have come to realize just how unfair it is for so many people who cannot afford to do what I can.  

You can demonstrate your unhappiness with Mulgrew and Unity by coming to 52 Broadway tomorrow - Wednesday at 3:30 to show your displeasure.

 

And just out on Work-Bites:

Medicare Advantage Is a National Scandal - How Thick Could New York City’s Information Bubble Be?

https://www.work-bites.com/view-all/1n72juz2psj2e6v48d80bgwyati58c?fbclid=IwAR1yo5uAUf0jpWL723sE2H3PfUvGn-rsymJaC3lr0pWhrF2hwPdFX1p5x5c

Collusion.

That’s what the campaign by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the heads of the Municipal Labor Committee [MLC] to push municipal retirees into a privatized for-profit Medicare Advantage healthcare program looks like to the many thousands who’ve spent more than a year trying to stop the plan.

What else can a rational human being conclude other than collusion against municipal retirees?

Medicare Advantage is one of the filthiest scandals in America today with lawmakers in Congress calling for the program’s nationwide abolition. And yet, the heads of the biggest city in the country are running around insisting Medicare Advantage is a good deal for retirees.

Really?

How thick would that bubble have to be to keep all that information out?

Work-Bites has already reported on some of the mounting evidence against privatized, for-profit Medicare Advantage plans and the delays, denials and deaths that come with them.

Here’s a little recap: earlier this month, retired Delaware State Senator Karen Peterson told us how “your healthcare can really go off the rails” with Medicare Advantage.

Nevertheless, the powerbrokers in Peterson’s state, as here in NYC, tried to sell municipal retirees on Medicare Advantage, insisting it was “just as good” as what they already had — “only better.”

Turns out, the Medicare Advantage contract Delaware signed with a private healthcare insurance company in September, actually contained 2,030 pre-authorizations — 340 pre-authorizations for medications — and 1,690 pre-authorizations for procedures.

Few things concern dedicated municipal retirees more than suddenly not being able to see their doctor.

A recently-released report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance critical of Medicare Advantage chicanery found instances of “provider network confusion” across 10 states where the beneficiary was “switched into a new plan and was unaware that their current doctors were not covered under their new plan’s network until they began to use the new plan.”

Gale Brewer, former Manhattan Borough President and current City Council Member representing the Upper West Side, doesn’t seem to have any problem piercing any sort of Medicare Advantage information bubble.

“The city has offered various Medicare Advantage plans for years,” Brewer said in a stamens this week, “but few retirees choose them because they are demonstrably worse than Senior Care.”

She goes on to say, “Medicare advantage plans give private insurance companies the power to overrule primary care physicians — and to say which procedures will be permitted,” she added. “Many retirees have health care issues and work very hard to stay healthy. Keeping their current insurance plan, called Senior Care, is critical in retaining access to their doctors and ensuring continuity of care.”

Gale Brewer gets it.

WHY AREN’T THEY TALKING WITH RETIREES?

That awareness has prompted Brewer to urge all parties involved to “sit down together and work this out.”

Marianne Pizzitola, president of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees and Fire Department EMS Retirees Association, has spent months calling for a sit-down with MLC heads Michael Mulgrew, Harry Garrido and Harry Nespoli.

Instead of taking her up on the offer, however, the trio, along wih Mayor Eric Adams — the former Medicare Advantage critic who used to call the program a “bait and switch” — have been pushing pell-mell to privatize the healthcare for tens of thousands of retired trade unionists — raging in the courts, issuing ultimatums, leaning on New York City Council members to tear up part of the City Administrative Code and implementing extra health costs.

Again, all at the precise moment Medicare Advantage plans are being exposed as predatory money grabs and raked across the coals from coast-to-coast.

Brewer correctly characterizes for-hire arbitrator Martin Scheinman’s December 15, filing in favor of the Medicare Advantage switcheroo a “non-binding report.”

Pizzitola is more blunt, calling it “paid propaganda.”

