Schoolyard Bullies

A few months back, one of the nameless UFT employees who write for UFT Unity Facebook was commenting on my Facebook page. One of them accused me of twisting my logic in pretzel shapes, or something like that. Maybe that was supposed to worry me. It did not. I don’t need to do that.

They do. That’s why they’re projecting.

It’s incontrovertible fact that Unity worked for years to give us worse medical care. They lied to us, saying it would be as good as better. Mulgrew continues to push that claim, even after Aetna admitted in court it wasn’t true.

In fact, NYC Retirees, in court, cited the case of a woman who died from being denied service under so-called Medicare Advantage.

Hey, these things happen.

No matter what Unity says, they ought not to happen to us. In fact, they shouldn’t happen to anyone. Trust us, said Unity, even as they persisted in selling us down the river.

It’s not even debatable that it took others to block Unity’s scheme. It would be much harder for me if I had to to defend such actions. It’s particularly difficult because the fundamental job of union is to improve working conditions. Unity did the precise opposite.

Thus, they muster the audacity to label Marianne Pizzitola a bully. Make no mistake—this is a diversionary tactic. They need to draw attention from the fact that she’s doing the job we pay them to do. They hate hearing about their miserable failures, and are desperate to change the subject.

Regardless, name calling constitutes an ad hominem attack, and has no bearing on positions or actions. But hey, that’s where you go when you have no actual argument.

Marianne took exception to something a Unity member said or did, and decided to ask the member some tough questions. She had others do the same. I know, because I was one of them. Evidently, asking Unity members tough questions is “bullying.”

Here are a few things that Unity does not see as bullying:

1. Enrolling retirees in an inferior health care program.

2. Not asking retirees whether they want this program.

3. Claiming anyone who opposes this program engages in fairy tales, conspiracy theories, and are enemies of the union.

4. Agreeing to 10% savings, for the city, in a program to replace Emblem/GHI.

5. Not asking in-service members whether they want this program.

6. Charging 200 bucks a month, each, to start, for those who wish to retain their Medicare and Medigap.

7. Disregarding the fact that this will be unaffordable for many or most city retirees.

8. Claiming you oppose premiums while charging 5K a couple per year to keep Medicare and Medigap.

9. Claiming you oppose premiums while retirees pay pharmacy premiums that can run into thousands of dollars.

10. Actually agreeing to premiums while claiming to oppose them.

11. Preventing elected chapter leaders from directly communicating with those of us who chose them.

12. Allowing their own appointed, unelected “leaders” the right to communicate whatever they wish.

13. Breaking the health care covenant the city made with us when we started.

14. Disregarding the fact we worked for less, for decades, with the understanding we would receive Medicare and Medigap in retirement.

15. Launching ad hominem attacks against the person and group who helped and protected us while Unity threw us to the wolves.

16. Pushing a resolution that dictates who we may and may not affiliate with.

Let’s further disregard the fact that the Delegate Assembly is a scripted event. The fact is Mulgrew knew about the “union interference” resolution well before it came up on the floor. Was it placed there to preclude other resolutions? It certainly succeeded. Was it placed there to get our minds off other things? Is it just a red herring? Maybe.

Regardless, it will take up a bunch of time next month. This resolution was poorly thought out, and is a loser for Unity. It barely passed muster to make the agenda next month. If it goes down, it will be a humiliating loss. If it passes, it will be a humiliating win. Why?

It’s none of Unity’s business who we affiliate with. If I choose to give way more money to NYC Retirees than I pay in union dues, that’s my right.

If the majority of retirees decide NYC Retirees are fighting for us while Unity is working against us, that’s our right too. If NYC Retirees are in court battling for us while Unity, as part of MLC, is part of an amicus brief against us, I don’t even see what we have to discuss.

Unity specifically chose not to identify who this thing was targeted at. They could, of course, attempt damage control next month. They could say that they didn’t mean to target NYC Retirees. I won’t believe them, and no one should. Their other target, according to their own Substack, was Democratic Socialists of America. DSA, according to Unity, has some or other pernicious goal, written in some thing somewhere.

I don’t know a whole lot about DSA. Are they trying to manipulate UFT members? Is there a remote possibility they could do that any better than the city manipulated Michael Mulgrew, who dragged us all along with him in his quest to demean our health insurance? As far as I can see, the biggest threat to our unionism right now is Michael Mulgrew and Unity.

Here’s the thing—Unity’s worried about the wrong people. If you don’t like DSA, don’t support them. If you don’t want to vote for DSA, vote for someone else.

However, DSA didn’t bounce Tom Murphy. NYC Retirees did. DSA isn’t going to help put Unity out of office in May. NYC Retirees, at least in part, are. So even if Unity manages to condemn DSA, they won’t accomplish much beyond pissing off DSA supporters. If members want to affiliate with DSA, they will. Is Michael Mulgrew going to stand in front of DSA meetings with his hands spread side to side, forbidding UFT members to enter?

And what if Unity goes after NYC Retirees? How is that going to worK? Will Mulgrew come to my house and prevent me from donating? Will he force me to contribute to COPE instead? That will be a hard sell for him.

I pulled my COPE contributions when Unity used UFT funds to pay lawyers to threaten me with civil and criminal penalties. If that’s not bullying, I don’t know what is.

All of this, in fact, falls under the Unity Big Shot prime directive of, “Sit down and shut up.” That’s what they do when Mulgrew dictates, unless they dare to risk their jobs. That’s their overarching message to those of us who dare question them. Unity has no compunction about using union funds, or COPE, or whatever is at their disposal to shut down opposition voices. They have failed utterly, and will continue to do so.

Union should amplify member voice. Union should find out what members want and need. Then, they need to figure out ways to get those things for members. Union ought not to be tied lockstep to any particular political ideology, sect or party. In fact, union ought not to be beholden to the philosophy of any union caucus.

Union should embrace activism, not run fraidy-scared. Union should work to improve member health care, not diminish it. ABC is member-focused and member-driven, and that’s why I stand with them.

As for Unity? They’re schoolyard bullies. They’re full of bluster. But they got their asses handed to them last year. They can push all the insane resolutions they like. Win or lose, we aren’t afraid of them.

And honestly, as ostensible union leaders, it’s ridiculous they’d even expect us to be.

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