RTC--Getting the Band Back Together

Is it possible?

In 1980, Don Henley was asked when the Eagles would get together again. His answer was, “When hell freezes over.” In 1994, evidently it did. They toured and created a live album to follow up. Now I kid our friends in Retiree Advocate (RA) from time to time. I’m told they don’t much like it.

I don’t blame them. Still, if they’re serious about making progress, I’m willing to work to make that happen. I’ve been reaching out for a year, and have heard mostly crickets back. A few weeks back, they said they’d be willing to meet at the end of April.

Let’s examine how my friends who want to Fix Retiree Benefits might work with Retiree Advocate. For one thing, we’d need to actively organize to represent our Retired Teacher Chapter (RTC) at events that promote 1096 (or its state equivalent). Full disclosure—I once saw two RA members at a single event. That’s not good enough.

My friends and I have resources, and we would help with that. We could also coordinate with Marianne Pizzitola and NYC Retirees, the folks who saved Medicare for us. My friends and I stand ready to get the word out, with or without the help of UFT bosses.

This would not preclude any actions RA has taken in the past. If members want to support other unions, that’s great. If members want to attend political events, that’s fine too. If membership wants to pass resolutions or take positions on pretty much anything, of course they’re free to do so. But we must remember health care, because that, my friends, is why we were elected.

Second, there would need to be increased representation of those of us who voted ABC last year. In the last election, we beat RA retirees by a factor of three to one. Sometimes RA folk tell me that’s only because Marianne supported us. Or it’s only because Amy supported us. Maybe that’s true. The fact is, though, that Marianne and Amy still support us.

There are ten officer posts for RTC, and 15 Executive Board seats. The officer posts are easy—five and five, with each slate selecting every other position. The chapter leader position, though, is more valuable than the other positions. It’s the only one that comes with a defined set of responsibilities and an actual job.

The slate that takes chapter leader should get 7 Executive Board seats, and the one that does not should get 8. How do we decide which slate chooses? As far as I’m concerned, we could flip a coin.

There are 300 delegates. 150 each. Any paid hours or positions could be split.

If RA runs against Unity one on one, they will lose. They’ve failed to do what I voted for, and I’m far from alone. In a three-way race, Unity has the edge. I believe, though, that we have a chance. Regardless of who wins, RA alone will run a distant last.

Our best chance to defeat Unity is to work together. I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. RA can choose who they like, and we will choose who we like. If anyone has a better idea, I’m all ears (and the comments are now officially open).

Why is it difficult for RA to work with us?

RA failed to process last year’s electoral results. They seem desperate to disregard a clear message from voters. Instead, they’re running a last ditch membership drive, hoping we’ll forget plainly undemocratic processes that served to alienate most of their former supporters.

Last week I got a mailing from them. After running with them and advocating for them, after being elected Vice Chair with them, I had somehow not done enough to merit a voice in their organization. In fact, I only learned I was not a member after the election.

I wasn’t alone. 278 of the 300 of us who ran with RA were not members. Therefore, we had no input into their decisions. When RA made the disastrous decision to turn their backs on ABC and run with ARISE, we were not consulted.

Now, they want us to pay 50 bucks to become members. That’s too little, too late. They can run their caucus as they see fit. If they choose not to work with us, we will oppose them. My friends and I stand ready to organize a slate for next year, and right after next month’s trustee election, we will do so.

Like our union at large, we need a more active, inclusive chapter.

RTC, under RA, has never been mobilized to demonstrate for 1096, despite the fact that we specifically agreed to do so. Here are the resolved clauses from the 1096 resolution, written by yours truly:

Resolved, that the Retired Teacher Chapter will organize a movement to lobby local council members via letters, phone calls, email, and social media; and be it further

Resolved, that we demand UFT use all its lobbying resources to support the passage of Intro 1096-2024.

We reaffirmed this a few months back. Here is what RTC has done to promote 1096:

Bennett invited Councilman Marte to address us. Of course, the next month Mulgrew came, uninvited, with his lawyer, hogging the microphone, trying in vain to persuade us we were criminals, violating the Taylor Law, tanking collective bargaining, and who knows what else.

82% of us rejected Mulgrew’s message.

Also, I wrote a letter to City Council members, saying we needed our health care preserved. I wrote we needed protection from City Hall and our union leaders. RA members were offended I said we needed protection from our union leaders, so they cut that. Then we all signed the letter and it was emailed to City Council members.

Other letters? Phone banks? Social media? Boots on the ground? Not really. it was that letter and no more. The month we first passed the 1096 resolution, RA vetoed my idea of organizing a petition. Instead, they chose to table the motion—essentially, to do nothing.

We can do so much better. It behooves us to work actively to protect our health care. Mulgrew claims to support us and concurrently lobbies against us. That’s unacceptable. We should be calling him out publicly, regularly, and insistently.

In fact, we must work actively to improve our health care. It’s been three months now since I posted our petition urging the Welfare Fund to cover our pharmacy premiums (like FDNY. NYPD, DC37, and other Welfare Funds do) to the official UFT Retiree Facebook group. It’s still sitting in moderation while RA’s Jonathan Halabi ponders whether or not it bears posting.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” I like that.

Doing nothing is not an option.

We need to take action, and we will. The only question, really, is whether RA is willing to collaborate with people outside of their immediate circle. Last year, they put us off, put us off some more, and then formed their own slate. ABC had to choose between dropping dead, or going it alone.

We’re willing to work this out. Is RA? Time will tell.