LIVE BLOGGING FROM JANUARY 2023 DELEGATE ASSEMBLY

 President Michael Mulgrew begins by stating how the school year is at half-time in January.

President's Report

State Budget

Governor Hochul has proposed a 13% increase in school funding. Push for Career and Technical Education. Federal, they want college preparation. Data shows CTE has closed the achievement gap and students are more likely to graduate. Governor believes in CTE. Good proposal for budget out of Albany. The budget comes out in February. Then Assembly and Senate put out one house bills. Then there are discussions, fights. Some little things we don't like but mostly it is good. Big lobby day in March. This is not like what happened under the previous governor (charter schools, extension of tenure).

City Budget

It is the opposite of the state. $80 million increase. Everything else is flat. State giving historic increase in funding. How can the city be flat? $8.3 billion surplus is growing. Mayor talking about city falling off a financial cliff. 

Federal

Debt ceiling crisis. Wall Street will react in a negative way and the mayor will say this is the financial cliff. This will get settled eventually. We are negotiating a contract under these circumstances. 

We must take care of Albany which looks positive. Then, we need to work to get City budget to where it should be. This is focus of the work along with getting a contract. We also have special ed, principal and migrant issues. 

Contract

400 trained in teach-in yesterday. Members don't really understand what goes into getting a contract. We are training people on what goes into getting a contract. Costing, value, and pattern bargaining need to be understood. Mayor saying City is broke. We have to make members understand there are record surpluses. We must understand the rules of the game. Members of the UFT tend to be reasonable people, unlike what is going on in DC. Teach-ins to drive our own narrative of what we do. Some think we just sit in a chair and kids learn. Not true. We do more than we have ever done before. We want to take care of our families, live somewhat close to where we work, and not be harassed. We'd like support too. The public will not disagree with us. Good schools and challenging schools. Some schools are mismanaged. We are doing a damn good job. 

Someone thinking of quitting because they can't help a migrant child. We are on the front line doing this work and need the public to back us up so we have the teach-in.

Negotiating committee coming in February 1. We are moving into the serious stages of negotiating. 

Member Hub

Who signed up? We have over 5,000 completely enrolled. There are no technology problems, unlike the DOE. Basic info is in the member hub.

Substitutes

We brought it to consultation with DOE. Thank Michael Sill and his team for getting 70 people pushed through. We are going to get 600 more. DOE principal didn't call sub-central so we can't get nominees through. If a school is uncomfortable with sub-central, that shouldn't stop hiring to aleviete sub shortage. We have many absences and vacancies. If everyone works an extra period, people burn out much quicker and get more tired. We are going to get nominees through.

Colocations

Eva Moskowitz schools getting through. Three coming up for a PEP vote. Every politician and CEC has told the DOE not to do this. There is no space in these three buildings. We knew when Eric became mayor that this could be a problem. If they jam these schools through, we know there will be problems. Documented problems with Eva not taking challenging kids and then forcing someone who becomes a challenge out.

Early Childhood Educators

Chancellor's been great about early childhood sites. He is talking to the people who do this work.

Staff Director's Report

Chapter leader training late January, trailblazer awards Feb 3, CTE awards on Feb 4, something else coming up that date, migrant first book event on Feb 4, nomination for Academic HS awards up to Jan 30, Black History Film Series Feb2, 9, 16, and March 2. Happy Lunar New Year. Feb 15 is the next DA.

Mulgrew Report continues:

Healthcare: Many on the active healthcare committee. RFP moving right along for in-service people. The goal is premium free, high quality healthcare. Retirees, we have been negotiating with Aetna. The arbitrator said the possibility of in service premiums with Aetna. At this moment, we don't think we are going to get a contract with Aetna. Mulgrew doesn't do well with regressive bargaining. Doesn't believe we are going to get there with Aetna. We must protect each other. Healthcare is out of control. Federal program known as Medicare Advantage gives us a chance to get a good plan but we need the right partner. We are moving forward on the in-service RFP. We have been straight up throughout. We are going to keep premium free high-quality healthcare for actives and retirees. We are going to dig in and fight to get what we need. 

Question Period

Question: If it doesn't work with Aetna, can we renegotiate with Emblem?

Mulgrew answer: We need a new RFP to go back to Emblem that has to have significant changes but it can be done.

Question: D75 person is overwhelmed with work and there is no time in the day. Work two hours at school and then bringing work home? Why?

Mulgrew: Get a list of everything they are doing in D 75 and we will bring it to consultation with chancellor on Monday.

Question: D79 teacher has no substitute teacher so the school puts pressure to cover absences. Many teachers absent and students have to take care of two or three students. How to compensate teachers?

Answer: We have to figure out the substitute problem. In terms of additional work, we are in negotiations on stuff like this. We will find out from District Rep the specific issues and move ahead.

Question: When do resolutions expire? Union takes opposing policy?

Answer: Resolutions don't expire.

Point of order: You stated that resolutions won't unilaterally be opposed but you opposed the NY Healthcare Act.

Mulgrew: Resolutions can become moot. The issue may be resolved. Saying someone unilaterally opposes you is really saying they don't agree with you. This is harming democratic process. This is degrading society. 

Question from Nick Bacon: Arbitrator's decision not binding, in what situations would we have to pay premiums when 12-126 protects us up to HIP rate?

