Save Our Healthcare - Nov. 13, 2022 Town Hall - register here - http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

Last week Retiree Advocate had 250 people, mostly retirees. This is run by MORE which should bring working teachers to the table as we fight the Mulgrew attempt to divide (and blame) retirees for fighting back.

If you missed last week, here is a link: https://youtu.be/yNwIWMOWig4

 

I copied this notice from Jonathan - don't expect royalties.

https://jd2718.org/

MORE Town Hall

Sunday evening, November 13

http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

The fight against amending NYC Administrative Code 12-126 continues. The code sets a floor the city must pay for our healthcare, and blocks them from going lower.

The amendment will let them go lower. We need to defeat this amendment, or even stop City Council from considering it.

http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

This event is for current teachers and other school workers, and for retirees.

These changes threaten the healthcare of IN SERVICE and RETIREES. We are in this together. We will beat this together.

See you Sunday!

 

No Red Wave and Dismal Election Results Didn't Happen But Dems should not be Celebrating Averting a Disaster

Still waiting for you to admit how wrong you were on some many counts here, Norm, from completely missing the importance of the abortion issue as an old white guy and how important the democracy issue was to missing how well Democrats outside of NY State would do. If it were not for Sean Patrick Maloney and Co., we would have held the House, which hasn't happened since the 1960s Democrats in mid-terms, much less with all of the fundamentals -- galloping inflation, unpopular president -- going the wrong way.  ...comment on What's Wrong with the Democrats as Disaster Looms for Climate, democracy, the economy, and yes, crime

A quick note for those into the health care issue:   Sunday Nov. 13 - 7PM - A Town Hall sponsored by MORE Join other union members deeply concerned about @UFTleadership’s healthcare givebacks! Retirees and Active members- we are all in this together.

RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

Saturday - Nov. 12 - I started this Wednesday so excuse the scattered thoughts. 

I cancelled my move to Portugal or Canada - temporarily.  

Did the Dems learn anything on messaging from what went right or wrong?

I fear they will spend a lot of time working their shoulder joints out of whack from patting themselves on the back. If there had been a red wave they would have blamed the progressives of course. But progressives didn't have a bad election.

The Squad gained a few new members. A guy in Texas and Summer Lee in Pittsburgh who beat back millions from the Israeli lobby in both the primary and general election - they loves to go after progressive black women as they did with Nina Turner. Of course Sean Patrick Maloney attacked AOC after the election over her criticisms of the NY Party.

I have loads of links for follow-ups but here is one that just came in:

• Working People’s Issues Won On Election Night - A Socialist Sweep In The Twin Cities

With the crime issue on top, a number of progressive reformers still won. You don't get those reports on main media -- which is why I'm addicted to mainstream and alt left media.

 

How about the student debt issue as there was a bigger turnout than expected from the youth vote? Dems hid from this issue fearing old folk outrage but a targeted appeal to youth about the threat by Republicans might have spurred even a bigger turnout. And then there's the marijuana issue too. Both issues buried.

 

New York state was a disaster despite Hochul win -- but her poor campaign really dragged people down and made Zeldin a hero in Republican circles. If it comes down to one vote in the House, blame Sean Patrick Maloney. If it's two or more I'm happy he lost.
 

Jonathan has good analysis on the NY State races: 

• Votes for Congress in New York State 2022
• What Happened to Hochul’s Vote?

Locally in Rockaway

 There is a lot of corruption in the Dem party here. My local Dem Assemblywoman Stacy Pfeffer Amato may have lost to a POS Republican slug in a close race. My neighborhood went 75-90% for Zeldin which was why I panicked. I had nothing against Stacy - I voted for her and straight Dem but I should point out she took over from her mother -- that seat was in the hands of her family for probably 40 years. And when her mom gave it up she became the head of some patronage Queens job. And Joe Addabo also won - he took over from his father. Is something wrong when we have a sort of monarchy? But despite not liking Greg Meeks, he beat my super POS Paul King (who is head of my Property Owners Assoc) 75-25. And don't forget - my city councilwoman is a right wing Republican (you no longer can separate them - all Republicans are hard right). I'm supposed to call her to get her to be with us on the Medicare issue. 

