Monday, February 28, 2022

RA NEWSLETTER, Feb. 28, 2022 : Vote for United for Change!

Feb. 28, 2022


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"We do the Work"
2022 Unity Caucus campaign slogan.
from New Action Caucus, an open letter to Mulgrew.

Dear Michael Mulgrew,

Unity Caucus claims “[they] do the work.” But over the last several decades, they’ve allowed the DOE to pile on extra responsibilities for all UFT members. In essence, under Unity, we’re overworked.
Let’s take a look at an example. The other day, I was logged in for some mandatory per session. After a long day, I was ready to go home. But, this year, whenever a student quarantines, teachers are obligated to do remote office hours. In many schools, COVID rates are so high that teachers find themselves doing these office hours many times a month if not every week. Yes, teachers can pick which days they work the extra hours or forego their lunch breaks. But this extra work is compulsory. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize what’s happened here – our work days have been extended, and undemocratically at that. Had I had a seat at the table, I would have argued to replace Monday PD time with this new task. (After all, there’s precedent for this – we did something similar last year with ‘office hours’ and ‘co-planning time’ in lieu of long weekly PDs). I also would have pushed for better remote infrastructure in the first place. But, I didn’t get a vote. You’d think the DA would have been consulted, but we weren’t. As usual, you and the rest of the Unity leadership pushed the forced overtime on teachers without consulting us.
So, inspired by Norm Scott’s excellent piece detailing the ways that Unity has ‘not done the work,’ I decided to put together an incomplete list of the ways they’ve also pushed more work onto the rank and file. 
We are overworked, because Unity Caucus:
-Negotiated endless PD Mondays and OPW time on Tuesdays in exchange for one-time wage increases. Years later, our wages have not kept up with inflation, but the extended days remain.
-Let the DOE enforce mandatory per session for office hours (as well as special education recovery services) rather than repurpose already existing extended days.
-Is committed to healthcare givebacks, making us work harder to find providers or get affordable necessary care.
 -Gave the greenlight for tenure to be extended from three to four years minimum, which is now routinely denied or extended by principals and superintendents, even after teachers put in the work to create expansive portfolios that were never required previously.
- Has failed to reduce class sizes or caseload caps in 60 years, even as the instructional techniques mandated by the Danielson rubric (e.g. differentiation, collaborative learning strategies) essentially require small class sizes.
-Stripped us of many of our protections against abusive administrators, such as the PINI program, and the right to grieve letters in the file. 
- Allowed the discipline code to deteriorate, without building up the functioning restorative justice programs we were promised would fill the void. Without any disciplinary infrastructure, teachers have significantly more draining experiences managing their classrooms, and to the detriment of all students (many of whom are traumatized by witnessing fight after fight).
-Let schools reopen at full capacity, without a remote option, during Omicron, leading to thousands of student and teacher infections. As misinterpretations of the new CDC guidance flourish, many of these teachers have been harassed by administrators to come back only five days after testing positive, despite maintaining symptoms. Many others have contracted long-COVID in the unsafe classrooms that Unity rubber stamped, and now must grapple with whether they even have the energy left to continue their teaching careers.

I for one am sick of being over-worked because Unity fails to deliver. Next election, I’ll be voting United for Change. They’ll actually do the work.

45,000 NYC retirees have rejected the MAPP to stay in their traditional free Medicare Plan in spite of the fact that they will have to pay a $200 a month premium.  Why?
 