Answer: We have saved money and added benefits. HIP rate protected. Vast majority is in GHI which is at risk.

Question: Tottenville teacher asks about the contract negotiation process. Members looking for a timeline?

Answer: We don't have a timeline but we would like to have it done as soon as possible. You should be part of teach-in training.

Motions to the agenda

Motion to move Resolution 7 up to 1 for timeliness (colocation resolution opposing Success Academy colocations.)

It needs a 2/3 vote. Online 743 Yes to 59 No. In the room, 216 Yes to 7 no. 959 Yes to 66 No. 94% yes so it is moved to top of the agenda.

Resolution for next month to support NY Public Library.

Libraries are vital to our communities. Thriving community centers. Actual books are still a vital part of our well-being. Library offers City ID, passports and more. Mayor proposing $13.6 million in cuts. All NY residents will be harmed. Join with City Council to keep libraries open. Libraries are for everyone. It is one of few safe spaces.

Nobody wants to speak against it.

Online 752 Yes to 24 No

Live 230 Yes to 5 No

Total 97% yes so it is placed on the agenda for next month.

Resolution in support of Amazon workers in Kentucky for next month. Amazon Labor Union won recognition from the National Labor Relations Board. Northern Kentucky hub doing a union drive. We know of horrific conditions for Amazone workers. KCBG looking for $30 an hour and better working conditions.  Inflation eroding everybody's pay. November 16, UFT supported Amazon and Starbucks unions. Resolution ask to help this organizing union expansion.

Nobody wants to speak against.

Online 673 Yes to 66 No

Live 210 Yes to 14 No

Total Mulgrew doesn't give numbers (883-80 by my math). It is on the agenda for next month and Mulgrew will speak to the AFT if this passes.

Special Orders of Business

Resolution to oppose Success Academy colocations. D 28 Chapter Leader says schools have had strong opposition to Success Academy colocations. School communities oppose them in multiple districts. DOE underestimates building utilizations. Schools need more space with the lower class size law. New programs will be cut. UFT has supported schools opposing charter expansion. This resolution expands that.

Amy Arundell follows speaking in favor. Queens and Bronx and other communities are galvanized by this fight. Eva Moskowitz is saying there is space in these schools. Success wants to take classrooms. Our schools will have no clubs, meeting space, etc. Email the PEP to show how our schools are utilized. PEP members will vote on this.

Matt Driscoll amendment: The UFT will mobilize members and parents to show up at the PEP. Mulgrew says that is already there so this is moot. Matt says this is only in the whereas, but not in the Resolved clause. Matt says that we should specifically add in the resolution to flood the PEP. Someone says we don't need this amendment. We don't do this alone. All of us includes not just the members and parents. We are in the community. 

Another amendment: Support these schools by lobbying at all levels including the PEP members.

Point of information: Could these be considered friendly amendments? 

Mulgrew says there is no such thing as a friendly amendment.

Martina rises to support amendment one. She goes to every PEP meeting. We need to show up and speak against. It would be really powerful if we had our whole force to counteract the Success people who will talk for hours at the PEP.

Someone calls the question on all matters before the house.

Vote on closing debate:

Online Yes 596 to 23 No

Live 194 Yes to 13 No

Total Debate is closed but numbers not announced.

Vote on the Second amendment on lobbying PEP members

Online 561 Yes to 38 No

Live205 Yes to 13 No

Total 766 Yes to 51 No

Second amendment passes.

First amendment to mobilize members and parents to be at the PEP

Online Yes 537 to 43 No

Live 137 Yes to 71 No

Total 674 yes to 114 No

Vote on Resolution as amended twice

Online 594 Yes to 22 No

Live 204 Yes to 3 No

Total 798 Yes to 25 No; Resolution carries

Resolution to support Iranian protestors. This is about women, life, and freedom. Women should not be stripped of rights because of religion. Women repressed. As a union we need to condemn what is happening in Iran. We stand for women and freedom. Quotes MLK on silence of good people being bad.

Nobody wants to speak further.

Online 510 Yes to 47 No

Live 184 Yes to 9 No

Total 694 Yes to 56 No

Tom Brown reports that the next resolution is moot because DOE pension system is already being investigated and audited.

Next resolution is to hold the DOE accountable for not meeting the needs of students with disabilities and English language learners. Our most vulnerable students are not getting the services that are mandated. Resolution calls for the City Council to get involved to help the students in need.

A District 3 Chapter Leader supports the resolution and speaks in favor of helping our most vulnerable students. She adds that these are legal requirements and the Chancellor pledged to help these students when he took the job and yet nothing has been done. 

Nobody else wants to speak.

Online 565 Yes to 7 No

Live in the room  the numbers were not announced.

Total 774 yes to 7 No. Resolution carries.

Janella Hinds speaks in favor of the newly arrived Dominican teachers exploited by the DOE. Teachers need to be treated with respect and the salary and benefits they deserve. 

Nobody else wants to speak on the resolution.

Online 514 Yes to 18 No

Live 201 Yes to 1 No

Total 715 Yes to 19 No. Resolution passes.