My old paper, The Wave, gave the right wing enormous space. They dumped me years ago when new right wing ownership took over - I was the only progressive voice there. But do I miss not having to hit a deadline every week?

I ran in my post with the "it's the economy stupid argument, not just abortion" but it seems there was a silent last minute Dem surge. Maybe the economy is not as bad given the under 4% unemployment rate, a far cry from the 10% Obama faced in 2010.

One thing about inflation -- for 40 years we had no inflation due to shifting high paying middle class jobs out of this country by outsourcing. As we bring jobs back, we ain't paying people a dollar an hour. So you can't have more jobs here and no higher inflation. Accept that. The complaints that Biden overspent on handing people money they spend on stuff is over the top. Every country has inflation except a few. Supply chain, higher wages, greedy corps. Some of this message seemed to register in the last ten days.

And abortion did keep driving the engine according to pundits. I think the threat just woke up enough people to make a difference. Panic like mine set in over the past 10 days and Dems did enough tinkering and scare morning. Inflation not as big as people thought -- one theory - Inflation is due in part to higher wages, especially for the lower paid workers -- so maybe some workers came home to Dems.

I admit I was wrong in my assessment. I was panicked by the polls. But think of how close almost every election was - except for DeSantis in Florida where he is the new king. No one is talking about how awful his opponent was and how scerotic the Florida Dem Party is. Val Demmings? She ran with a right wing Dem agenda. As did Ryan in Ohio - I admit I was pretty wrong on him. I was buying the Morning Joe hype about his great campaign -- the left analysis is that running from the right only works in a few cases. Fetterman didn't shy away from a working class argument and won higher totals in rural areas. The stroke might have gained him some votes.

Actually, there was a shift in the last week or ten days as Dems began to broaden the message from just abortion  and address crime and the economy. So while the massive turnout has been attributed to the abortion issue, I also made the point they can't only focus on that.

I've been slow to respond because I have been listening to so many podcasts - Krystal on Breaking Points (live show in NYC Dec. 6), Sam and Emma on Majority Report, Ryan Grim on Intercepts, David Sirota on The Lever ---- I have tabs open for all of them as I haven't gone through them but will put up a follow up.

I went into the city Tuesday night for dinner with a friend so I wasn't in Rockaway and able to totally monitor election results but I did have access to some services and tried to keep up. I watched TV, flipping channels - while also watching live feeds on my phone and ipad from Sam at MR and Krystal and Kyle and Sagaar followed by Ryan and Emily--- quadruple tasking. I still have a big backlog to review.

I woke up at 4 AM Wednesday, hit the gym at 5:30AM and hunkered down.

Doom and gloom didn't come as I expected. But Dems can and probably will still lose the House. But the margin looks so slim it might actually work out for them. Let the Republicans play crazy with investigations and get nothing done other than destruction.

I still think that the number of close elections is scary. Just a nudge here and there and we could have lost the Senate too. Maybe still can if Nevada goes bad and Georgia too. So counting no chickens. 

Biden numbers should go up - I predict high 40s soon.

A win for Biden. This election makes him more likely to run again - one of the benefits of a red wave would have been a decision not to run. Watch his poll numbers go up as Dems start coming home. A deranged Trump announcement will help - though DeSantis is actually more scary - Victor Orban in white boots.

I watched the celebration on Morning Joe and it seemed obscene. They saw the night as a big loss for Trump and were almost celebrating the DeSantis big win. It shows you Dem Party mindset -- oh what a relief if we get "normal Republican" Desantis as President.

It's amazing how they can't stop talking about Trump. They say it was a massive loss for Trump -- but how about the Vance win? Notice they leave that out. I think the blame Trump arguement is media hype but so happy it drives him nuts. The comment about Virginia Gov Yung Kim sounding Chinese is one of his more unhinged.

And by the way -- the big Asian shift to Republicans in NYC is also unhinged as the attacks on them emanated from Republicans. I know a Trumpy who at ever mention of Covid says - "The China Virus."

I wanted Tim Ryan to be closer but it is clear that Ohio and Florida are fundamentally gone for Dems and getting redder. The Morning Joe crowd said they should not be stupid and toss money in those states. But then there's Sharrod Brown, who might be an ideal Pres 2024 candidate. 

