Sunday, April 9, 2023

Let's Go Brandon - Chicago Election exposes UFT/Unity, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF NYC HAD A TEACHERS' UNION AS POWERFUL AS CHICAGO? + Rally and Petition Updates

 

 
A blow to the corporate wing of the Democratic Party

Left leadership in Chicago and LA outflank corp Dem type UFT leadership in NYC as CTU elects one of its own as mayor while UFT suffers 30 years of failed mayoral endorsements.

Happy Easter Sunday,

It's a beautiful day and I have to put on my Easter bonnet and go roll some eggs, so I will make this quick without my usual convoluted meanderings.

The subject of the week for many of us has not been the Trump indictment, or even the Wisconsin Supreme Court election (over-hyped in that the Republican controlled legislature can impeach the judge), but the remarkable mayoral victory of former Chicago teacher and CTU organizer Brandon Johnson, the new mayor of Chicago. That would be like one of the UFT special reps becoming mayor -- OK, LOL yourself to death. Oh, one top level UFT employee did run for office - in the primary against Robert Jackson. one of our major supporters in the state senate. 

Vasquez, with a record of being a staffer for the pro-charter State Senator who Jackson defeated, is not a registered chief lobbyist for the UFT.

I was chatting with James Eterno on Friday while watching Majority Report with Emma Vigeland hosting while Sam Seder is taking his NYC public school kids to Europe. James cut the video and posted it on ICE. (EMMA VIGELAND ASKS: CAN YOU IMAGINE IF NYC HAD A TEACHERS' UNION AS POWERFUL AS CHICAGO?)

(James is giving me tech lessons he learns from his daughter.)

Considering, its sort of funny how Sam Seder never addresses the UFT or local union issues (except for Amazon or Starbucks) while he covers union issues on a broader level. The newbie union movements are always sexier than the old staid unions tied to the corporate wing of the Dem Party, like the UFT. Delving into how undemocratic and corrupt they are can lead people to use that to promote anti-unionism, a card our own beloved union leadership tries to pull on the opposition to shut them up.

But with the Brandon victory (oh, did he mess up those Trumpie Let's Go Brandon chants), Sam's partner Emma V addressed the victory - twice this week. I'm hoping to get MR to do more on the comparison of the left teacher unions in LA and Chicago compared to the center right/anti-strike, anti-Democratic, Republican talking points UFT. Did RTC chapter head Tom Murphy screaming at the people who put up 3 signs in back of Tuesday's RTC meeting and calling for security and threatening to end the meeting remind you of Tennessee Republicans? (RetireeTeacherChapter Meeting - the Horror of Holding up a sign).

On Wednesday, Emma pointed to how the deck was stacked against Johnson - Police vs Teachers? Come on! The Chamber of Commerce, the Arne Duncan (who succeeded Vallas as Chi school head) and was Obama ed chief  public school destroyer) crowd, including anti-leftist Obama working strings from behind the curtain? Yet Johnson got 80% of the black vote and built coalitions with many other groups, including the Working Families Party. Remember how the UFT did Cuomo's bidding and abandoned the WFP here in NYC years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozt2kVB1QlU

 

 Here are the program notes:

28,669 views Apr 5, 2023 U.S. News & Events
Jarod Facundo and Luke Goldstein, writing fellows at The American Prospect, join Emma Vigeland to discuss Brandon Johnson's unapologetically left-wing campaign for Chicago mayor, his rejection of the Chicago political establishment, and what his victory represents for progressivism across the nation. They explain how Johnson even found himself in this runoff against establishment candidate Paul Vallas, after entering the race barely above 2%, and the role of local organizations like the Chicago Teachers Union and United Working Families in his success. Also, the positive impact of Johnson's riskier policy strategies, presenting a wide breadth of solutions to the voters’ public safety worries rather than taking a “tough on crime” tact. Full interview with Jarod Facundo and Luke Goldstein: https://www.youtube.com/live/iyPmcmmF...

A definite must listen on how Johnson built a coalition and outpolled the incumbent and even Chewy Garcia who is well-known.

On Friday, there was a shorter segment with Alex Pareene, who is often a guest on MR. We loved

Here is the section James posted on Friday

EMMA VIGELAND ASKS: CAN YOU IMAGINE IF NYC HAD A TEACHERS' UNION AS POWERFUL AS CHICAGO?

Please play this segment from The Majority Report to every UFTer you know. 

The Chicago mayoral election between Brandon Johnson and Paul in some ways came down to teachers union vs police union. Guess who won? Johnson, who was backed by the teachers!