Resolution opposing blood donations not being allowed from LGBTQIA+ community. Rashad Brown gives history of people not being allowed to give blood. COVID rules changed things from 1 year down to 3 months for homosexual men. Only 3% of eligible people give blood. These policies are discriminatory. World Aids day celebrated on December 1. Past policies and present policies are all wrong. Demand FDA stop this discriminatory policy. 

Nobody wants to speak in favor or against.

Online 383 Yes to 84 No

Live 190 Yes to 13 No

Total 473 Yes to 87 No. Resolution passes.

Meeting ends. 

NO CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON AMENDING 12-126 TOMORROW

The latest from Marianne on Facebook is good news: No City Council vote tomorrow on amending 12-126.

It may only be a matter of hours before Michael Mulgrew attempts to pull defeat out of the jaws of this major victory. Does he threaten us or on the other hand, maybe he takes credit.

Good Morning/ Good Afternoon

My name is ________________________and I am a retiree. The purpose of my call is to “Thank” the City Council Member for not supporting the passage of Intro bill 0874 from the Civil Service and Labor Committee. By having this bill laid aside, you have restored some of our faith in the system. We appreciate that your member heard our message to not listen to the Mayor and that retirees should not bear the burden of the city's budgetary issues.  The Medicare Advantage Plan will not provide us with proper healthcare coverage and we should not have to pay more to receive less care. We discovered there are several funding programs totaling over 300 million dollars that can be used to help balance the budget. There will be a bill introduced soon that will protect the status of our future healthcare, and we hope that your member will continue to stand with us and support it.

Thank you for hearing my statement, and being the voice for retirees. Thank you for listening.

Respectfully,

(Your name), retiree # year

****************************

List of City Council Members on the Civil Service and Labor to be called:  (CALL BOTH NUMBERS)

28 Speaker Adrienne E. Adams  Legislative Office: 212-788-6850 District Office: 718-206-2068

10 Hon. Carmen De La Rosa  Legislative Office: 212-788-7053          District Office: 917-521-2616

3 Hon. Erik Bottcher District Office: 212-564-7757

5 Hon. Julie Menin  Legislative Office: 212-788-6865

11 Hon. Eric Dinowitz Legislative Office: (212) 788-7080          District Office: (718) 549-7300

15 Hon. Oswald Feliz Legislative Office:212-788-6966         District Office: 718-842-8100

21 Hon. Francisco P. Moya  212-788-6862         District Office: 718-651-1917

22 Hon. Tiffany Caban 718-274-4500

37 Hon. Sandy Nurse  Legislative Office:  212-788-7284       District Office: 718-642-8664

40 Hon. Rita Joseph Legislative Office: 212-788-7352       District Office:718-287-8762

49 Hon. Kamillah Hanks  Legislative Office: 212-788-6972      District Office: 718-556-7370

EMAIL THE CIVIL SERVICE & LABOR COMMITTEE:

Copy/Paste these email addresses into your email:

aeadams@council.nyc.gov

CDeLaRosa@council.nyc.gov

ebottcher@council.nyc.gov

JMenin@council.nyc.gov

edinowitz@council.nyc.gov

ofeliz@council.nyc.gov

tcaban@council.nyc.gov

fmoya@council.nyc.gov

SNurse@council.nyc.gov

RJoseph@council.nyc.gov

KHanks@council.nyc.gov

This is the Council List for the Common Sense Caucus! EMAIL & CALL them with the same thank you!

Hon. Adrienne E. Adams Legislative Office: 212-788-6850 District Office: 718-206-2068 

Hon. Vickie Paladino Legislative Office: 212-788-7250 

Hon. Robert F. Holden Legislative Office: (212) 788-7381 District Office: (718) 366-3900 

Hon. Joann Ariola Legislative Office: 212-788-7069 District Office: 718-738-1083 or 718-318-6411 

Hon. Kalman Yeger Legislative Office: 212-788-7357 District Office: 718-853-2704 

Hon. Ari Kagan Legislative Office: 212-788-7045 District Office: 718-373-9673 or 718-307-7151 

Hon. Inna Vernikov Legislative Office: 212-788-7360 District Office: 718-368-9176 

Hon. David Carr Legislative Office: 212-788-7390 District Office: 718-980-1017 

Hon. Joseph C. Borelli Legislative Office: (212) 788-6989 or (212)-788-7159 District Office: (718) 984-5151

aeadams@council.nyc.gov

VPaladino@council.nyc.gov

rholden@council.nyc.gov

JAriola@council.nyc.gov

kyeger@council.nyc.gov

AKagan@council.nyc.gov

ivernikov@council.nyc.gov

DCarr@council.nyc.gov

jborelli@council.nyc.gov

PROPOSED RESOLUTION CALLS FOR COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT IN NEW UFT CONTRACT

Ultimately, UFT members have the last word on whether we accept a new contract agreement. Right now, the UFT and City are negotiating a contract to replace the one that expired in September of 2022.

The UFT is stating that we should say yes to a fair contract. What would a fair contract look like?

In terms of wages, UFT Executive Board member Mike Schirtzer and I thought about what it would take to keep up with inflation. We did some quick research and looked up the Social Security cost of living adjustment for the last two years. UFT members had their last salary increase in the spring of 2021. The Social Security COLA for 2022 was 5.9%. For 2023, it is 8.7%. We thought this would be a good place to start for UFT salary increases so UFTers could just keep up with increases in the cost of living. 