”The December 15th Scheinman report is not a “ruling”, it’s an opinion,” Pizzitola said in a statement released this week. “It’s paid propaganda and they’re hoping the city council falls for it. It is not a decision, it is not a ruling, it is not an award…and yet everyone fell for the biggest play in history…a paid opinion piece!”

Municipal retiree groups have already identified at least $300 million in savings to the City of New York — and none of it necessitates pushing them into a disastrous for-profit Medicare Advantage plan that progressive lawmakers in D.C. say ought to be abolished.

“OMB knows about some of these savings options, and has not implemented them,” Pizzitola says. “Nor have they informed the city council they exist. OMB was unaware of others we suggested in a recent meeting! Which is worse? And yet they told the Mayor’s office there is only one path forward! How can the mayor or the council make a decision if they are not being properly informed by OMB?”

Those leading the charge for Medicare Advantage are some of the most powerful people in the City of New York today. Elderly Municipal retirees are among the weakest and most vulnerable. But they are all hard-working trade unionists who’ve spent their entire working careers in education, the Fire Department, building trades, law enforcement — you name it. Corporate-owned, anti-labor media outlets in this town, as they did in Delaware, are trying to dismiss them all as a small group of crotchety old cranks. We should all remember that and consumer our media accordingly.

New York City municipal retirees certainly remember the 2014 pact between former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration and UFT President Michael Mulgrew — the faustian deal that allowed $1.3 million from the city’s Health Stabilization Fund to be used to cover needed raises following a decade of austerity under billionaire Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

They’ve connected all the dots and refuse to be steamrolled by anyone. They simply can’t afford to pretend to live in a Medicare Advantage information bubble. And neither can any of the “retirees in training” following right after them.

 

Here's the full Amsterdam News piece.

Time to Stand Up and Go Tell It on the Mountain! 

by Evie Rich December 19, 2022

 

If you’re white, you’re right;

If you’re brown, stick around;

If you’re black, stay back!

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.

 

 

Two Rallies, A March down Broadway and a Funeral for the attempt by city and Mulgrew to modify Admin Code 12-126

Oh how they are keeping us old folk busy. I took the 10:15 ferry and when I got to City Hall around 11:45 there was already a big crowd. I was put on video duty so taped the rally which was very impressive with countless city unions repped. 

The Del Ass had so many angles I have to do a series of posts. But first --- the outside game. The entry to 52 was so crowded with people handing stuff out, I can understand why some people refused to take. I had only 100 Retiree Advocate leaflets (see a section with bullets on Admin code 12-126 and why changing it is a scam game cooked up by certain union leaders and the city and that was all I gave out. If I had more I would have stayed around to hand out to people coming out at 6 but I decided to take an early ferry back home.  

By the way -- if the city, as Mulgrew claims, can just impose a MedDISAdv plan on retirees unilaterally, WHY do they want to join the UFT etc in changing the code? What's in it for them? (Tip of hat to Daniel Alicea for pointing this out. - and James reminds me it was he who coined MulgrewCare - so tip of hat to him too.)

The outside game is so much more fun than being inside the DA. Wednesday was a long day with a large rally on Broadway outside the gates to the City Council as people from numerous unions lined the roadway urging everyone who went in not to change the admin code that opens the door to healthcare changes for retirees and in- service members, being pushed by both the City and the bigger unions in the MLC, with the UFT being the biggest, leading naturally to a lot of anti-Mulgrew sentiment. When a retired firefighter played a game of identify the scab, when he called out "UFT" the crowd responded with a loud "Mulgrew."

There's a lot of back story and front story. I don't even know where to start. 

The focus of the rallies was the joint city and (some) unions attempt to change the city council admin code 12-126 which is accomplished would affect not only retiree health care.

The rallies were built reinforced by this LEAKED AUDIO WITH COMMENTARY from Marianne Pizzitola: MLC Meeting on Admin Code 12-126 Amendment.