The Dems didn't for Ryan but they did for Christ and Demmings -- I hear 70 million on lost causes - smart spending could have won the House. The way Dem Central make these decisions is part of why the Party is so often in trouble -- like spending 40 mil in Kentucky in 2020 for a horrible candidate and also in South Carolina to oppose Graham. No sechel.

Right now the Senate hinges on Nevada - if she loses don't count chickens in Georgia when the entire nation will be focused on it.

What is clear, is that Republican sprinkle was not a mandate to engage in war and if they try with endless impeachments and investigations it will cause them harm in 2024. 

What's Wrong with the Democrats as Disaster Looms for Climate, democracy, the economy, and yes, crime

I took a short drive to the hardware store yesterday. A few blocks into my trip there was a man and a woman on each corner waving big Zeldin and other local Republican banners at the cars going by. My neighborhood is flooded with Republican signs. i saw one Dem sign. This is still NYC. I see big Republican enthusiasm and none for Dems. The Iceberg is looming - deck chairs, anyone?

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat....Will Rogers

Zeldin is poised to perform better than any New York Republican in decades. His lawn signs are everywhere and Hochul’s are nowhere. The first presidential campaign I ever covered was 2016, and there are unsettling parallels between this race and Trump v. Clinton, how one base was clearly more enthused than the other, how airy and detached Democrats sometimes seemed from all of it.  .. Ross Barkan

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 - Day of the Dead

The Mood of Democrats today

With a tornado about to hit Dems expect even more disorganization. As leftie Dem I have a lot of issues, contrary to Republican screams about socialism, the center right very anti-left forces that control the party. Dems pine for the old Republican Party they worked so well with because fundamentally, most elected Dems come from the same place politically as the old Rockefeller Republicans. Dems may suck in many ways but Rep triple suck. Name one solution Rep have for any of the problems.

On the other hand, Dems and Reps solution to inflation is the Fed raising rates and driving people out of work and thus lowering wage demand -- yes, make the workers pay but left corps off the hook.

Corp Dem Mulgrew tries to be Joe Namath and sell us on Medicare Avantage - UFT should have hired Namath

Let me point out right up front that as a left critic of our own center right Dems who control the UFT, nothing strikes me as more Republican/Right center Dem than Mulgrew's attempt to force us out of the public option known as Medicare and into a privately managed system of Medicare Advantage. Think of the mentality of national Dems and Unity Caucus just in regards to the healthcare issue. Mulgrew accepts that costs will rise drastically even if due to profit making, high exec salaries, high advertising costs - Joe Namath ads, etc. Mulgrew, instead of standing up for us and calling out this profit making, does a selling job for them - he's the Joe Namath of the MLC.

• Unity Caucus is the epitome of Dem Party Central an echo on policy which is why they talk Medicare for All but never act on it
  

Diane Ravitch has post after post pointing out why we must vote Dem - I agree - she also has this: Connecticut: The Biggest Charter Scandal Of All Time. Connecticut is a Dem state. For many of us on the left Dems are the only option but we don't vote with the enthusiasm shown by the right. That suppresses voter turnout. There are Zeldin lawn signs all over my Rockaway neighborhood - along with the other Republican local slugs running. Same on Long Island. One brave soul on my block put up a Greg Meeks lawn sign. Dems don't seem to believe in lawn signs.

I heard a story of a teacher who is left wing but worried about election and was making calls for Hochul -- she said the entire operation was disorganized as per Will Rogers. Dems are massively disorganized, especially on message but also at the state levels. Florida Dem party is a disaster, turning a swing state red. Fuckn Charlie Christ?

Sean Patrick Maloney has been endemic to Dem ineptitude and I have been thinking evil thoughts about some joy in him losing. But when I heard one of my go to people - Sam Seder, Majority Report, say if the Dems had to lose the House he wouldn't mind seeing Maloney lose -- my thoughts exactly.

Republicans and the right are seriously organized with an immediate on message attack mechanism that threatens democracy, the economy (Republicans have no answers), the climate disaster, a willingness to wreck the world economy because the evangelical base is looking forward to Armageddon. The right is fighting at the school board level. Dems have no response.

