Was 2018 the Worst Bad Deal Ever?

No one should be putting health care cuts into contracts. This is bad negotiating by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) leadership (Unity Caucus). Nick calls it a bad deal. He’s right. But there was something much worse about the 2018 contract than most people realize. Read on.

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.

This fight has its roots in previous Unity schemes and deals – some of which were hidden from UFT members and retirees. Perhaps the worst, most dangerous lines were hidden in “Appendix B” – permanent, annual cuts in health care – with no end to the cutting.

The 2018 contract ratified an earlier agreement that was not shared with the UFT membership. The memorandum of agreement has a health care heading, but it just says to see Appendix B.

Here’s the link to the MOA: https://www.uft.org/files/attachments/secure/moa-2018.pdf

Appendix B, as you might guess, is not attached.

In fact, when Unity was hard-selling this deal, in an unexplained rush, they clearly said there were no health care give backs. And then they did not provide Appendix B. James found it. But because the leadership hid it, and most members rely on the leadership for their information, there is no way of knowing how many of those who voted yes on the contract knew there were givebacks. Probably very few, in light of Unity’s brazen lies. Arthur provides a good summary of the Unity rush to get the 2018 contract passed without revealing the health care give backs.

Appendix B is a letter. Here’s a link to the whole of Appendix B (4 pages). And here’s the first page:

So, we already know, agreeing to cutting health care is a bad deal. But worst deal ever? Let’s look at 1.a, and focus on 1.a.iv

First, a reminder: “savings” are savings for the City of New York and the Stabilization Fund. “Savings” for you and me mean less health care, harder to access health care, or more costly health care.

Mulgrew Savings = Member/Retiree Cuts and Higher Costs

So Appendix B is about health care cuts.

Let’s focus on line iv. $600 million per yer – on a recurring basis. That means, even though that contract is over, the health care cuts need to continue forward. And worse. Any fool knows, health care costs are going up. So whatever cuts were good enough to amount to $600 mil a year ago, they are not enough today. Unity has put us on the hook for never ending cuts in health care. That’s what makes this perhaps the worst negotiated deal, ever.

Our contract is expired. But the health care cuts continue.

The health care cuts are permanent.

And Appendix B promises more cuts every year that health care costs rise.

Our job right now

Stop the OLR/MLC/UFT / Adams / Mulgrew / Nespoli plan in its tracks.

Do Not Amend 12-126 (keep calling / writing / texting your city council member)

Do Not accept Medicare Advantage.

Demand our unions to negotiate ON OUR BEHALF – instead of on behalf of the stabilization fund that they seem more anxious to represent than their own members.

Seek alternate funding sources (read down for resolution on stock transfer tax and billionaires tax).