Battle Against Medicare Advantage – Updates

A summary of recent work by UFT activists.

Collusion

I made the case that United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Mulgrew and the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) colluded with NYC – the mayor and the Office of Labor Relations (OLR) to force retirees into Medicare Advantage last year (the retirees stopped them) and to change Section 12-126 of the City’s Administrative Code this fall (so that they might succeed in ambushing the retirees. Here’s my piece. And James published some photographic evidence.

UFT Leadership Contempt for Membership

Unity’s leader displayed really bad attitude at last week’s town hall – Arthur describes how Mulgrew belittles members and retirees, instead of working with those who have been out-organizing the leadership. And I remind readers that instead of trying to work together, Unity leadership silences people who disagree with them. And there’s a lot of us.

A bad deal from 2018

Nick Bacon reviews the deal that set the stage for the Medicare fiasco. Arthur talks about it, too.

Alternatives exist…

Nick’s Exec Board minutes cover a resolution (scroll down) to raise funding via billionaire taxes and reinstating thestock transfer tax – not on retiree’s backs. And James is right – we can negotiate with our current rights, and without screwing over any members or retirees.

…to Unity’s and the MLC’s and OLR’s and Scheinman’s plans

Nick lays out Mulgrew’s general game plan – agree to something that sucks, and blame the retirees. And yesterday James went into some detail about what Mulgrew may be working on next.

This is Not Over

We are still fighting. We are currently, strange as it seems, winning.

Keep making those calls to City Council – Do Not Amend 12-126.

Retiree Advocate explains why:

The UFT leadership (Mulgrew and crew, aka “Unity”) are locked in a desperate fight with the UFT members and the UFT retirees – Mulgrew and company are struggling to reduce how much health care we receive, in order to pay a debt they incurred years ago – we are battling to prevent them, to preserve our health care.
Because the politicians and the insurance companies and big business are on Mulgrew’s side, you might think he is a heavy favorite to defeat the members and the retirees.
But so far we have successfully held him off.