I've even entertained more evil thoughts that if the Dems lost real big it would prove the Republicans have no solutions other than mayhem and maybe wake Dems up -- but nahhh, they will seek to blame the left. Or Russians. Hillary, you know, made no mistakes.

But I don't need mayhem at this point in my life --- crashing the global economy and wiping out our pensions will not be fun. Would a massive loss lead to a reawakening of Dems -like It's the economy, stupid? Yes, they will find a way to blame Bernie Sanders and the left -- which has been quiet like mice.

Some major trends over the past 60 years that have put the Democratic Party, facing a red wave in the mid-terms, in a box. And never forget that our own beloved Unity Caucus machine and its NYSUT and AFT counterparts are attached to Dem Party central.

Naturally the race issue lost the Dems the south since LBJ's Civil Rights Acts. And race has continued to play a role. But what to make of the fact that the Dems are even beginning to lose people of color - Hispanic, Asian and even black working class - and to some extent the black business class. 

But I also blame the neo-liberalism in the Dem party that took hold after Reagan won and has lasted 40 years. The idea that led Dems to be willing to support MedAdv over Medicare and charters over public schools and a free market that allowed millions of jobs to go abroad in the interests if cheap goods but at the cost of social infrastructure that has led to the rise of Trump. Clinton and Obama were endemic. Now they race around trying to save the party from the massive defeat they helped set the stage for.

Neo-liberalism mentality has undermined the message of the Democratic Party as they - and not just white working class.

The lack of focus from Democrats on the economy and inflation comes as recent polls from the Washington Post and Monmouth University found that the top two most important issues among voters are the economy and inflation — far outpacing abortion... The Lever

The only explanation for [Democrats] political malpractice [in not holding Republicans accountable for anti-worker policies] is fear of making promises they might have to keep.... Krystal Ball

• Krystal and Kyle delve into this deeply with guest Rana Foroohar on the 40 year neo-liberal journey of Dems and she is positive on Biden in contrast to Kyle and Krystal - a really illuminating podcast.
• https://krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/p/episode-97-audio-rana-foroohar
  

Disaster on horizon with safety net, climate, democracy on the block when Rep win

 

Republicans have been trying to get rid of the FDR socialist program known as social security since 1936 and the LBJ socialist Medicare (for seniors who reach 65) and Medicaid for the poor since implemented in the mid-60s. Getting rid of them means some form of privatization. The problem for Democrats is that at times they have been willing to go along with aspects of the program. Remember how Biden and Obama were ready to deal on entitlements?

 

There's a pretty good chance Hochul may lose and the Dem Party and the UFT will be in deep shit. All we hear from Hochul is abortion. I get a call an hour from the UFT telling me to vote Dem. I got one I answered and had a nice conversation with Jill, a retiree who hates the idea of Mulgrewcare but spends weeks calling people all over the country. I told her hearing Mulgrew leave us messages on how to vote probably costs the Dems votes. 

Dems spend 4x as much on abortion issue ads than on the economy, as I echoed Bernie Sanders in this Oct. 17 post: It's the economy stupid - Bernie TRASHES Dems for ...

I linked to these articles:  Dems Barely Messaging On Economic Issues

 

Someone left this anon comment: Old white guys: abortion is not important. 

Well, this election will prove that it is not old white guys who think other things are important. I responded: If you want to win - it's the economy stupid. Look where abortion finishes in the polls. And there's nothing dems can do about it other than the state level. Fact is healthcare issue affects the most people. And want to know something else -- people don't care if there is our version of democracy where the politicians are owned by corporates. They will settle for dictatorship -- After this election it's over for Dems. Republicans will never let them win another election. And most Dems will sit on their hands and whine about it but as long as they are left a slice of the pie it is fine.

 

Note how the commenter makes it seem as if I said abortion is not important -- I said it's not the only thing. Reminds me of when I worked with people who always put race at the top -- I said it was important but not the only thing. I was called a racist.

 

Dem Party central and Unity Caucus will still be in business even after a Republican landslide. In some ways seeing the Dem Party go extinct - which it has in so many states and even in large swaths of blue states - may lead to something else. But what else?

