UNITY CAMPAIGNS IMPROPERLY IN PARA ELECTION; PETITION FOR A CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED REFERENDUM ON SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO HEALTHCARE SURPASSES 6,000 SIGNATURES

 This is from Marie Para (Wausnock) showing Unity cheating at an official UFT event. The video is on Facebook.

Spotlight on Truth 

You can’t say you didn’t….cause ‘ya did!! Lets look at the video tape!

Let’s pay attention to the rules of the UFT.  Let’s be clear on a few things….the UFT is our union, Unity is a caucus within the union.  Just as there other caucus’, such as MORE, ICE and SOLIDARITY.  Unity has been the controlling caucus within the union.  Whenever there is a function that the UFT pays for, NO caucus can campaign at these events.  If they did allow this, all candidates should be given the same space, time, and expense of campaigning on the UFT’s dime…or should that be on YOUR UNION DUES.

Now let’s pay attention to the timeline.  January 26, 2023 the UFT held the BRONX SRP at 4PM at the Bronx Borough Office….(this was a UFT paid event), yet the Unity Candidates were there campaigning BEFORE THE OFFICIAL ELECTION PROCESS WAS ANNOUNCED. 

The nomination petitions weren’t even ready until February 16, 2023.  There was no official announcement of when this special election was going to be…..so why were the Unity Candidates already being introduced as candidates and what position they were running for? And how did only Unity know about the election ahead of the official announcement?  And again, no caucus is allowed to campaign at UFT paid events!!!

This is obviously an attempt to gain an unfair advantage over other candidates.  If Unity has no regard to adhere to the rules and regulations in this election process, which would ensure a fair and transparent election, what can you expect from them if elected?

Ultimately, you want leaders that know and respect the rules and regulations governing this election process.

SHAME SHAME SHAME

Vote for the challengers to Unity if you are a para.

We can get that vote on healthcare changes fellow UFTers. 

The petition to get a UFT constitutionally mandated member referendum on significant changes to our healthcare just passed 6,000 signatures, with a thousand signing over spring break.

Tuesday, we will be having a live Zoom on the campaign. I have been asked to speak. We are getting close to being a third of the way there. Please sign and then spread to every UFTer you know.

OVER +6K UFT MEMBERS HAVE SIGNED -- HAVE YOU?

UPDATE ON THE UFT HEALTHCARE REFERENDUM PETITION

Union-strong friend, We hope the spring break has been restful and rejuvenating. We're beyond excited to report that more than +6K UFT active and retiree members have signed the UFT Healthcare Referendum petition.   What we're witnessing is the growing momentum of a people-powered movement demanding quality, premium-free, and affordable healthcare in NYC and around the nation. This past week in a rally organized by the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, hundreds of city retirees and union workers congregated to raise their voices around preserving traditional Medicare for eligible city retirees, while City Hall and elected leaders had to take notice.  Mayor Adams and the Municipal Labor Committee's de-facto leaders, Mulgrew (UFT) and Garrido (DC37), must make good on the promises made to us all. In addition, we are among the thousands in our union that are galvanizing around a petition organizing effort that gives us agency over our healthcare, while mobilizing others and educating them about our member rights and responsibilities regarding mandatory subjects of bargaining, like healthcare. Less than 4 weeks ago, together we successfully launched our member-wide referendum petition campaign calling for a membership-wide vote for any significant changes to active and/or retired members’ healthcare. These include any significant changes of our healthcare carriers, limits to our choice of healthcare carriers, or institutions of or raises to premiums, deductibles or copayments, etc.  We also demand that UFT members must be provided full disclosure of the wording for such proposed changes, prior to the membership wide vote. We continue to drive toward our 10% threshold of written member requests that are needed to trigger the UFT constitutional mandate compelling the UFT executive board to bring a member-wide referendum vote to all members. Lastly, take a moment to read a piece entitled, "Activism is Circulating the Petition", by Arthur Goldstein, longtime educator, union leader and activist. Share it with others who are going back to school on Monday, along with the petition. THE NEXT STEPS: CHAPTER-WIDE SIGNATURES AND OUR FIRST PETITION ORGANIZING ZOOM CALL - APRIL 18TH AT 7 PM In our next phase, we are asking chapter leaders, delegates or any UFT member seeking to organize their chapters around this cause, to print the petition and share it with as many members at your school as possible.  Scores of school chapters have already mobilized and are submitting their petitions. Retirees are also getting multiple petition signatures from UFT friends and colleagues. Find a PDF copy of the petition to download, print and share here. Join us this Tuesday, April 18th at 7 pm for our first organizing call for all those who want to help in reaching our goal of +20K signatures. To RSVP for our first Zoom organizing call, click here. We will map out a winning strategy together