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Kathy Napoli's avatar

I really cannot fathom how two of the greediest liars like Mulgrew and Garrido ever got elected, lasted as long as they have and continue to consistently harm the rank and file with their false promises! Their disrespect and hatred alone for the retirees (besides the lies they tell about us), should be showing decent people the truth about their horrific characters! It’s time for true change of leadership in both the UFT and DC37! I see and hear so much about these ingrates that hurt the Union and yet members turn a blind eye to the evil they do to those very same members. Seems to me all any of these members care about today are the dollar signs covering their visions preventing them to realize how these two heads of their Union are using and abusing them to put their own selfish egos in the forefront and once they have used up the membership to fulfill their own greed they will toss them to the gutter as they have done to ALL the retirees! And retirees, regardless of what their title was, are NOT in the Union, NOT subject to the Taylor Law, and do not have anything to do with any bills that are illegal! Everything we do is transparent, legal and honest! Corruption goes deep in the Union led by Saunders, Mulgrew and Garrido just to name three. These abusive so called leaders are spreading lies again about the one person who has stood up to them consistently and sued them and won with 250,000 retirees backing her up and standing at her side! Recently they are calling her an antisemite. While she (Marianne Pizzitola) is a true Heroine of ALL retirees City wide! There isn’t a biased bone in her body, heart or mind! Yet these so called leaders continue to lie about her and all retirees! Aren’t Union leaders supposed to be protectors of all members and respectful to all who have retired with dignity? They make me so sick that I can’t even recognize what the Union is anymore! Unions were my belief system! I was raised to be Union and it is practically in my DNA and these so called leaders are chipping that belief away one lie, one theft, one accusation at a time! It’s time to get back to the real UNION people and it is as easy as 123 for rank and file… all they need to do is VOTE for Ann to lead ABC and together we can rebuild the Union that is actually protecting the rank and file! I sincerely hope rank and file wake up from their trance and vote ABC!

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

I hope so too, Kathy. Old habits are hard to break. UFT has lost the retirees, probably forever. Rank and file haven't been targeted yet, but there are certainly health care cuts coming to them too. They're conveniently delayed until after the UFT election, of course.

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Kathy Napoli's avatar

Such a sad state of affairs. I think the rank and file are being hurt without even being aware of it. The only place they benefit at the moment is in their wallets but behind the scenes their futures are being stolen by incompetent Leadership.

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Thomas Schechter's avatar

Unlike Unitys Very Smart People, I actually read Chapter 14 of New York State Civil Service Law, Public Employees Fair Employment Act, commonly called the Taylor Law., There is nothing in it that says Intro 1096 would interfere with collective bargaining, union rights, etc. The nearest reference is that if medical coverage for retirees in school districts is reduced(like like the new likthe Medicare Advantage plan),medical coverage for active members must also be decreased(like the new plan for active members).

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

Thank you for that. And of course, if we succeed in NOT reducing our health care, they won't need to reduce health care for rank and file. It's likely they'll do it anyway, though, to cover the insane and inept deals Unity foisted upon us.

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Patricia Dobosz's avatar

If there was a bill, there would be a # out there. Perhaps it will emerge on May 1st when ballots go out. Everyone ,including many council folks running for re-election, were out at the rally promoting the bill that doesn’t seem to exist. Were they truly supporting paras or electioneering?

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

It's incomprehensible that they'd have done so much planning and not have something in writing. Of course, they didn't care about the paras at all until Fix Para Pay made them lose three to one. They needed to pretend they cared all along, I suppose, but they most certainly did not.

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Liza Romero's avatar

It is "Fake it till you make it"🫢

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

It is indeed. But members aren't buying their nonsense as readily as we once did.

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Beth Haft's avatar

It's interesting that you mention "their actions speak volumes." If you've ever heard/read Randy Pausch's last lecture, at one point he talks about advice for young women when it comes to men. He tells them to "pay less attention to what the say and a whole lot of attention to what they do." This is exactly the same way we need to be with our current union. We need to pay less attention to what the say and a while lot of attention to what they do.

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

Absolutely. My friend Norm Scott says that frequently. It's applicable in many situations and contexts. It's particularly egregious here as Mulgrew publicly claims to be against MA, and repeatedly acts for it. I'm surprised as his ducklings come here and accuse me of beating a dead horse, even as we face the NYS Court of Appeals next month, which could dump us all into Aetna MediDoesn'tCareAtAll.

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Katie Anskat's avatar

Arthur you have a gift, my friend.

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

Thanks Katie.

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Laura Genovese's avatar

So much sense in what you write, Arthur. And, since countless lives are at stake, it's astounding how Unity defenders still won't demand that Mulgrew provide proof in how Intro 1096 is somehow "illegal." Or WHY there still isn't a para bill in sight, especially since it deviates from collective bargaining. We've all heard how leaders need to evolve and be given a chance to see their mistakes -but Mulgrew's on-going actions and baldfaced lies reveal anything but good faith. In fact, he's been so calculating, deceptive, and predatory to other unions, the word's out that he's made practically every labor leader distrust and resent him. Tragically, he, and his Unity Smart Folk are a danger to our lives and the whole Labor Movement. This needs to end because now, more than ever, unionists throughout our city, state, and country need to stand together!

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Arthur Goldstein's avatar

Thanks Laura. I'm amazed they can trot out such transparent arguments and expect to be believed. They aren't getting any better at making stuff up, no matter how much they practice.

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