 

I've grown to despise the consultant class that has such influence of the Democratic Party. Despite the Republican loony society branding Democrats as socialists the reality is the party is under the control of right of center Dems - what used to be the liberal wing of the Republican Party -- the neo-liberal philosophy of anti-labor unions (they restrict the beloved market forces), supporting the movement of American industrial jobs to China, Mexico, etc where workers are paid bupkus, and a list of transgressions too many to name. 

 

There is hysteria abounding before the probable end of democracy as we know it, not only due to anti-democratic moves by Republicans but because as they gain control I see a massive economic disaster coming as the cut budgets and taxes and take away the safety net - including social security and Medicare. Oh, am I talking about Michael Mulgrew? I accuse him and his Unity gang of fundamentally supporting Republican (and most Dem) attempts to move Medicare into private hands. 

 

Now those of us on the left who criticize Dems for being neo-liberals get attacked for helping Republicans win.  

 

A massive loss may kill Biden 2024 candidacy - but then who?

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman has run an ad declaring that “our economy is a mess because of Washington — the rich, powerful, the insiders, and the lobbyists,” adding: “They set the rules, weakened our supply chain, and spiked inflation.”

Krystal and Sagaar went into of not Biden, who on Breaking Points yesterday -- they listed the usual suspects from last time - all a disaster. They didn't mention one - Tim Ryan - who I thought was a real attack dog on progressives last time. But if he's close in Ohio tonight, he becomes a 2024 candidate as many say he's run the best Dem campaign considering he's in a deep red state. I hated him then, but just to show how desparate we are, he would be my choice in 2024 - and if he wins by some miracle tonight -- may just be ambitious enough to primary Biden. After all, he once ran against Pilosi.

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.

 

 

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

#Mulgrewcare run amuck - stop the madness!!!!

Here is the video and link:

 

 https://youtu.be/yNwIWMOWig4

 

 

Retiree Advocate is doing a zoom on Sunday Nov. 6 7PM to address questions people may have and to expose the confusion created by the the joint operation of the city and some of the unions, led by Mulgrew in the UFT and DC 37, the largest components who dominate the MLC (Metropolitan Labor Committee) who make deals with the city that control our health care. We may not have all the answers but we have some answers. We are hoping to have Marianne Pizzitola join us but if she can't  make it we have some knowledgeable people.

MORE is planning another zoom in the same issue a week later at the same time and Marianne is definitely going to be there.

 

 

Exposing the Adams/Mulgrew Threat to Our Healthcare: Untangling the Confusion

This Sunday, Nov 6 at 7PM, Retiree Advocate/UFT is holding a Zoom Info Meeting to share what we know - and what we don't know - regarding the current healthcare crisis in our unions. 

Learn what role Mulgrew and other union leaders in the MLC have been playing in partnership with Mayor Adams and the Office of Labor Relations.

New information is coming in constantly and we are trying to stay up to date. This meeting will share info & analysis, and try to answer your questions.

  Register Here

Attendance will be limited to 100.  Meeting will be  recorded for those who cannot make it.

Here are some comments I gleaned from some of the listserve discussions after a district rep sent out an appeal to chapter leaders to get their staffs to call the city council to change the admin code. As Jonathan says in his current blog:  Administrative Code 12-126 – Line by line:

The code today means:

“The City pays an amount equal to the cost of HIP”

The code if the Mulgrew/Nespoli/Adams amendment goes through will say:

The City pays the cost of HIP, and no more than that, or else some other amount – and that amount could be different for different groups of city workers, and there is no limit on how low those amounts might be.

When you call your city council member, please explain this to them as you urge them to protect workers and retirees, and reject the amendment.

 

Comments from RA listserve:

 

It's pure pap! All one has to do is read the amendment language. Your DR is asking you to not believe your own eyes or use your own brain. The amendment reaffirms nothing because Judge Frank's ruling changed absolutely nothing. His ruling merely said that retirees are protected from paying premiums, specifically on the now-dormant Medicare Advantage Plus plan, because of price protections built into the city code.