Eterno has a deep report: LEAKED RECORDING OF MLC MEETING SHOWS MULGREW LEADING CHARGE TO WEAKEN LAW PROTECTING CITY WORKER AND RETIREE HEALTHCARE

Jonathon Halabi posted these points from this illuminating leaked MLC meeting tape with commentary by Marianne. James Eterno spent hours listening to it and said it is a  must listen in order to understand what is going down. If you have 3 hours:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z21zhQ89e0

Marianne Pizzitola (retired EMT, leader of the group that's fighting Medicare Advantage) gets interviewed, and then listens to a leaked tape of an MLC (Municipal Labor Coalition) meeting.

3:40 - 7:00 she lays out the history of 12-126 (administrative code)

7:00 - 20:00 she lays out the current struggle, including implications for retirees AND in service.

20:00 - 38:00 is Mulgrew, Nespoli, and Klinger (lawyer)

At 39:15 - 43:00 the PSC rep speaks very clearly about what the options are, and why the PSC is opposing it. I think it should be mandatory to listen to this.

At 43:00  Alan Klinger says that they are putting out an RFP for in-service member health care.

 I took some photos of different unions:

Here's a livestream of the City Hall rally.

 

https://youtu.be/XqYoa96sPoU

 

 

 

And the march from City Hall down to 52 Broadway and the rally outside the DA from 3:30-4:30. The You tube channel is NYCforYourself.

NYC Retired Workers March from City Hall to UFT HQ to Call for Protection of Health Care Benefits

https://youtu.be/6BO5GN0cUJs

 

And here's a breakdown of why we don't want to buy what Mulgrew is selling on changing the admin code from the Retiree Advocate newsletter:

Healthcare Benefits threatened: Call your city council members to tell them to vote NOT TO CHANGE Administrative Code 12-126.

 

● Changing Administrative Code 12-126 would end the legal protection of retirees and current workers' premium-free health insurance.

● Private Medicare Advantage plans spend 25% less on patient care than traditional Medicare: more out of pocket expenses, fewer doctor choices, delays and denials of care, and even deaths. Patients on Medicare Advantage plans who get serious illnesses often flee back to traditional Medicare.

● The Adams Administration is pushing this change in order to do an “end run” around the fact that retirees won a lawsuit protecting our Medicare with supplemental insurance. The Court stated that the City could not force retirees to pay an extra $191 per month if they wanted to opt out of the Medicare Advantage Plan the city was forcing them into.

● Ultimately about 65,000 retirees chose to opt out of this plan, which shows how strongly retirees object to the Medicare Advantage Plan. The number would have been much higher but thousands of low paid municipal workers (mostly women and persons of color) cannot afford $191/month to keep quality traditional Medicare with the supplement they now have. NYC and our union should not encourage inequity in access to health care.

● Changing the Administrative Code would allow the City and the Municipal Labor Committee to create separate classes of workers (i.e. current employees, retirees) who would get separate classes (inferior quality) insurance. Given what the MLC is trying to do to retiree health coverage, “other groups” will be offered inferior plans to what they currently have.

● Code 12-126 requires the City to offer healthcare plans that cost less than the benchmark HIP-HMO premium. The amendment would allow the city to lower the HIP HMO bench mark currently at $900/month to a low $7.50/month and charge union members higher premiums for most healthcare plans.

● This savings will allow Michael Mulgrew to repay his 2014, $1 billion “loan” from the Health Stabilization fund that he depleted, to cover salary raises. He promised to repay by 2022.

● Medicare Advantage saves money for local and state entities that have existing health plans for retirees, but it does so by shifting the cost from the local government to the federal government. Either way, the taxpayer still pays. It’s a shell game and the health industry walks away with their pockets full.

 

Big Win for NYC High School Teachers with 6th period exposes 25 year Unity Caucus failure to act - 25 years of malpractice by nature of union bureaucrats/

The DOE claimed the UFT was basically permitting the DOE to ignore the Contract for over 20 years which made the grievance completely untimely now since the UFT never challenged the Department of Education's policy of improperly paying coverage pay rather than the higher sixth-period rate. The DOE reasoned that the they had established a policy that the Union had accepted.

Jeff said...

So the uft should be applauded? The teachers should've had this in the first place. Why the big fight? Why the years of not complying? This is the definition of "It's better than nothng."