There is more to it than teachers vs cops but  it was a close election and Johnson does not win for sure without the CTU. 

The analysis from Emma Vigeland and her guest Alex Pareene on Friday's Majority Report should be played over and over to NYC teachers who feel powerless. We can be just as powerful as the CTU. We just have to remember we are a union and stand up for ourselves collectively.

Emma said it perfectly: "Can you imagine if New York City had a teachers' union as powerful as Chicago? Wouldn't that be awesome?"

 

 

I've been asked to write an article comparing the teacher unions in the biggest three cities in the nation and that will take a deep dive into history.

In the meantime I have to prep for tomorrow's RA organizer meeting with a rep from a State Senator who supports the NY Health Act, which the UFT opposes -- why back a public health plan when you can funnel money private corporations? 

And then on Tuesday, is the big rally at noon.

 

AfterBurn

• LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Analyzing Brandon Johnson’s Surprise Victory In Chicago — The Lever team explores the big progressive win.

Apr 9, 2023 • Rebecca Burns
Brandon Johnson’s mayoral victory in Chicago proves that sometimes, passion and organizing can beat heaps of plutocrat cash.

 
Check out Pete Zucker:

Why The UFT is Weak by Guest Blogger Mr Mackey

 

Petition info - my mailbox overflows - hitting 5K:

Rally info:

URGENT CALL TO ACTION - RALLY FOR OUR HEALTHCARE - APRIL 11, 12 PM AT CITY HALL


Sent by MailerLite


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Wednesday, April 5, 2023

RetireeTeacherChapter Meeting - the Horror of Holding up a sign, Sorkin Is Proud to Sign Non-Disclosure, The @uftnyc #MLC might be coming for Active workers - APRIL 11 RALLY, Sign the Healthcare Referendum Petition

Rally!! April 11th. Noon. City Hall


Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - Happy Passover 

I'm rushing to get this our before my wife wakes up with the list of honey-do's in prep for 30 of her family members coming for tonight's seder. 

Retiree Advocate was out in force before and during yesterday's Aetna screw-you retirees presentation at the monthly chapter meeting and we got loads of people signing our petition for a referendum on healthcare, now approaching 5,000, one quarter of what we need according to the constitution. Entire schools are rolling in, which means active members see the threat to their own healthcare with an RFP (Request for Proposal) out there while Sorkin hides behind his non-disclosure. At the Exec Bd when he said he was so proud of signing that I wanted to ask why sign it? 

Toward the end of the meeting, a few activists stood in the back of the room and held up some signs and RTC CL Tom Murphy went nuts, threatening to end the meeting and yelling for security to remove them. 

 
LeRoy Barr in the house.


Oh, the horrors. I took this photo in the hall. Note the photo of Albert Shanker looking on.
So, I have a lot to report but not enough time.
 The meeting was a boring Aetna presentation. I learned from one of the ladies attending how Aetna cheats to make even more money out of the Medicare system by changing your healthcare descriptions to upcode you for illnesses you might not even have. Imagine going to a hospital and your record is does not accurately reflect your true health?

Geof Sorkin: I have NDAs. I am proud that I will not reveal who the potential bidders are.

Yes, UFT Welfare Fund head Sorkin is proud to sign Non Disclosure Agreements as an excuse to withhold information from UFT members who pay his high salary. 

The UFT has refused to disclose or publicly discuss the RFP except in the vaguest details (there are apparently four bidders left but bet heavily on Aetna). This is the original RFI (Request for information), which proceeds the RFP:

They will probably try to save money by more creating aggressive levels of hospital and doc networks with higher copays for more expensive hospitals and doctors. The City wrote an article about the RFP:


PSC covers it: “You should also be aware that the City is entering into negotiations for a new Comprehensive Benefits Plan (CBP) to replace GHI, the plan in which most of PSC’s active employees are enrolled, starting in 2024. The intent is to keep the CBP premium-free while saving 10% on the current costs. MLC union representatives have not seen the proposals, but they are under review by the MLC executive committee and health technical committee”

Some MLC minutes were leaked in February with more details:
 

From Nick's Ex Bd Notes:

Healthcare, Tucker Carlson, and Maternal Mortality – UFT Executive Board Minutes, 3-27-2023

Tonight was mostly about healthcare. Kate Connors came to the Open Mic to talk about the New York Health Act. Ed Calamia asked about Aetna’s ongoing MAP fraud case, to which leadership answered it would not affect our deal. I asked about what specific ‘cost savings’ were being discussed by the vendors in the new in-service RFP, but didn’t get many details.