Mike and I along with Camille Eterno and Daniel Alicea came up with this resolution that we would like UFT Chapters to endorse. Daniel added in that raises should not be paid for with healthcare concessions.

Whereas,  members of the United Federation of Teachers have not had a raise since May of 2021; be it therefore

Resolved, that the directly elected representatives of the UFT Executive Board and Delegate Assembly recommend to the UFT Contract Negotiating Committee that our union settle for nothing less than raises aligned with Social Security cost of living adjustments of a 5.9% raise for 2022 and an 8.7% raise for 2023 without any concessions on our healthcare benefits.

Any thoughts, readers?

Will you ask your school to endorse these salary demands leading up to the January 30 contract teach-ins that the UFT is organizing?

NYC RETIREE ORGANIZATION ADVISES PATIENCE FOR NOW; MARIANNE ON WBAI WITH DANIEL SUNDAY AT 7:00 PM

WBAI has moved Talk out of School to Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. One of tonight's guests will be Marianne Pizzitola. Marianne, according to the promo ad, will be taking calls.

The latest email from the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees is copied in full below. They are advising us to be patient.

The most important paragraph from the email in my opinion:

We have asked you all to NOT call City Council.  We are allowing them to absorb this week quietly, and we will advise you to our strategy next week.   Monday is a holiday, and we will be in meetings on Tuesday.  We will advise you of our next steps soon.   In the meantime, look back on all we accomplished together!   You wanted to be heard, and boy did they hear you!   Things are looking good...  just give us a few days..  Be hopeful!   WE ARE!   

The full email:

Greetings!   The City Council hearing on Monday went very well.  We filled the Council chamber with about 250 retirees, plus we had about 300 people outside chanting, "Let us in!"  Our government liaisons were able to get the retirees into 250 Broadway so they were warm and could hear the hearing.  As people left the chamber, retirees were permitted to come across the street to the chamber to testify. We had retirees testifying until 9 pm!  We were heard.    We were also blessed to have Wendell Potter testify with us.  Wendell, is a nationally known whistleblower in the insurance industry.  Here is his newsletter about the hearing.   The hearing lasted almost 12  hours long.    If you want to hear the full testimony of the day click here.  HEARING VIDEO   We have asked you all to NOT call City Council.  We are allowing them to absorb this week quietly, and we will advise you to our strategy next week.   Monday is a holiday, and we will be in meetings on Tuesday.  We will advise you of our next steps soon.   In the meantime, look back on all we accomplished together!   You wanted to be heard, and boy did they hear you!   Things are looking good...  just give us a few days..  Be hopeful!   WE ARE!    Trust me when we say, doing nothing is the hardest thing we have been asked to do!  We understand... Keep January 19th open, as we will update you as to the call to attend the hearing next week.   ******************************************** Target Dates January 19th @ 1:30pm City Hall: Stated Meeting ( we do NOT KNOW if they will vote on the bill yet)   If you are on Twitter and Instagram, please comment and share our messages. We also created an OPEN FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/NYCRetirees And Please send your donations in to continue this fight!  We have THREE lawsuits running concurrently, and if the Mayor eliminates all health plans, we WILL have a 4th!!   The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees filed a lawsuit to stop the copays in the GHI Senior Care plan that the MLC (the UFT is a majority player in the MLC) and City imposed January 2022.   WE, the retirees filed that suit!

Thank you to all the retirees who came to City Hall and fight Goliath to save our health care!   *************************** Your friends, and retirees in SOLIDARITY... The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees   **************  Donations are Needed! If the Mayor pulls the "nuclear option" we will have 4 lawsuits going on at the same time!   TO DONATE TO THE LEGAL FUND Donation Instructions to Support Our Class Action Suit Against the City To Protect Our Retiree Healthcare: We worked decades for our benefits! Let’s make sure the City and the MLC don’t take them away! A suggested $25 Donation* will help start the fight to keep our current benefits. *Give more if you can, and/or often!  If you cannot meet the minimum suggested donation, we appreciate whatever you can give towards this fight for our benefits.  We also added the option to make your donation recurring (monthly) as was requested.  The fundraiser group is incorporated as a Non-Profit. ALL proceeds go to fund the organization and its legal challenge. Volunteer retirees are running this effort.  TO DONATE, HERE ARE 4 SIMPLE WAYS! 1.Zelle using email NYCOrgofpublicserviceretirees@gmail.com 2. Make your check out to: NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees PO Box 941 Venice, FL 34284 (our treasurer lives in FL) 3. Or click on this Paypal link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=Q4VWJEYVJ9HTW&Z3&fbclid=IwAR0pEOc51x9xhc-CBb8vqAIkX97Bgg1Z02f1r9gQh9S3dOsVmAdob5jBbw8 4.  We Now Accept Donations via VENMO VENMO is a Phone App or can be used on a PC or Tablet You can download and install the Phone App from the Android Play Store or Apple App Store. There may be fees involved using this method. Our ID is: @NYCRetirees If you are on this list, it is because you subscribed to hear what we are doing as an organization that represents all NYC Municipal workers in protecting their Health benefits in retirement.   Currently, we have a FACEBOOK page located here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/888622578669131 If you are not on FACEBOOK, we will be updating you here. And Check our website for FAQ www.nycretirees.org Thank you for signing up for our newsletter and pass this to a friend to sign up too!

