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.

 

 

Mulgrew saves City a Billion on healthcare - out of our pockets, Restrictions on ER visits can cost lives

The escalating cost of health insurance, prescription drugs and medical care across the country has created a national crisis. Hospitals and drug companies are charging increasingly exorbitant amounts... Michael Mulgrew in UFT FAQ. (See it debunked -The Facts Michael Mulgrew, UFT, Doesn’t Want You to know.)

But of course Mulgrew insists we must make up for these high costs out of our pockets not by really using the leverage a quarter million city union retirees hold. Want to see them hold prices in check? Unions instead of opposing the NY Health Act support it which would threaten the very existence of private health insurers.

Another way is to pressure Medicare to be more vigilant - see the article below

Mulgrew says healthcare costs are going up but ignores the reasons (stock buybacks, high ex salaries, advertising (Joe Namath ads), gouging Medicare) and wants us to pay claiming "savings" coming from our co-pays and other charges - the goal is to dis-incentivize us from using services like the ER. You feel sick and would normally go to the ER but maybe not so sure you want to pay $100 so maybe you wait to get a little sicker. Maybe you wait just a little too long.... UFT Death Panels?

 

 

 

Jonathan Halabi has a series of blogs that expose UFT so-called healthcare - or unhealthycare. People running the union view his posts as doing the most harm to them of all the bloggers. Here are some excerpts from each post but go read them all.

 

MedicareAdv restictions can kill

This about a guy who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had to move fast tells the tale of many Medicare Disadvantage programs compared to traditional Medicare.

Preauthorizations – a cautionary tale

October 23, 2022 

... the oncologist frowned. Unfortunately, the scan couldn’t be scheduled for 3 or 4 weeks. “We’re not the problem...We have to get approval from your insurance. We’ll submit it, they’ll reject it. There’s a lot of back and forth.” Barry was puzzled. …“Just to be clear,” he said, “I’m not in Medicare Advantage. I have regular Medicare with a supplemental.” The oncologist’s “whole demeanor changed.” … The frown became a smile. “Well then, we can go a lot faster,” he was told.

He follows up with:   

Prior Authorization: Who saves? Who loses? October 24, 

Who saves?

• The City
• The Stabilization Fund
• Michael Mulgrew
• The Insurance Companies

Who pays?

• Soon? Retirees. (unless we stop them)
• Eventually? All of us.
• (and the federal government)

Mulgrew raises copays; Bronx gets hit

Do you know what health care savings are? They (insurance companies, Michael Mulgrew, the New York Times) call it savings when 1) you think about going to the doctor, and decide not to and 2) when you pay more (and they pay less) for your visits.

So what do they call it when your copay goes from $50 to $100? Or from $0 to $30? That’s right – the MLC and the UFT leadership call that SAVINGS. Doesn’t feel like savings when it costs me more. How about you?

More on the New Emblem (GHI) Copays

We are talking MRIs, CAT scans, PET scans, NMR, and other stuff. Copays in network were $50. But the City and the MLC and Mulgrew and the Insurance companies found a cost savings. (Cost savings mean you get less medical care, or you have a harder time accessing medical care, or you have to pay more out of pocket for medical care. “Cost Savings” is short for “Cost Savings for them, at our expense”)

In any case, the way they are going to charge us more is by declaring everyone to be out of network, with double the copay ($100 instead of $50).

Did the UFT make an announcement about copay increases?

October 27, 2022 

Maybe I missed it? I have been writing about the increase in GHI (now Emblem) copays, for Montefiore, and for MRIs, CTs, and other scans.

I have pointed out that the notice from Emblem came AFTER the changes went into effect. I have also pointed out that the notice from the UFT NEVER CAME. I searched my mail. I searched my email. Could I have missed it? Please readers, tell me if I have. But I don’t think so.

Tuesday at a UFT meeting two UFT officers indicated this was the first they had heard of it, and that they had not seen it in writing. This is a change to copays for the insurance (Emblem, used to be GHI) that most high school teachers have.

Yesterday I got an email over Mulgrew’s name about healthcare – I read carefully to see if they snuck in a mention of the new copays. Nope. Mulgrew and friends just decided not to tell us about the new copays. Let Emblem do it. Or let the members find out when they get a surprise charge at the doctors office. This, by the way, is tried and true Unity strategy. When they have bad news, hide it.

 Here is an article covering the pushback by retirees:

 

 

Aiming to reset the debate over the future of the healthcare provided retired New York City civil servants, the president of the largest municipal union insists he wants the City Council to change the city’s administrative code — not to force retirees into a controversial Medicare Advantage Plan as critics claim — but to preserve all city unions’ collective bargaining rights. 

On an Oct. 20 virtual press call, Michael Mulgrew, president of the 200,000 member United Federation of Teachers, told reporters that New York State Judge Lyle Frank’s ruling last October “undid 40 years of collective bargaining” and that while an appeal is still pending, the City Council needs to revise the administrative code to preserve the unions’ ability to offer a myriad of healthcare plans to the city’s 200,000 retirees.

Complete article: https://portside.org/2022-10-27/uft-prez-doubles-down-medicare-advantage-push-face-fierce-opposition

 And one more. While we support Medicare, we don't support the lax admin when it comes to fraud. People at the top of MC often move back and forth between govt and industry. If we want to save money let's keep an eye on the corrupt ball.

Medicare Rights: CMS to Release Audit Findings on Overpayments to Medicare Advantage Plans 

• By Lindsey Copeland
• October 27, 2022

https://www.medicarerights.org/medicare-watch/2022/10/27/cms-to-release-audit-findings-on-overpayments-to-medicare-advantage-plans

Media Advisory: Halloween Horror Press Conference to Tell City Council Members: DO NOT Amend Administrative Code §12-126

 

Media Advisory For October 27, 2022

Halloween Horror Press Conference

to Tell City Council Members:

DO NOT Amend Administrative Code §12-126

New York City municipal retirees have been fighting for over a year to prevent the City from moving us out of our excellent, traditional Medicare-with-supplemental-insurance plan and into a lesser, privatized Medicare Advantage plan. Last March, a lawsuit found that the City's attempt to financially penalize retirees who refused to switch plans was a violation of city code. In response, the City is now pressuring the City Council to change the law that protects us - NY City Administrative Code §12-126. The City's proposed amendment would not only lift retirees' health benefit protections, but would leave the City's active workforce without protections as well, leaving us all vulnerable to a wholesale diminishment of our current health benefits.

We will greet and educate our City Council members as they enter City Hall on October 27th. Halloween is scary and fun, but there is nothing fun about losing our hard-earned health benefits! We will let the City Council know that amending NY City Administrative Code §12-126 would be a real horror show, for the city, and its workers.

Come to the press conference and hear experts and elected officials talk about the proposed amendment to the city code and explain why Medicare Advantage Plans are bad for our health.

Confirmed Speakers:

Jumaane Williams, Public Advocate for the City of New York

City Council Member Christopher Marte, District 1

City Council Member Alexa Aviles, District 38

Dr. Oli Fein, Physicians for a National Health Program

When: Thursday, October 27th, 2022 at 12:30pm

Where: Broadway & Park Place at entrance to City Hall

Press Contacts: 

Julie Schwartzberg  jschwartzberg@gmail.com      

Sarah Shapiro         sarahmorah@gmail.com         

The Cross-union Retirees Organizing Committee (CROC)

                                        crocnyc22@gmail.com, 

 

Here is the admin code changes the UFT etc want to make - in yellow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

More Democracy is threat to autocrats in Unity Caucus:

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

 

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

 

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

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