Nick: Want to ask a question. We’re hearing about an RFP with four potential providers to potentially replace GHI at a lower cost. Not asking about the four respondents – asked last week and wasn’t answered, though you’re free to tell us. However, we know how some of the cost savings have been realized for retirees – like prior authorizations. We also know about some of the cost savings we’ve already realized for in-service – like forcing first year teachers onto HIP or adding huge copays in GHI for most Urgent Cares – 15 bucks to 100 bucks since 2016. What types of ‘cost savings’ are these four vendors suggesting to make the cost savings? What types of copays? What types of networks – diminished? New prior authorizations?

Geof Sorkin: I have NDAs. I am proud that I will not reveal who the potential bidders are. Benefit design: a number of things: looking to replicate to GHI, but also looking across the country and seeing how we could leverage things. We have not met with any of the bidders. Michael has said we’ve identified 4. One of the complexities is we are looking at the info they’ve provided and it’s not always an apples to apples comparison.


Due to the Moratorium Act, @uftnyc couldn’t screw retirees without doing the same to in service workers or he’d face litigation! We hear this week begins negotiations for the in-service workers healthcare plan and it’s been said they are eliminating all health care plans, except for HiP HMO and replacing the Emblem plan with Aetna. That’s it! First they came for retirees. Now they come for you....NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees Inc
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Tuesday, April 4, 2023

+4.5K Signees. Strong & growing. -Petition for UFT Healthcare Vote

 

+4.5K Signees. Strong & growing.
@UFT
leadership, let’s be clear. Wages, pension, & healthcare are mandatory subjects of bargaining. We have a right to have a say in these matters. All groups are signing, actives, retirees,
@MOREcaucusUFT
@NewActionUFT
@UFTUnity
@RetireeAdvocUFT
@UFTSolidarity
@OTPTs4Respect
@NycRetirees
@ICEUFT1
Sign now - hcpetition.educators.nyc
 
No MORE Unilateral Decisions on COVID MOAs, Vaccinee, Healthcare.

Mr. Mulgrew, TEAR DOWN THAT WALL
 
 

 
=================
 
 
Greetings Retirees  & Retirees In Training! 

 Today we are emailing Comptroller Brad Lander and telling him to object to registering the AETNA Contract!   An easy email, that goes to our new Action Network site!  And then send one to City Council!  THERE ARE LOTS OF LINKS OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS IN THIS NEWSLETTER!
AND SAVE THE DATE!   TUESDAY APRIL 11th,City HALL.   More to follow!  BE READY FOR  A PROTEST/RALLY! 

HIS IS A CALL TO RALLY FOR US TO BE HEARD! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!  AFTERWARDS, WE WILL BE ATTENDING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING & URGING THEM TO INTRODUCE OUR PROPOSED BILL!!
BRING YOUR LOVED ONES, THIS AFFECTS THEM TOO!   THIS RALLY IS FOR RETIREES AND RETIREES IN TRAINING (In-service/active workers).  THIS IS YOUR HEALTHCARE THE MUNICIPAL LABOR COMMITTEE - DOMINATED BY THE UFT AND DC37, AGREED TO DIMINISH.   ELIMINATING ALL OUR HEALTH PLANS AND FORCING US INTO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS ANTI LABOR AND UN-AMERICAN.  MEDICARE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFIT!    
BE THERE WITH US! 


Dress comfortable, bring a snack, and be prepared to be with us all day.   We have the rally and then the Council meeting.

AETNA has been sending out their mailers on the new plan.   We are aware.   The contract is NOT registered yet, and we still have litigation to file...   BUT... you MUST call your doctors and hospitals to see if they will accept the AETNA Medicare Advantage PPO plan.   You want to ask if they are in network and if not, would they accept the plan for payment.  If your doctor is NOT in Network or advised they WILL NOT take it for payment, please
 click here to complete our survey!


HOMEWORK BEGINS!

 

*******************************************************************


Whenever you receive documents or a package from OLR or AETNA, please mark it with the date it was delivered to you.  Our attorneys are working on our case ahead.  So please be patient, do your email assignments!
LASTLY..... Are you an active or retired UFT member?   If so, read this, if not, please disregard.
From the NYC Educators:
We are tired of leadership's unilateral decisions and givebacks that have hurt and diminished our health benefits since the ill-fated, non-transparent 2014 and 2018 labor contracts which bartered "cost savings' to the City in exchange for our hard-earned healthcare.  Moreover, there are sound alternatives they have refused to explore that would help bring down costs.
As we approach a new labor contract deal, more givebacks have been negotiated away by the present leadership. Retirees are now being forced into a privatized Medicare Advantage plan with limited networks, life-threatening pre-authorizations and a labyrinth for seniors to seek reimbursements for any uncovered care.  In addition, a new, undisclosed and "no-frills" cheaper plan is now being devised to replace the premium-free GHI plan most active members have relied on for decades.
Our present and future healthcare, and the healthcare of our families, is not for sale.