RETIREE LEADER MARIANNE PIZZITOLA DIRECTLY ADDRESSES MULGREW AFTER HIS LATEST EMAIL: YOU NEED A COME TO JESUS MOMENT

Following Monday's completely successful retiree showing at the City Council, the Council would be ignoring the will of the retirees if they were to change Administrative Code 12-126. Marianne Pizzitola and her New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees completely outorganized the UFT and DC 37. Opposition to Medicare Advantage (Mulgrewcare) is strong. 

The Retirees also sued to stop the copayments Michael Mulgrew and the Municipal Labor Committee agreed to that started last year. Marianne's lawyers were ready and they, not Mulgrew, sued. The retirees have won an injunction to stop the copays. Mulgrew has reacted with a strange email that he and Retired Teachers Chapter Leader Tom Murphy sent:

Dear James,

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lyle Frank on Jan. 11 issued a preliminary injunction against the city, EmblemHealth and GHI that temporarily bars them from charging any of the co-payments in the GHI Senior Care plan that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. 

We told the city, the Municipal Labor Committee and EmblemHealth that we are informing our retirees that they don’t need to pay those co-pays as of today, pending a final decision in the lawsuit or other court rulings. 

If your doctor’s office or medical provider still requires you to pay this co-pay because they are not yet aware of the court ruling, you should pay the co-pay and keep the receipt. 

If this preliminary injunction becomes a final ruling upheld on appeal, we will work to recoup every penny that our retirees have spent on these co-pays since they went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Sincerely,

Michael Mulgrew, UFT President

Tom Murphy, Retired Teachers Chapter Chair

The implication is that the UFT had something to do with this lawsuit. They had nothing to do with it. It was filed by Marianne's lawyers. Mulgrew was a major player in agreeing to the copayments.

This is from 2021 from the Professional Staff Congress (CUNY professors union that I am honored to be part of):

The NYC Office of Labor Relations (OLR) and the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) negotiated the copays PRIOR to their agreement to move most NYC retirees from traditional Medicare to the privatized Medicare Advantage plan. The copays were scheduled to go into effect much earlier, but implementation was delayed until 1/1/22. We alerted members at our December chapter meeting of the impending copays. Advance notice, however, doesn’t make them more palatable.

Mulgrew negotiated the copays that he now wants to be refunded because of 12-126 which he is trying to get the City Council to weaken. Does he have a clue?

Marianne slams him much better than I ever could in her latest video. Mulgrew does need a "Come to Jesus" moment.

I think the members of Unity Caucus and the wider UFT need to have that come to Jesus moment too.

NYSNA NURSES END STRIKE AFTER WINNING CONCRETE ENFORCABLE SAFE STAFFING RATIOS

This is from the New York City Central Labor Council. You don't want to strike but unions must have the weapon of withholding labor available if necessary.

COURT GRANTS RETIREES INJUNCTION TO STOP SENIOR CARE COPAYMENTS

Judge Lyle Frank has granted Medicare eligible City retirees an injunction to halt the GHI Senior Care  copays that the City imposed in 2021 and the unions agreed to. This is another defeat for Michael Mulgrew. The new copays violate Administrative Code 12-126 which says the City has to pay the full cost of healthcare for City retirees, active employees and our dependents.

Don't change 12-126, City Council!

We understand the City has already appealed but their record against the retiree's lawyers is not good. The legal outlook is positive the way I read the decision based on 12-126.

That leads to two important questions:

1-If copays are not legal for Medicare eligible retirees, how are they legal for non Medicare eligible retirees and active City employees?

2-Aren't all of us covered by 12-126? My non lawyer guess is we have accepted the copays for so long the City will say they are now the staus quo. That was their argument with the retirees but the judge rejected it. The rest of us have accepted the copays for years and years. The moral is to never give the City an inch for a second.

As for City Medicare eligible retirees only, this is from Marianne on Facebook:

Marianne is advising you to bring a copy of the injunction with you to the doctor if asked for a copay.

MULGREWCARE FALLS FLAT AT CITY COUNCIL HEARING; NURSES STRIKE IN NYC; UNITY HELPS ELECT ICE-SOLIDARITY'S LULI RODRIGUEZ TO VACANT HS EXEC BD SEAT

It was quite an eventful day. 

I watched the City Council hearings on changing Administrative Code 12-126 all day and into the evening. I testified on paper but couldn't get to a computer when I had a chance to go live but I did see and  heard Norm Scott, Bennett Fisher, Ibeth Mejia, and many others testify live. The overwhelming majority of retirees and active city workers at the hearing told the City Council to leave Administrative Code 12-126 alone and not allow the City and the Municipal Labor Committee to force retirees onto Medicare Advantage or face premiums. 

From the Daily Neww coverage:

Members of Mayor Adams’ administration faced jeers and hours of critical questioning during a Monday City Council hearing on his controversial attempt to make retired municipal workers pay for some forms of health insurance.