It's not hard to understand the amendment. Just look at it. It does two things and two things only: First it strips healthcare price protections, for ALL current and retired municipal employees, by yanking those protections out of city law, and placing them in the hands of OLR lawyers and union bosses. Second, it allows city bureaucrats to classify municipal employees into separate, as yet undefined, categories. That's a prospect that begs the creation of tiered, unequal levels of coverage for past and present city workers.

I bet your DR wouldn't wish that on her mother's health plan!

 

, or in the alternative,

This means, "What was said before this doesn't count."

 in the case of any class of individuals eligible for coverage by a plan jointly agreed upon by the city and the municipal labor committee to be a benchmark plan for such class,

 

This means, "For anyone and everyone in city employment, the benchmark price - formerly established as the cost of the HIP-HMO plan, and until now protected by this law - can now be chosen by the MLC and OLR. We don't need no stinkin' law, made by stinkin' elected legislators, to tell us what to do! And if we want to, we can have multiple plans, and multiple benchmark prices, for multiple classes of people, and we can change that any time we like. So there!"

not to exceed the full cost of such benchmark plan as applied to such class. 

This means, "When we say your brand new benchmark plan costs only ten bucks, but you want to stay in your old plan; the one that costs five hundred bucks - and that we will still offer because we believe in freedom of choice - no problem! Just cough up the $490. But hey, if you want, you can have our super-duper $5 or $8 plan for free! Because, you know, choice!" 

 

And some Media links to articles: 

 

An excellent article below from Work-Bites

Beware of the Mad Dash to Medicare Advantage

By Joe Maniscalco

Commentary

So, some of the most powerful people in town are warning the rest of us that the most pressing — the most urgent — the most vital issue — facing the City of New York right now is the need to immediately privatize healthcare for municipal retirees — or else. I dunno about you, but this kind of thing reminds me of that time working people were told we had to bail out the big banks.

Remember, it wasn’t that long ago when then U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson put up a scary countdown clock and told everyone in the country we had to cough up $700 billion to bail out the financial sector — right away — no time for talk — no deliberation — or all was lost.

Paulson got his money.

A few years later writing for Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi called TARP — the Troubled Asset Relief Program — a “lush nightmare of unintended consequences” and “one of the biggest and most elaborate falsehoods ever sold to the American people.”

And here we go again, New York City style. 

Continue - https://www.work-bites.com/view-all/beware-of-the-mad-dash-to-medicare-advantage?fbclid=IwAR0yCw4WOsy5-qTToX7FCg3tQp_rw4_QmjlrppqMc34pkpE1HqOpgYxldV8 

And one more:

Mayor Issues Ultimatum on Retiree Health Care, Seeking End to Standoff

by Sam Mellins / October 31, 2022 The City Council must enable budget-cutting new health insurance options for retirees, warns Eric Adams’s chief labor negotiator — or City Hall will eliminate existing insurance plans

Saturday Night Massacre - Behind Mulgrew's Letter to members on #Mulgrewcare - More Lies and Obfuscation

We're all in the same boat, we've painstakingly carved out a hole in it, and we're sinking fast. Leadership had better wake up some time before we hit bottom... Arthur Goldstein, NYC Educator

Just about everything the UFT sends to members on healthcare givebacks is easy to debunk. The only debate seems to be whether the UFT is sending out misinformation or disinformation (intentional bs). The UFT wants you to lobby the City Council to change Administrative Code 12-126 (City law). Let's try to get down to the basics of what that means.... James Eterno, ICE blog: DO YOU BELIEVE CITY EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES WILL GET BETTER HEALTHCARE IF THE CITY PAYS LESS FOR HEALTHCARE?

Video: Mulgrew is so desperate he sends out a threat: https://youtu.be/Jz2wbBi09gE

 

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

Where do I begin? Today I am focusing on the threatening email Mulgrew sent out Saturday. I wrote about it:

Outrage Grows at Mulgrew Healthcare Blackmail pitting working members ($1500 a year) against retirees (forced MedAdv) - Beats Putin to Use of Nuclear Option -

Unity probably thinks Mulgrew hit a home run - an LOL moment

Some thinking inside the Unity machine is this was a brilliant move to get the rank and file involved in pushing their case by threatening working teachers with a $1500 healthcare payment each year and urging them to call their city council, a scheme cooked up by both Adams and Mulgrew and a few other union leaders to bully their way through. 