We say: LET US VOTE, NOW!
Click above for the full story and to sign the petition.
 

T


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Friday, March 31, 2023

Fearmongering and Loathing, Unity suppression of Petition calling for Health Care referendum sparks more interest, Hysterical Attacks by Leaders making 200K on Critical Voices Grows

Mailed petitions after only a few days.

 
ICEUFT Blog
UNITY ATTEMPTING TO SUPPRESS OUR LAWFUL PETITION CALLING FOR A MEMBER VOTE ON CHANGES TO HEALTHCARE - Unity is in panic mode over our petition to get a member vote on any healthcare changes. Thousands have already signed.
 
Friday, March 31
The photo above is what I picked up in my mailbox on Monday. Last night I got a message from my building saying my mailbox was full and mail had to be moved to the front desk. I'm heading in early to pick it up before going to the healthcare rally at City Hall at noon.

In case you hadn't hear, there is a petition which is scaring the hell out of the leadership despite the fact we need 20,000 signatures to force a referendum on health care changes, a seeming impossible number unless it goes viral. And yesterday, in an attempt to suppress the petition, Unity Caucus operatives only helped spread the word, as James pointed out.

Even some of our people who were skeptical at first, are signing on. The other day some New Action retirees went to a middle school and spoke at 4 lunch hours and got a great response. 

In the meantime, Unity and the UFT high-priced leadership has gone nuts attacking the opposition and making accusations. Arthur has a reponse

NYC Educator

Michael Mulgrew Is the Fearmonger-in-Chief 

 As does Nick (Who is political? A Further Note on the 3-27-23 Executive Board Meeting (and its aftermath)

and James (UNITY AT EXECUTIVE BOARD VOTES AGAINST IMPROVING PARENTAL-FAMILY LEAVE BENEFITS)

An Update as Educators of NYC reports: Day 10 of the @UFT healthcare referendum petition drive & we are at ~ 2300-2400 signees. The petitions continue to pour in ☔️ Let’s let
@UFT
leadership know we are union strong and that we are the union. Please share the petition with your colleagues in your chapter. hcpetition.educators.nyc

 

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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

WE ARE NOT FOOLS, MAYOR ADAMS!: Pre-April Fools Rally Friday March 31, noon, at City Hall

Media Advisory for March 31, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Planning Purposes: Friday, March 31st , 2023

Contacts: Lauren Parker, lauren.parker@berlinrosen.com

                     Sarah Shapiro, sarahmorah@gmail.com


Municipal Workers to Hold Emergency Rally to Express outrage at Mayor Adams’ decision to force

250,000 Retirees into Medicare Advantage

The rally is April Fools Day-themed: “Mayor Adams, Don’t Try to Fool Municipal Retirees”

What: Municipal workers from across the city will rally at City Hall the day after Mayor Adams’ signed a contract that sold out 250,000 retired city employees and their dependents by forcing them into an inferior Medicare Advantage Plan. Retirees are here to tell Mayor Adams that they want Medicare Not Profitcare.

The theme of the rally, which takes place the day before April Fool’s Day, is “Mayor Adams, don’t try to fool municipal retirees!" The rally is organized by the Cross-Union Retirees Organizing Committee (CROC) and the Professional Staff Congress, the union representing active and retired faculty and professional staff at CUNY.

Visuals Will Include:

  • Speaking program of retirees, municipal workers, union leaders and elected city officials including Council Members Christopher Marte, Alexa Aviles, Kristin Richardson Jordan.

  • A chanting crowd of retired and active workers with music, noise makers, signs, crutches, walkers, and canes.

  • April Fool’s Day themed signage, “We’re Not Fools” hats, and slogans.

When: Friday, March 31st at 12pm

Where: Outside City Hall Park on Broadway and Murray Street

 


 

Rally at City Hall

WE ARE NOT FOOLS, MAYOR ADAMS!
          We Want Medicare, Not Money Care!
                      Friday, March 31, 12 Noon -  Broadway & Murray St.