The complicated matter before the Council centers on an insurance plan called Medicare Advantage that Adams wants to enroll the municipal government’s roughly 250,000 retired workers in because he says it could save the city hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

Courts have for over a year blocked the administration from implementing the plan due to a provision that would slap $191 monthly premiums on retirees who want to stay on traditional Medicare instead of accepting the free Advantage coverage. As a result, Adams has turned to the Council, asking its members to pass a bill that would roll back the underlying law that prompted courts to block the plan’s financial penalty in the first place.

But the proposal did not get a warm reception at a marathon Council Labor Committee hearing Monday.

Dozens of retired workers — who have maintained that Advantage would dilute their benefits and put them at risk of being denied care — packed into the chamber for the session and repeatedly interrupted City Hall officials during their testimony.

When Claire Levitt, Adams’ deputy commissioner of labor relations, said retirees do not “need to be concerned about” Advantage plans requiring some medical procedures to be preauthorized by a private health insurance provider, retirees in the room burst out in derisive laughter.

Michael Mulgrew showed up on Zoom.

The only other UFTers I heard testify were two retired officers and two other Unity stalwarts. Norm, Bennett, Ibeth, Marianne Pizzitola, Professional Staff Congress President James Davis, and so many others made the best presentations in urging the City Council to find savings outside of Medicare Advantage. Retirees want to keep traditional public Medicare.  That was made abundantly clear.

We will see where this goes next but we didn't lose a thing today or this evening in our battle to preserve traditional public medicare.

Back to the Daily News piece:

Eight hours into the hearing, a senior Democratic Council member told the Daily News it’d be surprising for Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens) to even schedule a vote on the bill, considering the internal pushback. “I’d be shocked if there was a vote,” the member said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Even AARP NY is against changing 12-126:

NEW YORK, N.Y. – AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel issued the following statement today ahead of AARP New York’s testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor in opposition to Intro 0874, which would weaken health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents:

“Retired City workers are the very people who built this city and made it great. They deserve what they were promised, and, above all, they deserve the assurance of good health care in their later years. 

“These retirees were promised solid health plans at no cost, and that is what they should be guaranteed. 

“The City’s Medicare Advantage scheme could instead saddle retirees with higher costs, smaller networks, and greater administrative obstacles to accessing health care and preferred doctors. No retiree should be forced to pay more to get the same coverage or to lose the coverage they currently have. A promise made should be a promise kept.”

Meanwhile, uptown the New York State Nurses Association is on strike.

From NBC4:

 Thousands of nurses at two of New York City's largest hospitals went on strike Monday morning after a weekend of negotiations over pay and staffing failed to produce a deal for a new contract.

More than 7,000 nurses at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan were expected to participate in the walkout, the New York State Nurses Association, the largest union representing registered nurses in the state, said in a news release Monday.

Nurses at two facilities within Mount Sinai's health care system tentatively agreed to contracts Sunday, according to an announcement from the union, but negotiations continued at its flagship hospital.

“Nurses don’t want to strike," the union said in a statement late Sunday. "Bosses have pushed us to strike by refusing to seriously consider our proposals to address the desperate crisis of unsafe staffing that harms our patients."

Montefiore and Mount Sinai were among a number of hospitals with contracts with the union that expired. The New York State Nurses Association had threatened to strike at all of the affected hospitals at the same time, but other hospitals reached agreements with the union ahead of the deadline.

We fully support the strike.

Back downtown, the UFT Executive Board met. While Unity turned down a resolution calling for time to read agreements before they are voted on, they also surprised me as Unity did not oppose United for Change's candidate to fill a vacant high school seat, ICE-Solidarity's Luli Rodriguez.

Here is Aviation High School Chapter Leader and High School Executive Board member Ibeth Mejia's speech nominating Luli:

I nominate Luli Rodriguez from the High School for Economics and Finance for the vacant High School Executive Board position. 

Luli is a leader who received the votes of the majority of high school teachers who voted in the 2022 UFT election in her campaign for UFT Treasurer. Luli was tapped to run for Treasurer in part because of her extensive experience in accounting. She is known for her detail-oriented analytical skills when examining school budgets. She can follow the money. Luli was working in accounting at the World Trade Center on 9-11. As a fire warden, she helped lead the successful evacuation of her office on that tragic day. 

Luli has not shied away from leading when she became a special education teacher in NYC. She is a staunch advocate for students with disabilities. We used to call her the IEP maven when we worked together. Because she worked so diligently to make sure every student with disabilities received all of the services they were entitled to, Luli ended up battling two abusive principals who were more interested in dumping students into the mainstream to save money than educating students with disabilities. Luli would not allow any administrator to change IEPs in any unwarranted way so students, teachers, and parents have the utmost respect for her.

Luli fought back and in the process became a UFT activist. She was subsequently elected as a UFT Delegate and in her current school she is actively involved with the union chapter. Her experience and advocacy make her the ideal candidate to sit on this Executive Board to represent the high schools. It is an honor and privilege to nominate Luli Rodriguez for the High School Executive Board position.

Luli ran unopposed so it was a bit ironic when Leroy Barr, the head of Unity Caucus, cast the sole vote in the election making Luli the winner.

Credit to Janella Hinds and Leroy Barr for listening to our six reps and giving the seat opposition rightfully won in the election back to us.

Congratulations Luli! 

CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS ON MULGREWCARE MONDAY MORNING

The City Council has scheduled committee hearings for Monday morning to hear testimony on changing Administrative Code 12-126 which would make it easier to impose Medicare Advantage (Mulgrewcare) on Medicare-eligible City worker retirees.

Michael Mulgrew will most likely be there with his paid staffers who all should be testifying live while the rank and file who oppose this change will be working. 

You can testify in-person or on Zoom. Sign up here, please.

The New York City Organization of Public Sector Retirees is organizing and along with other groups will be there at Monday's Civil Service and Labor Committee hearing. 

Here is Marianne Pizzitola's latest email:

Attention all EMPLOYEES/In-Service workers and RETIREES!   UPDATED CALL TO ACTION!!   #protect12dash126  Updated Video Message from Marianne Is attached, PLEASE WATCH! & We attached a historic video documentary on Victor Gotbaum in 1965 at the bargaining table. Watch!   Its exciting!   Near the end he explains why it is healthy to have dissenting opinions in the union.  I say this all the time...   Do your kids listen to you?   Let me help you here...  NO, they don't.   And so these kids today, who don't knw the difference between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare with a Supplement are not listening to us tell them this is not the way.   It's like asking them to tell you the difference between a Cadillac and a Studbaker, and they tell you they are both the same.  *******************   Monday we will all meet at City Hall by about 830AM to go through security and hold a press conference at 9 am.  We will proceed to City Hall and get ready for the hearing.   This will be an ALL DAY affair.   You may leave after you testify.   Please register here to to let us KNOW you will be there and also click the City Council link to register to testify  Be prepared to be there all day.  Bring a snacks, water and a small pillow if needed.  There are bathrooms and the building is handicap accessible.  Bring 20 copies of your testimony for the council and have one for you to read.   Your spoken testimony will most likely be limited to 2 minutes, but your written testimony can be longer.   Make sure you register with the City Council in the above link we provided and also on our link to tell us us you are coming.  Both links are in the Testimony Pledge. Reserve your calendar for January 19th as well, as this will be the day the Council Votes if this passes the Committee.  You will need to be there as well.  ******************************************** Target Dates January 9th @ 830 AM to clear Security for the 9 AM press conference. 9:30 AM City Hall: Civil Service and Labor Committee Meeting **JOIN US AT THIS HEARING!!! January 19th @ 1:30pm City Hall: Stated Meeting and Vote on the Bill **JOIN US AT THE VOTE   If you are on Twitter and Instagram, please comment and share our messages. We also created an OPEN FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/NYCRetirees And Please send your donations in to continue this fight!   URGENT MESSAGE!!  YOU NEED TO ACT! Listen to Victor Gotbaum debate the City in bargaining, and talk about dissenting opinion in the union as being NEEDED.   Just because you disagree with your union, doesn't make you anti union like they are trying to portray us.    *************************** Your friends, and retirees in SOLIDARITY... The NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees The latest from CUNY Professional Staff Congress President James Davis concerning Monday: The New York City Council needs to hear from you! As I wrote earlier in the week, the proposed Administrative Code change that would clear the path for the City to implement a Medicare Advantage plan and to charge monthly premiums of roughly $200/month to retirees who opt to remain enrolled in Senior Care was introduced this week. The City Council Civil Service and Labor Committee will hold a public hearing this Monday, January 9 starting at 9:30 AM.  Please click this link and register if you can join us in person or give in-person testimony. Turning out to this hearing in force will demonstrate the breadth of opposition to this change. There are also options for remote participation if you are not able to attend in person. The PSC continues to push for an alternative solution to the problem of rising health care costs, and the City Council needs to hear from PSC members that our proposal is worth supporting. It is important for City Council Members of the Civil Service and Labor Committee to hear from you on Monday, January 9, 2023. Lastly, please click this link to send the updated Act Now letter to your Council Member and please click here for a script you can use to call your Council Member! In solidarity,  James Davis PSC President

TEACHER'S CHOICE SPENDING DEADLINE IS JANUARY 13

 From UFT CL Update:

Last chance to make Teacher’s Choice purchases

Remind your members that the Teacher’s Choice purchasing window, which began on Aug. 1, closes on Friday, Jan. 13. The receipts for those purchases must be submitted with a Statement of Purpose/Accountability form, by Friday, Jan. 20, to your school’s payroll secretary. Members who received Teacher’s Choice funds in their November 2022 paycheck but don’t file an accountability form with required receipts by the deadline must return the money to the DOE. For more information, go to the Teacher’s Choice section of the UFT website. Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) members who are assigned to your school the week of Jan. 16 must submit proof of eligible purchases on the DOE’s accountability form to your school’s principal by Friday, Jan. 20.

COUNCIL MEMBER SHAHANA HANIF OPPOSES MULGREWCARE AT CITY COUNCIL

Council Member Shahana Hanif opposes the bill to change Administrative Code 12-126 with an impassioned speech at the City Council. This lupus survivor's story is truly inspiring. She calls privatized healthcare for city retirees "an abject failure."

You can watch her on Twitter or below.