-Prior Authorizations  (an AMA report) delay treatments
-Private Insurance Plans are  more expensive
Elizabeth Fowler, Biden's pick to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)  used to work for insurance company Wellpoint which later became Anthem.  She has always looked after the interests of Private Insurance. 
When PNHP launched this campaign three months ago, the Direct Contracting (DC) program was flying under the radar of both seniors and Congress. But through our tireless advocacy, organizing, and media outreach, we’ve succeeded in making Direct Contracting a toxic name.
CMS had to respond. But instead of rejecting this backdoor privatization model, they tried to push it back under the radar with a new name — “ACO REACH.”
Just like it’s evil twin, Direct Contracting, the proposed REACH program would: 
-Pay third-party middlemen a flat fee to "manage" seniors' health, allowing them to keep up to 40% of what they don’t spend on health care as profit and overhead.
-Automatically enroll Traditional Medicare beneficiaries into REACH without their full understanding or consent. 
-Require beneficiaries to change primary care providers if they wish to opt out of the program.
-Allow virtually any type of company to be a REACH middleman, including those owned by commercial insurers and private equity investors, as well as every company currently participating in the DC program. 
Wall Street is betting on Medicare privatization as their next big score, and it will take a movement to stop.  PNHP
More about ACO REACH  - Accountable Care Organization
From Bloomberg News a brief example of how Wall Street is closely aligned with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation

Clover Health at More Risk on Rollback of Trump Medicare Program OKA "Direct Contracting"

  • Concerns over CMS policy changes threaten Medicare-tied stocks
  • Clover Health shares slide 90% from June peak, Cano down 60%
By Cristin Flanagan, Bloomberg News, February 17, 2022
 
A potential rollback of a Trump administration Medicare program could threaten a handful of recently listed stocks from the past two years including Clover Health Investments Corp.

Clover, which went public in a blank-check merger backed by Chamath Palihapitiya, has already seen its stock drop 90% from a June peak. But the stock could take another leg downward if a program known as direct contracting -- a payment model that allows private companies to take part in Medicare -- is ended or scaled back, as it accounts for roughly 60% of its sales, according to Citigroup.

Clover is one of several health-care technology and service upstarts that have come to the market with big-name backers and heady valuations recently. But a broad market rotation away from high-growth names in the face of rising interest rates, as well as cooling daytrader interest, has reined in stock prices. Now, potential Medicare changes could further pressure the stock and others, with little room to reverse course. 

Citigroup analyst Jason Cassorla has opened a 30-day negative catalyst watch on a trio of health companies including Clover saying there is “limited upside” from any decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.


The list also includes Cano Health Inc., a medical provider backed by billionaire Barry Sternlicht that gets about 16% of its sales from the Medicare program, and health insurer Bright Health Group Inc., which earns roughly 5% from the program. Both Cano and Bright Health shares are down more than 50% since June. Additionally, clinic operators Oak Street Health Inc. and 1Life Healthcare Inc. -- both trading below their 2020 IPO prices -- could be impacted, according SVB Leerink analysts. All the Medicare-levered names tumbled Thursday amid a broader geopolitically driven selloff; 1Life closed down 12% while Clover tumbled 11% and Cano Health slid 9.3%.

Want Answers?
More on the name switch from Direct Contracting to ACO REACH
PSC CUNY - What's happening with retiree healthcare

FAQs from the NYC Retirees Organization
Updated MLC FAQs
Evidence of Coverage
UFT Welfare Fund
Prior Authorizations
Dark History of Medicare Privatization- article
Court Documents 

Message from United for Change

We will fight to remove private greed from our profession, our livelihood, and our schools. 

  • Reverse privatization of Medicare for NYC municipal retirees. No in-service healthcare givebacks.
  • Support single payer public healthcare. 
  • Rescind mandatory HMO enrollment for new UFT members. Bring back choice.
  • End high-stakes testing. Replace with fairer forms of student assessment
  • Fight the privatization of public education. Reverse the spread of charter schools in public education.
               Retiree Advocate is a member of UNITED FOR CHANGE
Retiree Advocate Platform

