RTC Chapter Leader Tom Murphy Is Unfit

And so is anyone representing Unity Caucus instead of members.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” You wouldn’t know that if you were to visit the official UFT Facebook group for retirees. Over there, everything is wonderful, and it’s Lake Wobogon, where all UFT bosses are above average. I’ve gone to only one meeting of the retiree chapter, where things are even more wonderful. Evidently, we retirees are so happy that we need not ask questions or put forward motions.

I was pretty surprised by this. Every retiree I know, without exception, is freaked out that Unity bosses are trying to take away our Medicare, or in the case of younger members, GHI-CBP. It’s particularly egregious because this “savings” Unity wants to enact for the city has nothing to do with us. The fact is that the Municipal Labor Committee, with the blessing of Michael Mulgrew, gave away a billion dollars from our health stabilization fund in exchange for raises in 2014. They then agreed, in 2018, to save the city over 600 million dollars a year, forever, in exchange for a three year contract that was at or near cost of living.

Mulgrew often speaks of how smart our negotiatiors are. If they were really smart, they’d know that cost of living increases ought not to be accompanied by givebacks, let alone givebacks so egregious that they threaten to dump premiums on rank and file. Mulgrew’s solution, fully endorsed by RTC chapter leader Tom Murphy, was to make retirees pay for their blunder. To that end, they’ve been trying to dump us all into an “Advantage” plan for over two years.

Our chapter, supposedly, represents our interests. But Tom Murphy, at the meeting I attended, referred to us as “Michael’s army.” The implication is we represent Michael Mulgrew. In fact, Michael Mulgrew is supposed to represent members. Not only that, but Tom Murphy was elected specifically to represent retirees. When Michael Mulgrew acts against the interests of retirees, i.e. pushing to degrade the health care we’ve earned with decades of service, it’s Tom Murphy’s job to stand up and defend us.

Instead, Murphy calls those of us defending our health care “rump retirees.” Putting aside his juvenile notion of wit, this indicates clearly that our concerns are not his. This is fundamental dereliction of duty. Not only that, but in the last meeting Murphy made a point to let us know our concerns were the least important part of our meeting. After taking time and expense to travel to Manhattan, I expected better.

A Unity member of my acquaintance told me it was not Murphy’s fault. According to this person, Murphy was only following orders. I believe that. There are two issues with this. One, of course, is that this was the Nuremburg defense. It didn’t work there, and ought not to work here either. The more important thing, though, is that Murphy does not work for Mulgrew. He works for us.

Except he does not work for us. If he did, he’d be doing what the NYC Retirees are doing. He’d be going to court to stop the move to place us at the mercy of CVS/ Aetna. Why should we be denied health care simply to supplement the costs of printing those five-foot-long receipts? Shouldn’t our health be more important than Aetna’s profits? Not if you ask Tom Murphy.

The fact is, the current health crunch has nothing to do with Medicare. The stabilization fund has nothing to do with it. However, the geniuses at the Municipal Labor Committee, dominated by UFT and DC37 bosses, decided that seniors should pay for their blunders. They decided, perhaps, that we were too busy doddering around and drooling into our oatmeal to take a stand.

One reason Murphy is so anxious to quash questions and motions at ostensible union meetings is he’s heard them before, and he doesn’t like them. Rather than actually address them, Murphy chose to write a column about decorum. He and fellow Unity hacks on his executive board, all acting at Mulgrew’s behest, had decided to turn over a meeting to Mulgrew and Aetna executives rather than stand up for the chapter. Evidently, Murphy doesn’t like to face members who are justifiably outraged at not being represented at all.

The fact is Tom Murphy works for Michael Mulgrew, not his constituents. That’s why he’s unfit. NYC Retirees are out doing the work Murphy ought to be doing. That’s why I contribute to them and you should too.

Here’s a paragraph from Murphy’s Mulgrew-approved lesson on decurum:

In accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, the RTC Executive Board sets the agenda for membership meetings. Board members voted to defer regular business and allow the UFT president and the Aetna health care plan presenters to speak with an extended Q&A period at our March and April meetings. Many members who want information without disruption have applauded this approach. We appeal for decorum.

The thing I love best here is the “many members” statement. That’s exactly the sort of thing Donald Trump says to justify whatever. “People are saying” this. How many people? Who knows? Murphy ought not to concern himself with what “many members” are saying. Murphy ought to concern himself with what the people he represents actually want. He ought to, therefore, put the Medicare sellout up for a vote.

He won’t, of course, If this Aetna plan were as fantastic as Murphy and Mulgrew said it was, they’d offer it as an option, and people would jump up and down to take it. Of course it isn’t, so they lie to us. Then they complain when we get mad. Murphy wants us to be “guardians of civility” as opposed to protecting our health care, or ourselves.

This spring, retirees will have a chance to vote on who represents us. I will be running with Retiree Advocate, the opposition. We stand for preserving traditional Medicare for retirees. If you’re a retiree, you can vote for us.

We need to save what we’ve worked for and earned. We do not need to pay for Michael Mulgrew’s mistakes, Tom Murphy being but one of them.