UFT Retiree Election – You Can Make a Difference

Ballots were mailed today. Our moment is near at hand. But what can we still do? You probably already know about voting yourself, and using social media. Skip down to #3 – “Get Others to Vote”

A. Vote!

The day your ballot arrives, mark the first box for Retiree Advocate, seal it, and return it. Here’s a video telling you how to vote. Here’s another video. It’s a beautiful thing, casting a vote to cast out Unity.

B. Post on Social Media

(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, etc). Here’s a page with flyers you can borrow and post. And at the bottom is a flyer I like, and a meme.

C. Get Others to Vote

Usually people say “get out the vote” and they mean “get out your side’s vote” but since 80% of the new votes will be our side’s votes – let’s just focus on getting more people to vote.

There is a ranked priority for how to reach people. The principle – direct personal contact has a more direct effect.

1. Face to face
2. Telephone (voice to voice)
3. Personal e-mail

Mass emails, or facebook posts – that’s like a public announcement, and they are cool – but getting people to vote takes an actual direct contact. Make it personal if you can.

1. Make a list of retirees you know. Not just your friends. Not just people you like. Every retiree you know.
   • Friends who are retired NYC teachers
   • Family who are retired NYC teachers
   • Neighbors who are retired NYC teachers
   • Former coworkers who are retired NYC teachers – do you have an old email with everyone’s email address?
   • Members of clubs or classes who are retired NYC teachers
   • Relatives of friends who are retired teachers (I wrote to Steven 2 days ago – his mom is a retired NYC teacher – he gave her the flyer and asked her to share it)
2. Decide who you can visit (that’s tough) who you can call, and who you will email.
3. Decide when you will call or email.
4. Call or email everyone on your list.

Couple of notes.

People we are not fond of: You might know former NYC teachers who are not your friends, maybe people – you didn’t care for each other. Look – doesn’t matter. We are not forming new relationships – it’s a one time ask. You know the phrase “I wouldn’t bother you, except…”? Feel free to use it. And “except” what? Except “our health care depends on it”? How’s that? Because, you know, its true.

Timeline: Ballots go out today. Some will arrive tomorrow. Most will arrive Monday and Tuesday. By next Saturday they should all have been received. And people who vote, most of them vote right when the ballot arrives. That means, all of your phone calls, all of your emails – tonight, Saturday, Sunday (that’s Mother’s Day – do we skip Mother’s Day?), Monday, Tuesday. I don’t know, maybe Wednesday and Thursday… but that’s awfully late.

Message: Vote for Retiree Advocate – to preserve our heathcare, and against Medicare Advantage – to allow members to make decisions – against Mulgrew – for openness, and against secret deals. That’s probably enough.

Target audience: Everyone. Every retired NYC teacher you know.

Part C, getting other to vote. This is a challenge. It’s not what most of us are used to doing. But this is where you can make the biggest difference. Can you get your vote plus two more? Plus ten more?

We have done enough work to make this a close election. Now let’s see if we can do what we need to, each of us individually – me, you, Bennett, Gloria, each of us, to put us over. Let’s cast our ballots, and let’s get others to cast their ballots, and let’s together cast out those people who should no longer be running our chapter.