SAVE RETIREE BENEFIT
  • Protect our Healthcare from being privatized
  • Expand our Social Security benefits and ensure that they are not diminished or removed
  • Win a (single payer) universal health program, support and organize for the NYHealth Care Act
  • Increase our COLA (cost of living adjustments)
PROTECT WORKING EDUCATORS and SAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH FULL FUNDING•UFT
  • Take immediate steps to support teachers working under abusive administrators
  • Fight for Pension Equity- tier 1 for all. Equal work deserves equal pensions
  • Restore the Retiree Organizing Committee.
  • Defend our public schools and take a more active role in preventing them from being privatized
  • Say No to Charters, vouchers and any system that creates unequal worker tiers
  • Reduce Class Size! Cut administrator costs
EXPAND UNION DEMOCRACY
  • Working members should have greater voting weight when electing union leadership
  • Change the current “winner take all” election system using proportional representation for union slate
  • Represent a variety of views and interests in our chapter. Diversity of ideas leads to better decision making (which results in a stronger union)
FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL
  • We support The Black Lives Matter movement. End systemic racism and oppression
  • We call for an end to police brutality, real police reform and the end of the militarization of police departments
  • We support raising the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour.
  • The federal government should institute a massive jobs program to address racial and economic disparity. Support economic and health victims of the pandemic
  • Work to cut the excesses in the military budget and redirect monies to expand social services and benefits in local communities.
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Sunday, February 27, 2022

....and just sold out every New York City retiree

 


Welcome City of New York Active Employees!

This page is specifically for you, the active NYC worker. We want you to know that we were just like you, loyal union members in the City of New York. Many of us have been retired for 10, 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years already. We were made certain promises and had collective-bargaining agreements just like you do. Our agreements stated that the insurance we had in employment would continue into retirement until our death. As Retirees, we are also entitled to Medicare B reimbursement. These are all benefits our unions won for us during our tenure.

Now, sadly it seems the union position which used to be protect its workers and Retirees, is making side deals behind your back and just sold out every New York City retiree.

Friday, February 25, 2022

Digging Behind Mulgrewcare - - Biden [and Mulgrew] Sticks with Trump Scheme to Privatize Medicare

The article below dovetails with MulgrewCare and the UFT lining up with the Biden corporate Dems: Oppose single payer/medicare for all and the NY Health Act and support the private insurance industry. 

Friday, February 25, 2022

The more you examine UFT/Unity Caucus policy the more you see the links to fundamental Republican and corporate Democratic support for privatized schemes that drain funds from public options. (Think of how the UFT didn't rigorously oppose charter schools initially and even started two of its own, both failures). 

And make no mistake about it, the core UFT policy is center-right Democratic Party. Thus the move away from traditional medicare by Mulgrew fits perfectly into the overall plan to scuttle medicare and enrich private ensurers. 


Mulgrew claims the money comes from medicare to the private insurer so it doesn't cost the city money. This is true but ignores that in essence instead of medicare paying directly to your doctors they give the money to the private insurer who then pays the doctor or hospital - after taking its profit. How do they make a profit? Medicare pays an extra 5% to cover the higher administrative costs -- which even Mulgrew admits to. Who cares he might say, it's not out of our pocket. But actually long-term it is out of our pocket.

Every month I get my socials security check from the federal govt. Imagine if they installed a private agency to get my check, take a bit off the top for "admin" costs and then send it on to me.

Private insurers have another way to squeeze medicare. Upcoding, as explained to me by my podiatrist. They use any excuse to upcode the patients -- meaning taking any condition you have that medicare might pay say $100 for and making it look worse so medicare would have to pay say $150 for the same procedure.

Now, the point is you the patient is not getting any better service or care -- in the long run worse care because abother money maker is denials and forcing you to go through a pre-approval process. Now Medicare also has pre-approvals and 85% of MedAdv preapprovals match medicare -- but 15% doesn't -- and therein lies more than a few bucks for the privatizers. 

The end-game is the total dismantling of a publicly managed program and opening up the entire post-65 population to the privatizers. The article below shows how the Biden admin has put a Trump plan into the hands of Nancy Fowler, a chief ally of private insurers in a plan that will join Mulgrew in trying to gut medicare.

I will add one one point and that is the people who are employed by Medicare --

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Democracy at the UFT Delegate Assembly?

Whoever controls the agenda, controls the debate... old adage

I was there it was awful so much bullying and yelling from unity they look so weak.. Comment on ICE blog

The suppression of UFC Candidate Camille Eterno by Unity Caucus led Michael Mulgrew at the February 2022 UFT Delegate Assembly and the subsequent


distortions by Unity Caucus hacks on social media has resulted in some deep dives.