No to Medicare Advantage
NYC retirees do not want to be forced onto Aetna’s for-profit Medicare Advantage plan! NYC retirees demand to keep our traditional Medicare & premium free Medi-gap insurance.

Yes to “Option C”
The Mayor has a choice to make by April 1st. Tell the Mayor to Choose “Option C” in the Aetna contract which would let us keep what we already have. Retirees & Active Municipal Workers: We Need You There

Bring your signs, noise makers, wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, your sense of humor and sense of outrage!
 
For More Info Contact:



Here is the article that was behind a Paywall.  Please come to tomorrows Rally at city Hall at 12 Noon to tell the Mayorf Not to Try to Fool Municipal Retirees.
 
Retirees are here to tell Mayor Adams that they want Medicare Not Profitcare.The fight will continue.



Mayor Adams signs controversial contract that eliminates traditional Medicare for retired NYC workers

By Chris Sommerfeldt

New York Daily News

Mar 30, 2023 at 12:22 pm

Mayor Adams signed off on a contract Thursday that will eliminate traditional Medicare coverage for retired city government workers and shift them into a privatized version of the program instead — a highly controversial move that immediately drew a lawsuit threat from a grassroots retiree group.

The contract with private health insurance giant Aetna is the culmination of a years-long effort by the city to enroll its roughly 250,000 municipal retirees in a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Under the deal inked by Adams, the city’s retirees — most of whom are on a traditional Medicare benefits structure that includes a Senior Care supplement — will lose their current coverage and be automatically enrolled in an Advantage plan administered by Aetna, effective Sept. 1.

The Advantage setup will save the city some $600 million annually thanks to increased federal subsidies, an allocation Adams described as critical at a time that the municipal government is staring down a $10 billion budget deficit by 2026. In a statement, Adams also argued the Advantage plan will improve health care coverage for city retirees.

“This plan improves upon retirees’ current plans, including offering a lower deductible, a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, and new benefits, like transportation, fitness programs, and wellness incentives,” said the mayor. “This Medicare Advantage plan is in the best interests of both our city’s retirees and its taxpayers.”

Tens of thousands of retired teachers, cops, firefighters and other city workers say Adams is wrong.

Citing federal studies that show Advantage plans can deny beneficiaries “medically necessary” care, retirees have called on Adams since he took office to let them stay on traditional Medicare, contending that the switch would put them at risk of losing access to certain doctors, medical procedures and drugs.

A group called the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees successfully convinced courts last year to block the first iteration of the Adams administration’s Advantage plan — and Jake Gardener, a lawyer for the group, told the Daily News on Thursday that they will file another lawsuit in hopes of derailing the new plan as well.

“We will be challenging this violation of the retirees’ health care rights in court,” Gardener said. “This is just the latest example of the city trying to save money on the backs of retired and disabled city workers. What this would do is to jeopardize the health of a quarter million elderly and disabled city workers.”

Retirees are resisting the Advantage switch, in part, because Aetna will require pre-authorizations for some forms of care, a protocol that does not exist under traditional Medicare. They fear this will result in diluted coverage, and have depicted it as a life and death issue.

“Retired firefighters, police, EMT workers and teachers will be forced into a privatized, managed care plan that has strict in-network, pre-authorization and referral requirements that will cause potentially life-threatening delays and denials of care,” said Marianne Pizzitola, a retired FDNY EMT who leads the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.

“Many of the quarter-million respected public servants, and all the current NYC public employees, will be harmed by this damaging decision by Mayor Adams.”

In his statement, Adams said he sympathizes with the angry retirees.

“We also heard the concerns of retirees and worked to significantly limit the number of procedures subject to prior authorization under this plan,” he said.

The reason courts blocked Adams’ first plan was because it would’ve levied a $191 monthly premium on retirees who wanted to opt out of Advantage and stay on traditional Medicare. The courts found that penalty violated a local law requiring the city to provide its retirees with premium-free coverage for life.

Adams’ administration, with support from the city’s Municipal Labor Committee, says the new plan structure complies with the court rulings because there will no longer be a $191 penalty on the table as the premium-free Advantage coverage is the only insurance option available to retirees.

Gardener disagreed and claimed the new plan is also illegal.

“Forcing them into Medicare Advantage by not even giving them the option of keeping their existing health insurance is far more damning and just as illegal,” he said.

Gardener declined to say exactly on what grounds his group will challenge the new plan, but added: “We have a number of grounds that we will be relying on to ensure that the savings the city is looking to achieve is not obtained solely on the backs of retirees.”

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