Retiree Power

We stand for our health care, for ourselves, and for those who follow us.

Wednesday’s UFT Delegate Assembly was yet another illustration of the ageism that runs through the very veins of the Unity Caucus. Taking us for fools, LeRoy Barr got up and asserted passionately that UFT would never support retirees being placed into a Medicare Advantage plan.

News flash, LeRoy. You already do support that. The Municipal Labor Committee filed an amicus brief with the mayor in his efforts to force us into MA. Unity is part of, and play a huge role in MLC. Furthermore, Unity has failed to support our legislation, citywide or statewide, that would actually prevent this from happening.

We’re old, but we haven’t forgotten how to read.

The graphic above was created by Marianne Pizzitola, President of NYC Retirees. She was clearly reflecting on the work her group has done. Because of her stand, because of her activism, we woke up and smelled the coffee—the rancid, stale stench of privatizing our hitherto excellent health care. Retirees in UFT woke as one, and took an unprecedented stand against the jaded and monopolistic Unity Caucus, the caucus that, for all I can see, learns nothing about us, ever.

Unity took retirees for granted. I went to meetings for a full year in which no motions were entertained and no votes were taken on anything whatsoever. I’m told it was that way for several years before that. Unity did not want to hear what we thought of their MA scheme. But they messed with retiree health care—and they should’ve known better. We’re not afraid to stand up.

What are they gonna do—put a letter in our file?

We’re older, but not enfeebled. We watch, we protect ourselves, and by doing so, protect in-service members whether or not they know it. With just a little luck, they’ll enjoy retirement as we do. Marianne calls working union members “retirees in training.”

We feel our years, but we don’t give up. Our hair goes greyer even as Amy Arundell’s goes more purple. We find ourselves with more frequent health issues than we did when we were younger. But we soldier on. We battle to make things better for ourselves, and in doing so, leave them that way for those who follow us.

Though retired from our jobs, we are not retired from society. We aren’t retired from our lives. We follow different stars. Those of us who were active in our union tend to continue being so. And though Unity may not like it, an overwhelming majority of us are disenchanted with their brand of leadership. We decisively delivered that message last May.

The other night, someone told me anonymous Unity trolls on the net call me, “angry” as a pejorative.

There’s some truth to that. I am indeed angry that my union leaders saw fit to place all NYC retirees into an inferior health plan. Isn’t that a wholly appropriate reaction? And isn’t the follow up to do something about it? That’s why I’m here, as a matter of fact.

They’re not really upset because I’m angry. If I were out telling kids to get off my lawn, if I were screaming at people who called me after 7 PM because it’s dark already, they’d be perfectly happy to leave me to it. They’re upset because I criticize them, and the patronage cult demands absolute fealty to Mulgrew, no matter what.

But isn’t union about making things better? And isn’t it ironic to be criticized by your ostensible leadership for trying to do so?

Is it not, in fact, anti-union to ridicule union members for wanting to improve things for working people?

What do stereotypical retirees do? Play shuffleboard? Dominoes? Watch reruns of Matlock? I get the distinct impression that’s what Unity thinks I should be doing. Instead, I’m advocating for members, precisely what we pay Unity to do. And I’m not giving up. Unity tried to take me down and failed.

Since I was a toddler, NYC retirees have received Medicare along with a Medigap plan. That’s what the city promised us, and that’s what we expected as we worked for decades. It did not escape us we worked for considerably less than what our suburban counterparts received.

How obvious should it be that it’s the job of union to protect us, and even make things better for us? Not sufficiently obvious for UFT Unity, who decided to sell us out in exchange for a contract that may or may not have kept up with inflation. Though we benefited not at all from that contract, Unity thought we should absorb its cost. After all, retirees always voted for Unity.

Until we didn’t, of course.

Unity is not alone in the battle to diminish our health care.

DC37’s leader, Harry Garrido, sent a letter to members that contains the following gems:

For those retirees covered by Senior Care GHI, a recent court decision is restoring $15 co-pays for most doctors’ visits starting January 1, 2025. The copay is a set dollar amount that you pay for commonly used health services.