Unity seemed to think they had a slam dunk, but the event has sparked a lot of analysis of how the DA is run and how it should be run. 

Camille speaks up for herself on the UFC site:

Cl Nick Bacon, elected with Unity in 2019 but now running for UFC HS Ex Bd gets 2 whacks with his article at  New Action – UFT

 James posts on ICE blog: 

I posted:

  • UNITY Caucus Modus Operandi: Oppose debates and Attack Female Pres Opponents, Moms Camille Eterno and Julie Cavanagh on DA Attendance   

A Major analysis of the DA

But today the star of the show is a deep dive on the DA by a very knowledgeable UFT member with a deep understanding with a magus opus on the DA -- which I was going to write, so thank goodness I was spared -- though I still may torture readers with a follow-up.

It appears on the UFC blog: https://unitedforchange.vote/whatsofunny/  and I'm reprinting it in full.

What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Democracy at the UFT Delegate Assembly?

Monday, February 21, 2022

UNITY Caucus Modus Operandi: Oppose debates and Attack Female Pres Opponents, Moms Camille Eterno and Julie Cavanagh on DA Attendance

What Really Happened at the February '22 DA with Nick Bacon, UFC Candidate for HS Ex Bd  - superb and not to be missed.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/14957478/ep-29-what-really-happened-at-the-februa

...to expect a young mother to teach a full day, tend to her infant child, and travel to meetings without fail is ridiculous at best, and misogynist at worst.... Arthur Goldstein, NYC Educator, March 24, 2013- Should Working Mothers With Sick Babies Attend the DA?

Julie Cavanagh --- I certainly do not need to defend my attendance at Delegate Assemblies. While I do attend, often, DAs are not a democratic forum. As I am sure the commenters on the ICE and MORE blogs know, and as all Unity folks know, for most chapter leaders, the first DA in October is their last. Why? Because, the room is not even large enough for all of the CLs and delegates to be seated and when you do go and sit, you listen to Mulgrew practice his stand up routine for an hour or so, after which you *might* have the chance to ask a question or bring a resolution to the floor if Mulgrew recognizes you. Regardless, it is an effort in futility because it really doesn’t matter what you say, ask or bring to the floor; the ruling Unity caucus will disagree with it or vote it down, since they control the DA. If the UFT leadership actually held Delegate Assemblies each month that were informative and provided fair and ample time for discourse and discussion, I would be there in a New York minute....
instead of relaxing while my baby takes a nap, I am writing this in response to comments on the ICE and MORE blogs attacking my commitment as a unionist and chapter leader and questioning my worthiness as a candidate for UFT President. All of this because I, and the caucus I represent, had the nerve to insist that Michael Mulgrew engage in a forum or debate with me
 
UFT Presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh, March 2013

February 21, 2022

The recent attacks at the Feb. DA by Unity hacks, led by the wailing of Leroy Barr and the bullying of Mike Sill, assaulting UFC Presidential Candidate Camille Eterno over her DA attendance record reminded us that they did the same to brand new mom Julie Cavanagh when she ran against Mulgrew in 2013. Of course Camille, due to Unity acceptence of fundamental ed deform that led to closing schools based in UFT supported high stakes testing, the end of seniority and the creation of the ATR pool, has had to shift over the past years from school to school, so attending the DA until recently was not an option, especially during the pandemic. Plus the fact that Camille's credentials were not sent in time for any of the DAs this year so she could attend in person.

Perhaps seeing the UFT under Mulgrew and Unity is a locked box, Julie went another route and became a supervisor. She is now one of the most respected (by teachers and other UFT members) principals in the city. Last week I met a teacher at her school who told me she felt blessed to find herself working for Julie.

They are not even creative enough to come up with something new. While you'll get a dry partial story on some reports from the DA you will get the full story by Nick Bacon, who was actually elected running on the Unity slate in 2019, but now in New Action and running for HS Ex Bd with UFC:

New Action – UFT Unpacking the February DA - The February DA was a farce, but not for the reasons our leadership would have you think. United for change has a problem: we haven’t been called on durin... 