 

Originally, they thought they had an easy path in the city council to getting their way without scaring the membership. The internal lobbying was not effective, while those of us opposed to the reduction in healthcare were having an impact as our rally last Thursday showed.

So Saturday Mulgrew, seeing a loss coming at his attempt to get the council to change the Admin code in ways that would relieve the city obligation to pay up to a rate agreed to in the 60s, in desperation he tried a scare tactic with the working members, claiming Adams will force working UFT members to pay $1500 a year for healthcare. 

 

What his email accomplished was waking the membership up to the healthcare crisis the UFT is facing and created confusion and uncertaintly and opened the door to other voices. Sometimes we have been screaming into the wind. Already there are signs people are not just listening to the UFT line. 

 

James Eterno took this one on:

• MULGREW'S LATEST EMAIL ASKS IF WE WANT HEALTHCARE GIVEBACKS FOR RETIREES OR ACTIVE MEMBERS

What Mulgrew obfuscated about was trying to give the impression Adams can do this unilaterally when in fact Mulgrew must agree to any changes. Again Jame exposes the Mulgrew lie:

• MULGREW'S LATEST EMAIL ASKS IF WE WANT HEALTHCARE GIVEBACKS FOR RETIREES OR ACTIVE MEMBERS

James includes links to the MLC agreement with the city that requires both sides to agree and the video above of the increasingly famous Mulgrew critic Marianne Pizzitola.

I was on a zoom with people from MORE last night where Marianne filled in these younger working teachers on the real deal. There will be a town hall on Sunday Nov. 14 at 7PM to spread the word with Marianne answering questions.

Retiree Advocate is also working on a town hall with Marianne this Sunday at 7PM aimed at retirees.

There are so many great bloggers out there exposing the UFT/Unity Caucus/Mulgrew Shakespearean dramedy. Rather than repeat or echo these blogs here are some links.

 

Mulgrew's savings are our costs 

Everytime Mulgrew says "savings" think "out of your pocket"

Once more back to James' latest:  DO YOU BELIEVE CITY EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES WILL GET BETTER HEALTHCARE IF THE CITY PAYS LESS FOR HEALTHCARE?

 

Jonathan Halabi hits a few more home runs -  

• ABCs of Mulgrew vs. Retirees’ health care.  
• Quiz: Health care cuts? or Health care savings? : You are experiencing pain, and think about going to the emergency room, but think about the cost (copay jumped several years ago from $50 to $150) and decide that it’s probably not serious, and take tylenol instead. Cost or Savings? You are getting less health care than you would have. The cost scared you away. That is a cut, right? Less care? But you might have said that’s a savings: if you are Mulgrew, Nespoli, Adams, or an Insurance Executive. That’s an emergency room visit that you might have had to pay for, and now you didn’t. High fives for jacking up copays! (I was in this situation, but I went to the ER. That triple-digit copay was a cost to me, a savings to Mulgrew.)  

Jonathan also points out that more "savings" come out of the need for

Approval for a procedure that should not need approval

Because of a family history of cancer, you need a special diagnostic procedure every year. But this year a guy who works for an insurance company calls to say that your procedure has been approved. Cost or Savings? If you are a regular person, neither. You need the test, you will get it. But if you are Michael, Harry, Eric or a stockholder in Emblem or Aetna or Alliance of whatever monster insurance company is involved, that’s a savings.

When Jonathan blogs, UFT leadership listens - and looks to counter.

Arthur Goldstein, the dean of ed bloggers, comes back with another powerful hit on the UFT leadership: UFT Leadership's Contract Plan

Can you even believe we're battling to change a law so NYC can charge premiums? If Mulgrew and Adams succeed in making retired couples pay 5K a year for the health care they were promised for free their entire careers, who's to say it will stop there? If Adams doesn't get to charge in-service members $1500 a year for GHI now, who can say he won't charge them 2500 next year? After all, in service members might be able to afford it better than retired members. Can't you imagine Adams making that argument? Can you imagine us supporting it? This, of course, is all administered by the MLC. We're the largest union in the city, and the largest voice in the MLC. Meanwhile, the DOE sees us actively campaigning for worse conditions.