James has a great story on the ICE blog about a big win for teachers. But looking into it makes your head spin. I'm sure the UFT will blast this a big win - actually the entire story makes the leadership look pathetic - 

UFT WINS ARBITRATION AFFIRMING RIGHT OF NON-SHORTAGE AREA TEACHERS TO GET SIXTH PERIOD PAY INSTEAD OF LOWER COVERAGE PAY FOR TEACHING A SIXTH CLASS

Aviation High School shop teachers standing up for special per session sixth-period pay of $7,278 per semester  for teaching an extra class each day instead of settling for cut-rate coverage pay of $45.38 per class multiplied by 85 days for a semester which comes to $3,857.30. The math clearly shows that many teachers have been getting cheated out of over $3,400 per semester because principals refuse to follow the contractual rules and pay teachers what they are entitled to for teaching a sixth class in secondary schools. We believed it was a no-brainer grievance as the right to receive sixth-period teaching pay for agreeing to teach a sixth class in secondary schools has been in the Contract since 1998, whether it was for a shortage area or non-shortage area class.

http://iceuftblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/uft-wins-arbitration-affirming-right-of.html 

Yankee fan Ibeth

Mets fan James - enjoy your (temp) wins

There's a lot of back story on this, some of which I can't talk about. If I did your head would explode. We are giving UFT/Unity HSVP credit for testifying on behalf of the teachers. There's irony in that her testimony helped seal the case because the DOE argued that they should win because the UFT leadership. let this violation go on for so long. OK, let's call it a win for all.

My guess is the arbitrator probably knew the Union was aware of what was up but the DOE was so blatantly wrong in cheating teachers out of their proper pay that she was willing to suspend disbelief a bit.

But let's give UFT VP Janella Hinds some credit:

The arbitrator may have been persuaded the UFT was right because of the testimony of UFT Academic High School Vice President Janella Hinds. Janella's involvement hinted to the arbitrator that this was an important case for the Union. Janella testified to Arbitrator Biren on what the difference is between Article 7N (Coverages) and 7O (teaching a sixth class for a special higher per session rate). She gave details on how coverages are for an emergency absence but the sixth class provision is for the entire semester so the teacher becomes the teacher of record for the class and so he/she plans the lessons, teaches the classes, and assesses the pupils while in a coverage the teacher only teaches a lesson left to them by the regular teacher for an emergency for the day.

Janella has struck many in the oppo as someone who can be worked with.

The story starts many years ago when a new teacher, Ibeth Mejia, taught at Jamaica HS with an awesome chapter leader named James Eterno. 

Principals, however, have wrongfully used the coverage provision to cheat teachers by paying the coverage rate instead of the higher special per session rate. At Aviation High School, principals were shortchanging teachers in shop for over 20 years.

The situation changed this year because of the election of my former Jamaica High School and Middle College High School colleague Ibeth Mejia as Chapter Leader at Aviation. Ibeth knew we didn't stand for anything like ripping off teachers at Jamaica. She asked me to help with this and we did research that the UFT had been ignoring for years. We also publicized this issue in several of our blog postings to highlight how teachers were being cheated out of money when they took on an extra class in a non-shortage area. Ibeth was persistent in pressuring the UFT Grievance Department on this case and encouraging others similarly situated to file grievances.

As Jamaica was being closed down, their teachers were cast asunder all over the city, Ibeth included. When it came turn for James to be put in the ATR pool, he landed at Ibeth's new school and became a rock for the teachers there as the old principal left and abuses began. Ibeth left to go to Aviation, an old Unity dominated trade school. Ibeth ran and won for chapter leader and immediately show she wouldn't take crap from the admin. 

Now the UFT leadership will claim they will fight for people when they take the lead. But do you wonder why Unity couldn't get even one of their chapter leaders to do what Ibeth did over a 25 year period? Sorry, but my judgement is that they were in cahoots with the DOE to save money on the backs of the teachers and there even may be a smoking gun out there to prove that. Call it malpractice by nature of union bureaucrats.

Now here's the best part: Ibeth Mejia was just elected on the United for Change slate to the UFT HS ex bd.