And James:

ICEUFT Blog UNITY ATTACKING CAMILLE'S UNION RESUME AS THIN SHOWS THEY CAN'T EVEN DO OPPOSITION RESEARCH HONESTLY - This post is for the Unity Caucus people who have made their line of attack on Camille Eterno that she doesn't have the experience needed to lead the lar...

You can hear Camille on the Matt and Abie podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AsrTYY5hoboFYHU96Y4fI

Back to 2013 -  Sunday, March 24, 2013 NYC Educator post:

Should Working Mothers With Sick Babies Attend the DA?

There's a small ruckus on the MORE blog about whether or not UFT President Mike Mulgrew should debate his sole opponent, Julie Cavanagh. While the respondents are often more civil than the juvenile ravings that haunt the ICE blog comment section, their arguments are bizarre, to say the least. As it happens, candidate Julie Cavanagh has an infant son, and the best argument they can seem to muster against her is that she doesn't attend the DA frequently enough.

The implication that she would neglect her duties, as a result, is beyond offensive. With all due respect, Mulgrew is not a full-time teacher. It is one of his primary responsibilities to conduct the DA. Cavanagh's primary responsibility is to teach her classes. If she couldn't be bothered doing that, we might have something to discuss. Or, depending on the circumstances, we might not. But to expect a young mother to teach a full day, tend to her infant child, and travel to meetings without fail is ridiculous at best, and misogynist at worst. 

UFT members deserve to hear the ideas of those who'd presume to lead us in a free and open forum. If, in fact, Unity's ideas are so much better than those of the opposing caucus, it behooves them to demonstrate it.

The notion that the DA is remotely a substitute for free and open debate is preposterous. It is an insult to the intelligence of teachers everywhere. Anyone who contends the DA is a suitable forum for a debate between candidates is disingenuous and misleading, qualities I wouldn't seek in a chapter leader, let alone a union employee. 

and a follow-up on Mulgrew refusal to debate Julie: Saturday, March 30, 2013

Who's Afraid of Julie Cavanagh?

I think we saw at the Feb. 22 DA, nothing much has changed from this report 9 years ago - in fact the lack of democracy is worse.

James reported back in 2013

Thursday, March 21, 2013

 and here he prints Julie's response and challemge to Mulgrew to debate her.

Wow. While having breakfast with my husband and almost nine month old son (who is finally on the mend after more than a week of a fever ranging 102-104 every day, during the same time my best friend’s 18 month old daughter was in the hospital, who by the way is also a teacher and a single mother of two young children) I picked up my phone to see a mention on Twitter from Arthur Goldstein (teacher and chapter leader in Queens). I frankly couldn’t believe what I was reading. Usually a mention from Arthur has me in stitches, not this time.

Now instead of relaxing while my baby takes a nap, I am writing this in response to comments on the ICE and MORE blogs attacking my commitment as a unionist and chapter leader and questioning my worthiness as a candidate for UFT President. All of this because I, and the caucus I represent, had the nerve to insist that Michael Mulgrew engage in a forum or debate with me so that our members can be fully informed and engaged when it comes to their voting choices in the upcoming election.

First let me say that I do not feel I need to defend my role as a chapter leader. Nearly every UFT member in our school, signed my petition for UFT President, and many of my colleagues are actually running in this election with MORE. 