Arthur connects the Mulgrew/Adams partnership on health care to the upcoming contract. Why will we get a contract when Adams can just make outrageous demands and stall/Bloomberg us for years?

More "savings" - for the city - will be coming with further and higher co-pays and for those with chronic illness - a massive healthcare hit.

Oh, and if you are still working and looking at being in Medicare when you turn 65 - the Mulgrew plan will help kill Medicare as a public option - they brag about draining $600 million out of Medicare and into the hands of the private insurers.

What is the way out? There may be no way out especially with Mulgrew in charge. Call me a dreamer but if we had a medicare for all even at the NYS level, that would be a way out. But given the real probability (even I'm sick of Democrats) Hochul will lose, look for bad times ahead.

Outrage Grows at Mulgrew Healthcare Blackmail pitting working members ($1500 a year) against retirees (forced MedAdv) - Beats Putin to Use of Nuclear Option -

We deserve better from our leadership. ...There is no victory in that email. It's the job of leadership to better our lot, not march us off a cliff. MLC and UFT leadership need to work toward a better solution, or stand down for someone who will..... Arthur Goldstein, NYC Educator

These are pretty bold words from Arthur (I post his entire brilliant blog post below), who supported the leadership and ran on the Unity slate in the election last May. Not a good sign for Mulgrew. I also got a call from an active Unity Caucus member who was not happy either. Also not a good sign for Mulgrew as Unity frays a bit at the edges. Some insiders also not happy with the increasing ineptitude.

 

Sunday, October 30, 2022 - Erev Halloween

 

The municipal union healthcare issue blew up Saturday evening as news of Mulgrew's outrageous threats (see below) of an either or: working UFT members will pay a $1500 yearly healthcare premium or retirees will be forced into Medicare advantage like it or not with no opt out choice. A few choice comments:

What a scam this is - the unions and the mayor have come up with this piece of blackmail to get everyone on board to pass the bill before the city council. The UFT has no limit to their perfidy. ... UFT Retiree - Brooklyn 

The nuclear option is invoked! It's retirees versus in-service employees! Tell the City Council to pass the amendment! Let us screw you over so we can all be protected from Mulgrew's criminally negligent incompetence: The shitty deal he agreed to in 2018! It's a dystopian nightmare.... UFT Retiree

The Mulgrew letter reads as an ultimatum from the city, as if the union reps on the MLC have no option to say NO. James points out that it's all bullshit because 1992 MLC CITY AGREEMENT SAYS MLC UNIONS MUST AGREE TO HEALTHCARE GIVEBACKS

Interpret "must" as there can be no changes UNLESS they agree --

It is understood and agreed that the parties will continue to bargain over and determine by mutual agreement the terms and conditions of employee health benefits.

"Determine by mutual agreement" is strong language that prohibits the City from unilaterally changing anything. It looks like Mulgrew's sole motive in changing the Administrative Code is to save the City money on our backs with givebacks on healthcare. Any change would also do away with our contractual right in Article 3G1 to a choice of premium free healthcare plans..... ICEUFT Blog, MULGREW'S LATEST EMAIL ASKS IF WE WANT HEALTHCARE GIVEBACKS FOR RETIREES OR ACTIVE MEMBERS

Unfortunately MLC and the city are partners so expect MLC to agree to something no matter what Mulgrew is saying about resisting. UFT members have no representation at the MLC while Mayor Adams has the key unions on his side. He is putting his eggs inside changing the admin code which would allow the city to offer retirees the opting of spending $5k a year extra per couple to keep what we have.

Photos: CROC Halloween Horror Press Conference ...Jumaane Williams, Charles Baron and other City Council members show up in support

Another spirited rally on Oct. 27. I zipped in and out on the ferry. Lots of plumber union guys. CROC - a group of cross union municipal workers has been doing amazing work. Retiree Advocate/UFT is an integral part. We have to keep the healthcare issue front and center. There will be no new contract until Adams and Mulgrew squeeze out every penny they can from us. Baron laid it out -- it's capitalism stupid. Jumaane was more tempered but strong as were the other council people whose names escape me.

These photos are mine.

 

 These from Denise Rickles.