I had a batch of tickets to an upcoming Yankee game and I was able to pass a few to Ibeth for her family to go. It's minimal, but she is the spirit of unionism we need. She's a rabid Yankee fan as I am while James is a Mets fan. No one is perfect.

UFT/Unity Caucus Absent from fight against budget cuts -- no support for Parent/teacher law suit, AWOL at Demos, Video of Monday Rally

Laura D. Barbieri, Special Counsel for Advocates for Justice, stated: “The explicit language of State law requires that these egregious budget cuts be halted and reconsidered by the Mayor and the Council, because the law was not followed. The State Legislature enacted an explicit budget review and voting process by the Board of Education that was eviscerated by the Chancellor’s abuse of authority. No emergency justified the Chancellor’s ignoring the proper procedure.”

Someone called me today wanting to know why the UFT was not part of the suit. I LOLed -- no way -- they are not in the habit of being bold. They'd rather negotiate behind the table where they are given a little stool to sit on.  I posted the press release on the suit minutes after it was announced. Parents/Teachers Sue DOE Over Budget Cuts

They certainly won't try to rile up the members to fight. That leaves it up to the activist element in the UFT to engage in a fight.

I am proposing a campaign to get members to sign a letter of support for the law suit. A letter that can be submitted to the court.  My sense is that, in the hope of waking up the UFT, there may be an unwillingness to embarrass them publicly by some. So it's up to UFT members to create enough of a stir to become a problem for the leadership.  Here is video of the rally, followed by more info from Leonie Haimson.

 

https://vimeo.com/731110220

 

 

Rally to Restore the Budget Cuts - 7.18.2022 from Class Size Matters on Vimeo.

 

Monday, July 18, 2022

Lawsuit and rally to restore the budget cuts to schools, which the Mayor calls "a rumor"

Update: the lawsuit was covered by the Daily News, AM New York, Chalkbeat, and CBS radio.

Also much thanks to Laura Barbieri and the crew at Advocates for Justice, for working so hard on this lawsuit pro bono and doing it so quickly! 

This morning we filed a lawsuit on behalf of four parents and teachers to halt the Mayor's budget cuts to schools, and to require that the City Council has another opportunity to vote.  

The lawsuit is based on serious procedural errors committed by the Mayor and Chancellor, by allowing the City Council to adopt the education budget before the Panel for Educational Policy had an opportunity to hold a hearing on the cuts and vote on the education budget, which state law requires must happen first.

Instead, the Chancellor declared an emergency to immediately send the diminished funds to schools,  before either of the Council or the PEP had a chance to vote on them.  In this way, he attempted to short circuit the legally mandated process.  

We found that in twelve out of the last thirteen years, several Chancellors have invoked the same bogus "emergency" with the same boilerplate language -- without detailing what actual emergency existed.  Here is a press release with more detail and quotes from the plaintiffs; and here are the legal documents.

Even earlier in the day, there was a rally to protest the rally in front of Tweed, organized by the Progressive Caucus of the NYC Council, where many parents, advocates and Council Members spoke about the havoc these cuts would cause to schools and students' lives. 

Among the speakers were CM Alexa Aviles, who voted against the budget, as well as five CMs who had voted to approve the budget:  CM Shahana Hanif, Lincoln Restler, Jennifer Guttierez, Shekar Krishnan and Carmen de la Rosa all apologized for their votes, and promised that going forward, they would not approve any more budget cuts to schools.  They also said they were demanding action by the Mayor by August 1 to restore the cuts.  

In the afternoon, a bunch of parents including Reyhan Mehran buttonholed the Mayor outside an event in Brooklyn, where the mayor called the cuts a "rumor."  

They later met with the Mayor at City Hall,  where he was surrounded by a bunch of aides. After they described the awful effect these cuts would have on their schools and the system as a whole, the Mayor apparently said he couldn't say much about the issue because of the lawsuit, but that they had no idea how hard he works to benefit NYC children and how hard these choices are.  

Reyhan responded with, "Just don't make these choices then.  Restore the cuts now."