Second, I certainly do not need to defend my attendance at Delegate Assemblies. While I do attend, often, DAs are not a democratic forum. As I am sure the commenters on the ICE and MORE blogs know, and as all Unity folks know, for most chapter leaders, the first DA in October is their last. Why? Because, the room is not even large enough for all of the CLs and delegates to be seated and when you do go and sit, you listen to Mulgrew practice his stand up routine for an hour or so, after which you *might* have the chance to ask a question or bring a resolution to the floor if Mulgrew recognizes you. Regardless, it is an effort in futility because it really doesn’t matter what you say, ask or bring to the floor; the ruling Unity caucus will disagree with it or vote it down, since they control the DA. If the UFT leadership actually held Delegate Assemblies each month that were informative and provided fair and ample time for discourse and discussion, I would be there in a New York minute. As this is not the case, I attend as many delegate assemblies as I can, but sometimes other events such as a childcare issue, my son being ill or an important meeting in my community to bring a new partner into Red Hook to service children and families with disabilities will take precedence. I do not need to go to the delegate assembly to prove who I am or that I am committed to my union; I act every day in a way that highlights why I should be president of the UFT.

I am a mother and a teacher. I have been a teacher for thirteen years, and have been working with children with special needs and their families for even longer. I have stayed in the same community and school since moving to NYC in 2001, because I am committed to the process of leading school change and improvement from the school level. I became chapter leader at the request of my colleagues a few years ago and have worked hard with them, our parents, and our principal to make sure our children and our teachers have the best learning and working conditions possible. I fought for my school during the dictatorship that my union handed to the mayor, during a co-location of a charter school in my building that my union didn’t adequately help fight (which is difficult since the UFT leadership chose to co-locate its own charter), while our class sizes rise steadily and our budgets are slashed, while teacher’s choice was eliminated and insultingly reinstated to cover no more than a few boxes of pencils, while ATR’s rotate in and out of my building- some of whom have approached me on the brink of tears desperate for someone to listen to their struggle, during a time of a tidal wave of assaults on our children, our schools, and our profession. 

Throughout this time, I not only worked in my own school community, I worked with parents and union members across the city and the country to fight back. You can find links to some of my work here, but I will list a few highlights: I co-wrote/edited/produced/and narrated a film that stood up to corporate education reform, a film that has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in every state and on every continent (except Antarctica); I have appeared on several TV and radio programs and written several articles where I have spoken out forcefully against corporate education reform and for the schools our children deserve -- and I was invited or asked in every single case to participate, so while those in Unity caucus pretend to not know who I am or what I have done (but yet "know", falsely, that I am not at DAs) apparently the national media does; I have also worked with other union members in the city and nationally -- I helped organize a conference, and attended and facilitated, in Chicago in the summer of 2011 with other teacher union members; I helped lead the solidarity efforts with Verizon workers at the end of that same summer. I have sued, with a parent and a student, Mayor Bloomberg for the right to protest school closings and co-locations on his block and successfully organized and co-led that protest. I was the only teacher petitioner in the effort to stop and overturn the appointment of Cathy Black and also recently the only teacher on record to join with parents in sounding the alarm of student and teacher data privacy issues regarding SLC/inBloom data systems (Randi Weingarten, by the way, sits on inBloom’s advisory board). I say all of this not because I think anything that I am or that I do is so special, I share this information to highlight the outlandishness of the attacks from people whose usual line is there should be no attacks on union folks because we are under attack from outside forces and therefore need ‘unity’. I also share this because these are the things the president of a union should do.

Beyond of all of this, if Unity caucus can attack me for the number of times I went to the DA (this year I believe I have been to four DAs), the number of grievances I have filed (none), the number of UFT trainings or committees I have attended (none), then I wonder why they nominated Randi Weingarten as their presidential candidate, since she never attended a DA as a chapter leader, was never a chapter leader, and therefore never filed a grievance, attended the trainings etc.  

I personally do not think any of those things are what makes someone qualified to run our union. What matters is leadership. What matters is vision. What matters is the philosophy by which one will govern and represent the membership. I believe in a union that is member led and member driven. When I, or a candidate from MORE caucus, become president of the union, you will not have to attend a DA and sit idly and listen. The DA will be yours. When we take over leadership of our union, we will organize, support and build fighting chapters at the school level with elected district representatives who are trained organizers.  When we run the union, leadership and staffers will make salaries equivalent to the teachers we represent -- there will be no extra perks, no double pensions.  When we lead our union, you will not go more than three years without a contract, at least not without organized job actions and a fight. 