You see that? Harry, along with the Very Smart People in Unity, negotiated the contract change that enabled this. Yet he takes no responsibility for it. It just happened. No one initiated it. Harry, Mulgrew and Unity? They were off taking a nap somewhere. Then there’s this:

New York City Council Member Christopher Marte has introduced a shortsighted bill that attempts to unlawfully restrict the right of public service workers and municipal unions to negotiate retiree health care. The bill, Intro 1096-2024, violates state and local laws which require health benefits received in retirement to be a mandatory subject of bargaining. It is the statutory duty of unions and their government employers to negotiate the scope of benefits employees receive when they retire. As recognized by the New York Court of Appeals and reaffirmed by recent lower court decisions, the rights of retirees to these benefits are defined by the collective bargaining agreements originally reached by their unions when those employees were working.

The bill also fails to address the underlying issues of controlling and funding rising health care costs. While this bill claims to help retirees, it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Removing municipal unions’ ability to negotiate for quality, premium-free retiree health benefits is quite frankly the opposite of helping retirees. We encourage you to call your New York City Council Member today and tell them: I’m a retired city worker— Please do not support Intro 1096-2024!

What 1096 actually does is set a minimum for our health care:

The bill provides that the City must offer Medicare-eligible City retirees and their Medicare-eligible dependents at least one Medigap plan with benefits equivalent to or better than those available to City retirees and their dependents as of December 31, 2021.

And that is what Garrido opposes. He fails to provide, let alone explain, the simple language in the bill. The only logical conclusion is that Garrido, like Unity, wants to preserve the right to diminish our health care. Who needs leadership like that?

NYC Retirees fought back against Garrido and Unity in court, repeatedly. The courts declared the Advantage scheme would cause us irreparable harm, that we would not have the same access to doctors, and even Aetna admitted it would deny us procedures our doctors requested. Mulgrew denies this.

Garrido ignores his part. UFT Unity, as they celebrate and applaud ageism, hope we forget theirs as well. In fact, their criticism of me, or any retiree, for being unhappily retired by expressing our opinions, is yet another example of their ageism.

Are retirees precluded from speaking their minds?

Are we forbidden from calling out union bosses for their colossal screw ups? The First Amendment, last I looked, applies to all of us. There’s no age limit, and as far as I can tell, it doesn’t expire at retirement.

In fact, Unity hero Tom Murphy referred to us as “Michael’s Daytime Army.” He wanted us out there battling for whatever Michael Mulgrew told us to. Diminish our health care? Let’s get out there and lobby for it! Michael says so! But in the United States, so far, we aren’t required to agree with Michael Mulgrew (unless we’re Unity Caucus and signed the oath).

Here’s the thing—a lot of us have passions beyond teaching. I love to do many things.

But man, I love to write. I used to love to read more, considering writing somewhat of a chore. And it can be, you know. You stare at that blank paper and wait, and wait, for your heart and soul to magically imprint something upon it.

For me, that changed when I saw my first word processor. You mean I don’t need to write this out in longhand and edit while I type the thing anymore? It’s amazing to be able to pull a paragraph from here, and move it up there where it belongs.

Since I retired, I’ve been developing my writing. I’ve been writing longer pieces. I’ve been spending more time polishing my work. If writing made me unhappy, I would absolutely not be doing it.

Of course, there are a whole lot of people who hate to write, and that’s why they don’t. And oh man, it is really hard to persuade kids to write, especially when we’re forced to make then write the crap on the NY State English Regents Exam.

Forcing students to read and write tedious crap has the effect of making them hate reading and writing. Forcing crap health care plans on retirees has the effect of turning us against the union bosses who initiated them.

That’s why I’m supporting A BETTER CONTRACT.

We need a better collective bargaining agreement for rank and file, and a real contract with leadership—a commitment to protect us rather than sell us out for less than nothing.

If you’re a teacher, para, secretary, counselor, or any UFT member, active or retired, JOIN US.

We are going to turn the old ways upside down, and be guided by member voice.

It’s about time.