Council Member Shahana Hanif

@CMShahanaHanif

Over the last year, I have heard from thousands of City retirees asking me to protect their hard-earned healthcare. Today, I voiced my firm opposition to any changes to admin code 12-126 and the privatization of the healthcare for our City's retirees. My full remarks

Meanwhile, UFT President Michael Mulgrew continues to lead the push to privatize retiree healthcare starting by attempting to lobby and asking us to lobby to get the Council to change 12-126. We are hearing rumors that there are those in Unity who have had enough.

CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER AND CIVIL SERVICE AND LABOR COMMITTEE CHAIR JOINT STATEMENT ON AMENDING 12-126

The statement below does not look very hopeful but retirees are still fighting back against Medicare privatization.

Joint Statement by Speaker Adams & Civil Service and Labor Committee Chair De La Rosa on Council Holding a Hearing to Consider Legislation Amending Administrative Code to Preserve Health Care Choice for Retirees

January 3, 2023

“Given that the Administration and the Municipal Labor Committee are moving forward to implement Medicare Advantage in alignment with the courts and arbitrator’s decisions, the Council is formally considering legislation to preserve retirees’ choice of health insurance rather than have them automatically enrolled in Medicare Advantage as the sole plan on January 29. We are deeply concerned with the challenges in our health care program for municipal retirees and employees. While many of the underlying problems that created this situation require comprehensive solutions from all levels of government, the City must confront this dilemma to the maximum extent possible within its own authority. This must include support for low-income retirees to truly access choice in their healthcare coverage, reigning in the runaway costs of care that created this crisis, and guaranteeing an insurance program that benefits all of our dedicated public servants.

“The Council will consider the proposed legislation to preserve healthcare coverage choice for retirees at a Civil Service and Labor Committee hearing next week that is open to the public and all stakeholders. We are working to examine the major outstanding questions, the details of the Medicare Advantage plan that is moving forward regardless of any potential Council action, and how the City fulfills its health care commitments to all employees and retirees.”

###

UFT INCONSISTENCY ON PRIVATIZING SCHOOLS VS HEALTHCARE COULD COME BACK TO BITE US

The UFT is rallying us to fight against new Success Academy charter school colocations in NYC public school buildings. It is a worthy battle. We support the union's efforts to oppose charter colocations. We can stop Eva's expansion.

Charter schools are not public schools. This is from Forbes:

Charter schools could be operated by a locally elected board, but they almost never are. Instead, charter schools are owned and operated by private individuals or boards, sometimes located far away from the school itself. Sometimes control of the charter is separated from the community by a series of managerial handoffs–Group X technically owns and operates the charter, but they hire Corporation Y to actually run the school.

When municipal assets like water systems and parking facilities are handed off to private companies to run, we call it by its name–privatization. Turning a school over to a private company to own and operate is no different.

Charters are privately run. The UFT opposes their expansion into public school buildings where they take space away from public schools. This makes sense. So why not have the same policy when it comes to privatizing healthcare?

The vast majority of NYC public sector retirees age 65 and over get the bulk of their health insurance from federally administered public Medicare. However, Mayor Eric Adams and the Municipal Labor Committee (umbrella group of City worker unions) want to save money by privatizing Medicare where they would push public sector retirees  in NYC into a privately managed Medicare Advantage plan. 

Privatizing Medicare has been tried in the past but the UFT and AFT successfully opposed privatization. Here is something from 2004 written by the one time head of Unity Caucus Tom Pappas:

We’re pulling out all the stops. This Medicare legislative disaster about to happen in Washington is too important for us to just hope it goes away.

We need to do all we can — and we can do plenty — to save Medicare from the privateers.

The same is true in 2023. The battle now is in NYC. The New York City Council will decide this month if Mayor Adams and the MLC will be able to make private-for profit Aetna the default plan for NYC public sector retirees. Retirees would need to pay premiums to stay in traditional public Medicare. 250,000 retirees pushed into privatized Medicare would be a body blow for public Medicare.

Unity people today may tell you the current privatization plan is different from past schemes. The main difference looks to be that Medicare privatization is now favored by a Democratic administration in DC. Republican President Trump and Democrat Biden both support expanding privatized Medicare. That bipartisan DC consensus will not be easy to defeat but we must do all we can to save traditional Medicare.

Doctor James Fieseher summarizes how privatizing Medicare will end:

From its inception, Medicare has managed the health of seniors more effectively and efficiently than private insurers. Corporate greed and private investor are trying to sell us on the idea that inserting a middleman between the medical system and the government would somehow save taxpayer money.

There is no business model to support that idea and for good reason, adding more layers of administration adds costs, especially in health care. Don’t let Joe Namath and William Shatner tell you otherwise. Keep Medicare the way it was designed and don’t enroll in Advantage Plans, or we will lose Medicare altogether.

Don't let Michael Mulgrew or AFT President Randi Weingarten fool you either. Privatizing retiree healthcare in NYC is a terrible idea. It will most likely occur if Administrative Code 12-126 is changed by the City Council this month. We have to fight the change with everything we have.

The UFT now supports privatization of Medicare but not schools. 

Mulgrew's hypocrisy will make opposing charter school expansion that much more difficult under charter friendly Mayor Adams. The inconsistency will be thrown in our faces.

Don't let it happen.

Keep public schools public; keep public Medicare public.

Eva continues to privatize schools while Mike tries to privatize retiree healthcare. Stop them!