When Unity’s stranglehold of the leadership of our union ends, the members will have representation that believes in solidarity with other unions and in the power of our collective action. You will have a union that educates, mobilizes, and organizes our members and the public and who organically partners with parents and young people. You will have a leadership that truly understands that our working conditions are our students' learning conditions, that a harm to one is a harm to us all, and that we must stand side by side with deep roots in the communities we serve to fight for social, racial and economic justice in our schools, in our city and across the country.

I am more than ready to share who I am with the members of the UFT and I am happy to answer their questions. In fact, that is precisely the reason I sent the email below to Michael Mulgrew. I believe a union membership with a less than 30% voter turnout needs to be engaged and exposed to open discourse and conversation between the two people who seek to represent them.

Mr. Mulgrew, I am still waiting for a response. 
My email to Mulgrew:
Sent: Mar 14, 2013 8:01 PM

Michael,

I hope this email finds you well.

While we have differences and disagreements concerning education policy and union democracy, we both are committed to our union and the children we serve. In that spirit, we should be able to engage in an open conversation during election season so we can ensure our fellow members are informed and engaged.

To this point you have ignored outreach regarding your participation in a debate or question and answer town hall with me. I would like to directly and formally ask you to participate in such an event.

I believe that our members deserve the opportunity to ask questions of their presidential candidates and I strongly believe this kind of open and honest discourse strengthens our union: an educated and engaged membership that is listened to and participates makes us stronger.

There is precedent for an event such as this between presidential candidates during election season.  As you know, Randi has participated in presidential debates in the past: one in 1999 and again in 2001.  

I am open to a debate format with a third party moderator or a town hall question and answer event with the membership. My only specific asks are that the event be filmed and/or livestreamed so that we can maximize member participation, that the date, which I am open to any, be agreed to a few days in advance, so that I can secure child care and that the date be as close to April 3rd as possible, so that we provide a fair amount of time for members during the election timeframe.

I look forward to your response.

In solidarity,
Julie Cavanagh
 

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Video: CROC Valentine's Day Protest MulgrewCare - A RUMP Group - Retirees United for Medicare Preservation

RETIREES' VALENTINE TO MAYOR: DON'T BREAK OUR HEARTS WITH HEALTHCARE SWITCH

Hello CROC supporters, 


Thank you for endorsing and joining us at our Valentine's Day event at City Hall, at which we insisted that Mayor Adams disavow the plan to move city retirees to the so-called "Medicare Advantage Plus" medical plan.  Our message was loud and clear!

And thank you, Prudence Hill for creating this wonderful video of the event.
Please enjoy and share widely. The link is below. 
 

https://vimeo.com/679276160 


CROC DEMO FINE CUT from Martin Lucas on Vimeo.

 

Link to story text and video clip (about 2 minutes long) about the 2/14 rally against Medicare Advantage Plus:



 

 =========

Learn how the UFT took a secret vote to put us into a Medical Advantage plan. Marianne is the woman who led this whole movement and got us a top-notch lawyer.

It's a long video, but very informative on why Medical Advantage isn't Medicare!!!
 

 

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

#UFTElections - Petitions - What we can learn about the upcoming election - Part 1

With the UFT election petition campaign coming to a close. I've gotten a good read on the potentials in this election from the petition campaign. I can actually predict some vote totals from certain schools based on the success of petitioning and the effectiveness in organizing in that school. In this and followups I will share what I can without stepping on too many toes. We are keeping a spreadsheet with numbers submitted and from where they came from. If I get my proposal for school level percentages of voting to be reported I can check the spreadsheet against those numbers and I bet I will be pretty accurate.) I also have been getting a lot of reports on the state of the attitudes in schools regarding the Unity leadership -- it seems more people have heard of the existence of Unity caucus than in the past.

This is the 6th petition campaign I have helped run  - 04, 07, 10, 13, 16 and I've learned from my mistakes in each one. This time I think we ran a flawless campaign due to the support of the amazing crew from Retiree Advocate who have given up 3 Wednesdays plus another one today and this past Sunday to assist, plus the in school people led by Lydia from Solidarity (a wonderful partner0, Mike from MORE who worked as a liaison, the Eterno clan, and of course my main partner in crime Jonathan Halabi who I worked with so well in the 2016 election.

