My Second Act as a Retiree

Unity wants to know.

Earlier today, Unity sent me an email asking about my “second act,” as a submission to the retiree section of NY Teacher. What have you done since you retired?

It’s an interesting request for a number of reasons. One is that it’s a great topic. Another is that, of course, the actual Retired Teacher Chapter was not consulted at all about it. That’s troubling, and points to a larger issue.

Those are my two takeaways. I’ll expand on the second. I absolutely believe Unity wants to drown our section of NY Teacher with things that don’t relate to the prime objective of retirees who voted in the last election. In case this is your first time reading this column, that is saving our health insurance.

My second act is as a reporter. I report on the morally bankrupt nature of the Unity Caucus, the caucus that has absolutely controlled our union since its inception, leaving no voice whatsoever to opposition. I have to do this now, because the Caucus, despite lip service otherwise, is still doing nothing whatsoever to preserve my health care, or that of my brothers and sisters.

I was chapter leader of the most overcrowded school in Queens for 12 years. When I started, I was part of opposition. In fact, I ran with an opposition caucus and won a spot on the UFT Executive Board. The caucus, though, was very upset when I brought a resolution to reduce class size. Later, one of its leaders called me and some friends “right wingers” and got rid of us.

I was pretty outraged. While I never joined the elite Unity Caucus, they asked me to run with them, and I did. I spent a few years trying to work within the system, with a particular emphasis on improving things for English Language Learners. I went to many, many meetings, and heard many, many promises. I really wanted to get my students the instruction they need. In the end, however, we accomplished nothing whatsoever.

When the Medicare Advantage plan came out, I was ready to try it. I’d had cancer, about 17 years ago, and Emblem/ GHI was good to me. Of course, Emblem dropped out, and the more I learned about Advantage plans, the more I realized it was not what I, or indeed anyone, needed. It seemed like straight Medicare with a supplement was the way to go.

As I drifted away, Unity called a meeting with me to discuss things. They made it a point to include two Unity members who I really like. What they did not bring, though, was an argument. They did not say that every doctor who took Medicare would take the MA plan. (Mulgrew had claimed this, and was proven wrong.) They did not say there would be no pre-approvals. They did not guarantee me that my doctor, rather than Aetna, would make ultimate decisions about my care.

They did nothing to persuade me that Unity’s promise—that it would be as good or better than real Medicare—was valid in any way, shape, or form.

It’s pretty remarkable they came to the table with no argument. Even more remarkable, on that basis, they expected to persuade me. Maybe that works within the caucus. Nonetheless, if that’s not hubris, if that’s not arrogance, I don’t know what is. Here’s the thing—they still haven’t got an argument.

So what do they do instead?

Now that they’ve lost the retirees, they want to pretend it never happened. Rather than employ the elected representatives, they keep their patronage employees on payroll. They grudgingly give work to our chapter leader so they don’t look utterly ridiculous.

What else? They wait until the last minute and sabotage our plans to oppose Medicare Advantage at the Labor Day Parade. They post articles in the retiree section of NY Teacher without our cooperation. And they put out queries for articles like this one, using an email list to which we lack access. They do this knowing full well that we, the actual RTC leadership, want to place our mark on what is, ostensibly, our section of the publication.

Now here’s the thing—given all this, Unity has made a veritable declaration they don’t respect us. They will not cooperate with us, and they will co-opt and/ or sabotage us every chance they get.

I get letters asking what we’re going to do about it. For my part, I expose them every chance I get. In fact, though they had these very same resources before the RTC election, they lost by a landslide. These things they’re doing won’t save them.

You will see changes in the RTC this year. There will be voting, and there will be no more slavish adherence to the party line.

What can you do?

Well, Mulgrew will be coming to some of our meetings. Here are a few questions you might try :

1. It’s great you oppose Medicare Advantage. What are you going to do to make sure we don’t get dumped in that program?

2. When are you going to file amicus briefs with NYC Retirees, instead of against us?

3. Why haven’t you lobbied to pass bills to protect our health care? There’s one at the state level and one at the city level.

4. Why did you prevent us from expressing ourselves at the Labor Parade? Why did you wait until the last minute to let us know?

5. Why are we not consulted before you post things in our section of NY Teacher?

I’m sure you can think of many others. Here’s what I see, though. Unity has demonstrated they will not cooperate with us. There’s always something we can do. Always. We can’t do magic. We can’t change the people with whom we have to work.

We do, however, have alternatives. One of them is right here. If you have other ideas, place them in action.

One thing Unity has no control of is our voices. Another is our votes. We’ve shown them our willingness to use them, and believe me, they are freaked out beyond belief. None of them expected that.

This right here is my second act. The epilogue, of course, is to vote them out of office, control the levers ourselves, and restore democracy to our union.