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022

Rice Pudding at diner signing
This Friday is the deadline for petitions to be turned in to get on the ballot for the UFT elections when ballots go out on April 8. After weeks of work as the point person for the United for Change coalition, I'm shlepping 2 suitcases of petitions with thousands of pages (an entire forest) to 52 Broadway this morning to meet up with others from Retiree Advocate to try to finalize everything and turn them in today so I can go home with empty suitcases.

Why two days early? I live by the words: Shit happens. I can imagine going in on Friday and I get sick or in an accident. Unity runs unopposed, which I'm sure would make them happy.

Well, anyway, I survived an intense 4 weeks and a possible divorce over forgetting to get chocolates for Valentines Day --- my excuse of being preoccupied didn't work and it cost me a day of silent treatment and no dinner. But today I hope it is freedom day. We want to turn in at 2 and then hang out for late stragglers before the DA and then the petition store is closed. (I am still getting stuff in the mail but yesterday's mail is the last I'm turning in.)

Big turnout at Bryant Park


There are about 400 people running with a few late comers coming on board. We started out aiming for 700 but handling that number seemed too much and I urged people to stop recruiting. About 130 are retirees and we could have had 300 due to the Medicare situation but I don't believe we should run so many retirees compared to working members. People could have signed up dozens in their schools but the strategy of having so many people from one school isn't all that effective. Theories abound that most opposition votes come from schools where there is an active and proficient organizer to get out the vote. 

But petitions are an indicator of the effectiveness of the organizer and as the point person I have a good read on where votes will be coming from. Of course today we are handing over all that info to the UFT membership committee. Would it be beyond Unity to take a peek to see where our strengths lie? Some in the opposition argue that we should hand in the minimum as a strategic move but most of us feel that would be a betrayal of the process. So instead of handing in 900 officer petitions, we will hand over 3000. Late arrivals at the DA will be brought up to the office at 4:30.

Bobby, Bennett and me Sunday at 40th St library after a full day of work

Delegate 

We will try to listen to the Assembly while waiting.

Gotta get ready to catch the ferry dragging my suitcases. I will be back tomorrow with some petitions stories that might be early election indicators.


Monday, February 14, 2022

Retirees Valentine Day Rally for Medicare at City Hall - Plus video of rally


Video of WPIX 11 News Report of Todays Rally at City Hall

Jumaane Williams Speaking today-Tell Adams- No Privatization of our Medicare

 


 

Media advisory: City retirees to protest healthcare switch TODAY near City Hall

RETIREES' VALENTINE TO MAYOR: DON'T BREAK OUR HEARTS WITH HEALTHCARE SWITCH

Scores of retired city workers will gather near City Hall on Monday, Feb. 14, at noon to tell Mayor Eric Adams he's breaking their hearts with his plan to change their beloved Medicare coverage.

Rally organizers will unscroll a Wall of Broken Hearts signed by 1,800 municipal retirees who want Adams to reconsider moving a quarter-million Medicare beneficiaries into a controversial new Medicare Advantage plan by April 1. To keep their current coverage, retirees would need to pay stiff new premiums, unaffordable for many. Adams recently endorsed the plan, begun under the de Blasio administration and still tied up in a lawsuit brought by retirees.

Speakers, including a physician, will address the devastating effects of the plan, which would limit access to doctors and services. Retirees holding giant Valentine cards will collect more signatures. Scroll and cards will be delivered to the mayor at the end of the event.

Organized by the Cross-union Retirees Organizing Committee (CROC,) the rally is endorsed by other organizations, including the District Council 37 Retirees Association, the New York Public Library Retirees Association, and the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.

WHEN: Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, noon to 12:45 pm
WHERE: Broadway and Murray St., near City Hall

Contact: retireequestions@gmail.com
or Sarah Shapiro, sarahmorah@gmail.com